Wildcat-Moriah Traverse 7-12-10

procook131 · 07-19-2010, 08:43 AM

I'm obsessed. Challenge me, or better yet when I challenge myself, I do great things (in my mind at least). It started with a little weight loss, and now I am a skinny shadow of my former self having dropped from 187 pounds down to 173 with only a couple more to shed. Then it was the Vermont 4K's; check. Maine's 4K's; check. See where this is going? New Hampshire 48!!!

After my first week of White hiking which no one seemed too impressed by, I felt that I had to up the ante. I mean really, fifteen 4K's in five days after fourteen in Maine the week before? That's amateur. Maybe it was because they were low lying and scattered about? Anyway, I figured I would warm up for my Presidential Range traverse by doing the less talked about Wildcat/Carter/Moriah traverse. Only 2.3 miles shorter with 1300' less elevation gain than the Presi's, I thought it would be a good indicator as to how I could do on them in a few weeks. Also, after being back to work for a week after two weeks off , I was itching to head for the hills.....

Working almost forty minutes east of Syracuse, I had myself all packed Saturday night to head east to New Hampshire straight from work on Sunday afternoon. Since I was meeting Jay H, I really wanted to be on the road early as to not keep him up or wake him when I got to the campsite. Murphy's Law went into full effect at work, and I got out later than expected. Driving over didn't help either; I swear I have the worst luck in Vermont. Dry roads and sunshine, still nobody does the speed limit and there is never a chance to pass. Finally got to Barnes #5 and set up my tent, had a nice chat with Jay and think I gained a new friend. Slept great underneath the stars and awoke to a beautiful day. After helping Jay spot his car, I was off to meet Nate to spot mine and get going on our day. Things were going great until Nate and I got to Pinkham and I noticed my trail runners were back in Gorham. Quick drive back to my car to grab my stinky shoes and on back down to Pinkham to begin our wonderful hike.

By going south to north we knew we would get most of the elevation done in the first ten miles of the hike and going over five of the six peaks that are part of the list of forty eight 4K's. The Wildcat Ridge Trail is a bit unrelenting, but not bad at all with fresh legs all things considered. We went up and over Wildcat “E” and were standing on Wildcat “D” in two hours, very happy with our steady yet moderate pace. Had some breakfast there and allowed our shirts to dry out for a bit as it was already getting steamy. Looking over at Washington we could see smoke from the cog and wondered if any “moons” were out across the valley. Packed up and started the two mile walk over the other two Wildcats before reaching Wildcat “A”, which went by quite quickly and took us just under an hour. From there we got some great views down into Carter Notch. We could see our descent route off of “A”, ascent up Carter Dome between the two ponds, as well as the two beautiful hut “croo” girls sunning themselves on top of Carter Notch Hut.

After the steep descent, we stopped in the hut to fill up on water and chew the fat with the “croo” for a few minutes. There were all super nice but we had to leave their company and guitar playing cook there as Carter Dome was looming. As we walked out, six teens walked in soaked, and the rain started to fall. Knowing we had many miles to go, there was no question that we were going to continue, but they looked at us like we were crazy. The skies opened up and did not relent until the summit of Carter Dome. Two to three inches of running water on the steep trail up, as well as distant thunder but no lightening. It was a cool rain which made the ascent much more comfortable, and with the heat we knew sooner rather than later we would dry out. There were nice views on the summit and clear skies north of us so we could see what we had left to go over. With weather still a bit uncertain though, we bypassed Mt. Hight and headed into Zeta Pass. On our way up South Carter we passed an A.T. Hiker whose waist strap had broken and we got his overly stuffed backpack back in usable condition. South to Middle, and then Middle to North was pretty uneventful; nice ridge walking though with some fine views.
The last leg of the trip going from North Carter down into another notch near the Imp campsite followed by the ascent of Moriah would be the part that tested me and Nate. We took a nice break down in the col and fueled up for the last push of the day, which definitely helped us out. Before we knew it we were on the ridge looking west to the summit of Moriah about a half mile away, but still on open slab which at that point in the day was scorching hot. Finally got into the trees for a few which helped, and on the summit stripped down to cool off. Moriah had awesome three hundred and sixty degree views, and weather was building south-southwest of us which made for some great photos. I always love looking back at where you came from, and it was very powerful to see the mountains we had traversed all lined up. It was getting late, so we said our goodbyes to the mountains and got moving down the four and a half miles we had to get out. Cold water, Gatorade and beer were waiting in my car for us, and we headed back to Barnes to chat with Jay for a bit before he left. Once we got back to the cabin we were both pretty shot, but were able to muster up some grilled cheese sandwiches and stand long enough to take a shower. Hit the hay pretty hard and rested up for the following days adventure into the Pemi........

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?ai...4&l=a81c0369b7

JoeCedar · 07-19-2010, 05:11 PM

You're getting there, young fella

! Nice work. I think this hike is more difficult overall than the Presi Range because of the greater ruggedness factor. Of course, it didn't "count" because you bypassed Mount Hight, the best part of the trip. You gotta go back...sorry, those are the rules...

By my numbers from last year this hike is about 7310 ft ascent and 19.4 miles, going out the Stony Brook trail. The Presidential Range, Crawford to Appalachia (yes, going over Mt Clay, you lazy bum), is 22.0 miles and 7960 ft ascent.

When's the big event planned? I think you're ready

Jay H · 07-19-2010, 07:00 PM

they also passed Shelburne-Moriah which I liked better than Hight!

Nice to meet you David!

Jay

SoloJoe · 07-19-2010, 07:04 PM

Awesome! The traverse, the photos, the report—all of it. Shot #18 is my favorite, although the cloud formations near the end are great as well

I've been thinking about trying a Carter-Moriah loop for months. Thanks for sharing. Bummed I've missed your other reports, but I will find them. Your average daily mileage to hours of sleep ratio must be like 5:1. Right on, man. Me likey the obsession.

SoloJoe · 07-19-2010, 07:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoeCedar

I think this hike is more difficult overall than the Presi Range because of the greater ruggedness factor.

I'd been wondering about exactly that. I hope to do both in the next couple months. Thanks for highlighting the difference.

procook131 · 07-19-2010, 09:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoeCedar

Of course, it didn't "count" because you bypassed Mount Hight, the best part of the trip. You gotta go back...sorry, those are the rules...

Count?! It counted for what I wanted....six more towards 115!!! I will go back, but I want some snow on the ground!

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoeCedar

(yes, going over Mt Clay, you lazy bum)

I WILL!!!! Just so I don't get verbally bashed by you

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoeCedar

When's the big event planned? I think you're ready

I don't know, maybe next week, or it will be the second week of August. Maybe I can find a retiree to come with me, unless he wants some company in Vermont.....?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jay H

they also passed Shelburne-Moriah which I liked better than Hight!

Nice to meet you David!

Jay

WHOA WHOA WHOA!!! That would have been an out and back of 2.7 miles each way, or hitch-hiking back to my car in Gorham, neither of which sounded appealing.

Nice to meet you too Jay!

Quote:

Originally Posted by SoloJoe

Awesome! The traverse, the photos, the report—all of it. Shot #18 is my favorite, although the cloud formations near the end are great as well

I've been thinking about trying a Carter-Moriah loop for months. Thanks for sharing. Bummed I've missed your other reports, but I will find them. Your average daily mileage to hours of sleep ratio must be like 5:1. Right on, man. Me likey the obsession.

Thanks Joe! I am fortunate enough that I pack light and move fast enough that I have plenty of time to sleep even though I spend a lot of time on the trail. This journey which we averaged a somewhat "slow" 1.5 miles per hour still only took us twelve and a half hours. Not bad for Nate's first hike of the year since doing Marcy/Gray/Skylight the last Saturday of winter hiking. He was a great teammate and friend, and I was super stoked he bit when I threw out the idea the day before!!!

Thanks for the support Joe, hope to see you out there!

AdkWalrus · 07-20-2010, 03:30 PM

Awesome photos, dude. I'm loving your TRs and pics. I don't always post on these threads because I sometimes feel silly tacking on another "Great job!" or whathaveyou, but you're definitely killing it right now!

procook131 · 07-20-2010, 08:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AdkWalrus

Awesome photos, dude. I'm loving your TRs and pics. I don't always post on these threads because I sometimes feel silly tacking on another "Great job!" or whathaveyou, but you're definitely killing it right now!

Hey, thanks. Not looking for congratulations, just seemed four times the amount of people read threads posted at the same time or later than mine. People see my name and look the other way I guess. I am OK with being the black sheep, ever since I defended my friend on here publicly I have been shunned by other "friends", of whom I speak with regularly and have hiked with. Maybe they weren't friends after all......

In any event, thanks for the support. It's nice to hear and I look forward to more reading about your journey and hopefully soon to be finish of your first Adirondack round. Have fun out there!

Gerard01 · 07-20-2010, 09:01 PM

Dave, you the man.....I have a feeling that Mt. Everest is looming in your sites.

procook131 · 07-20-2010, 09:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gerard01

Dave, you the man.....I have a feeling that Mt. Everest is looming in your sites.

Nahhh....just another addict. You got it too pal. John Muir said it best..."The mountains are calling and I must go". High altitude is another story; I think I have to start loving rock and ice first, which I don't. I think Colorado is calling me before seven (actually eight) summits, as we all know you can't start a list and not finish it. Or would that be the fourteen eight thousand meter peaks?

I guess there are two lists to finish after an attempt on Everest with the summit reached. Nanga Parbat scares the sh*t out of me!

07-19-2010, 07:00 PM	#3
Jay H Ice Cream Time Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Pittsfield, MA Posts: 6,795	they also passed Shelburne-Moriah which I liked better than Hight! Nice to meet you David! Jay __________________ Life is a short, warm moment And death is a long cold rest. You get your chance to try in the twinkling of an eye: Eighty years, with luck, or even less. -Pink Floyd

07-20-2010, 09:01 PM	#9
Gerard01 aspiring 46'r 10/46 Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Brooklyn, NY Posts: 1,384	Dave, you the man.....I have a feeling that Mt. Everest is looming in your sites. __________________ Nothing like being in the woods. http://www.gerardsadirondackpics.shutterfly.com

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07-19-2010, 08:43 AM	#1
procook131 Commander Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Stowe, VT Posts: 1,200	Wildcat-Moriah Traverse 7-12-10 I'm obsessed. Challenge me, or better yet when I challenge myself, I do great things (in my mind at least). It started with a little weight loss, and now I am a skinny shadow of my former self having dropped from 187 pounds down to 173 with only a couple more to shed. Then it was the Vermont 4K's; check. Maine's 4K's; check. See where this is going? New Hampshire 48!!! After my first week of White hiking which no one seemed too impressed by, I felt that I had to up the ante. I mean really, fifteen 4K's in five days after fourteen in Maine the week before? That's amateur. Maybe it was because they were low lying and scattered about? Anyway, I figured I would warm up for my Presidential Range traverse by doing the less talked about Wildcat/Carter/Moriah traverse. Only 2.3 miles shorter with 1300' less elevation gain than the Presi's, I thought it would be a good indicator as to how I could do on them in a few weeks. Also, after being back to work for a week after two weeks off , I was itching to head for the hills..... Working almost forty minutes east of Syracuse, I had myself all packed Saturday night to head east to New Hampshire straight from work on Sunday afternoon. Since I was meeting Jay H, I really wanted to be on the road early as to not keep him up or wake him when I got to the campsite. Murphy's Law went into full effect at work, and I got out later than expected. Driving over didn't help either; I swear I have the worst luck in Vermont. Dry roads and sunshine, still nobody does the speed limit and there is never a chance to pass. Finally got to Barnes #5 and set up my tent, had a nice chat with Jay and think I gained a new friend. Slept great underneath the stars and awoke to a beautiful day. After helping Jay spot his car, I was off to meet Nate to spot mine and get going on our day. Things were going great until Nate and I got to Pinkham and I noticed my trail runners were back in Gorham. Quick drive back to my car to grab my stinky shoes and on back down to Pinkham to begin our wonderful hike. By going south to north we knew we would get most of the elevation done in the first ten miles of the hike and going over five of the six peaks that are part of the list of forty eight 4K's. The Wildcat Ridge Trail is a bit unrelenting, but not bad at all with fresh legs all things considered. We went up and over Wildcat “E” and were standing on Wildcat “D” in two hours, very happy with our steady yet moderate pace. Had some breakfast there and allowed our shirts to dry out for a bit as it was already getting steamy. Looking over at Washington we could see smoke from the cog and wondered if any “moons” were out across the valley. Packed up and started the two mile walk over the other two Wildcats before reaching Wildcat “A”, which went by quite quickly and took us just under an hour. From there we got some great views down into Carter Notch. We could see our descent route off of “A”, ascent up Carter Dome between the two ponds, as well as the two beautiful hut “croo” girls sunning themselves on top of Carter Notch Hut. After the steep descent, we stopped in the hut to fill up on water and chew the fat with the “croo” for a few minutes. There were all super nice but we had to leave their company and guitar playing cook there as Carter Dome was looming. As we walked out, six teens walked in soaked, and the rain started to fall. Knowing we had many miles to go, there was no question that we were going to continue, but they looked at us like we were crazy. The skies opened up and did not relent until the summit of Carter Dome. Two to three inches of running water on the steep trail up, as well as distant thunder but no lightening. It was a cool rain which made the ascent much more comfortable, and with the heat we knew sooner rather than later we would dry out. There were nice views on the summit and clear skies north of us so we could see what we had left to go over. With weather still a bit uncertain though, we bypassed Mt. Hight and headed into Zeta Pass. On our way up South Carter we passed an A.T. Hiker whose waist strap had broken and we got his overly stuffed backpack back in usable condition. South to Middle, and then Middle to North was pretty uneventful; nice ridge walking though with some fine views. The last leg of the trip going from North Carter down into another notch near the Imp campsite followed by the ascent of Moriah would be the part that tested me and Nate. We took a nice break down in the col and fueled up for the last push of the day, which definitely helped us out. Before we knew it we were on the ridge looking west to the summit of Moriah about a half mile away, but still on open slab which at that point in the day was scorching hot. Finally got into the trees for a few which helped, and on the summit stripped down to cool off. Moriah had awesome three hundred and sixty degree views, and weather was building south-southwest of us which made for some great photos. I always love looking back at where you came from, and it was very powerful to see the mountains we had traversed all lined up. It was getting late, so we said our goodbyes to the mountains and got moving down the four and a half miles we had to get out. Cold water, Gatorade and beer were waiting in my car for us, and we headed back to Barnes to chat with Jay for a bit before he left. Once we got back to the cabin we were both pretty shot, but were able to muster up some grilled cheese sandwiches and stand long enough to take a shower. Hit the hay pretty hard and rested up for the following days adventure into the Pemi........ http://www.facebook.com/album.php?ai...4&l=a81c0369b7 __________________ “Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves.” John Muir "Not the kind of "fun" you have to force yourself to remember you're supposed to be having, but the kind where you realize for the last half a day you've had this idiot grin on your face that you just can't seem to shake." -Mirabela

07-19-2010, 05:11 PM	#2
JoeCedar Commander Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Keene, NY Posts: 1,968	You're getting there, young fella ! Nice work. I think this hike is more difficult overall than the Presi Range because of the greater ruggedness factor. Of course, it didn't "count" because you bypassed Mount Hight, the best part of the trip. You gotta go back...sorry, those are the rules... By my numbers from last year this hike is about 7310 ft ascent and 19.4 miles, going out the Stony Brook trail. The Presidential Range, Crawford to Appalachia (yes, going over Mt Clay, you lazy bum), is 22.0 miles and 7960 ft ascent. When's the big event planned? I think you're ready

07-19-2010, 07:04 PM	#4
SoloJoe Positive Thinking Join Date: Nov 2009 Posts: 361	Awesome! The traverse, the photos, the report—all of it. Shot #18 is my favorite, although the cloud formations near the end are great as well I've been thinking about trying a Carter-Moriah loop for months. Thanks for sharing. Bummed I've missed your other reports, but I will find them. Your average daily mileage to hours of sleep ratio must be like 5:1. Right on, man. Me likey the obsession.

07-20-2010, 03:30 PM	#7
AdkWalrus Jr. Commander Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Wallingford, Conn. Avatar: Checking the Arsenal score on South Twin Posts: 470	Awesome photos, dude. I'm loving your TRs and pics. I don't always post on these threads because I sometimes feel silly tacking on another "Great job!" or whathaveyou, but you're definitely killing it right now!

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