I hiked with Chris and Moses the hiking dog today for the first time since doing Abraham last summer. Chris hadn’t hiked since mid November and would show the effects as we set off on our hike. I picked them up at 7:30 and drove to the trail head.
With the network of trails in the White Mountain National Forest there are often many ways to climb the same mountain. The choice we made was to go up and back on the South Branch of the Imp trail to the North Carter trail and Carter Moriah trail. Parking at the trailhead, we geared up and set off about 8:45. The elevation at the beginning is 1,270 feet and the summit of Middle Carter is 4,610 feet. With nearly 10 miles and 3,300 feet of elevation to gain, this hike is as strenuous as some of the climbs across the road on the Presidential Range. The temperature was around 15°, that would not change all day. This might seem cold but is actually pretty comfortable to hike in since you are working really hard. The trail skirts the edge of the Imp Brook valley and is wooded in it’s entirety. With no views, the only reason to stop was to chit chat, snack, drink and to catch one’s breath as the climb steepened.
We gained the upper trail junction with North Carter trail at about 11:45 and after a short break and a couple of photos, we started off again.
The next 1.2 mile section is a bit of a slog. No views and a very steady, moderately steep grade, slowed our pace considerably. We met one other hiker just below the trails intersection with the Carter Moriah trail and spoke to him for a few minutes It was 1:00 when we gained the ridge.
Usually in winter, we would stop in a sheltered place below any possible exposure to the wind and add some layers of clothing to protect against it. Today there was zero wind to deal with so we kept going. At 1:45 we were at the summit. There was no sign or apparent cairn so we had walked until there was no more up and called that the top.
After a quick snack, a couple more pictures and a congratulatory pat for Moses the hiker dog, (he had just climbed his first winter 4,000 footer) we began our descent. Micro-spikes made the snow covered trail easy to negotiate but our pace was still slower than usual.
I plan my hikes with my average pace in mind, 1.3 MPH uphill and 2 MPH downhill. Since Chris has always been the stronger hiker, I figured we would be out by 4:00 or so. I Emailed Linda our hiking plans as I always do. I included my latest ETA to be home. At 3:30 we were at the upper trail junction and with 3.1 miles to go, I knew not only would we be late getting home but we would end our hike in the dark. This was a first for me. Although I always carry a headlamp, I like to leave a margin of daylight in case something goes wrong. We could still see the trail as we hiked the last half mile but only just. It was pretty much full dark when we got to the parking lot.
All in all a great day out and with a late return but no harm done. As with most of my hikes, I learned some things. First, don’t take for granted the person you hiked with is in the same physical shape he or she was in the last time you hiked together if it’s been a while since you did so. Second, always pad your time a bit for trail chatter, especially if you are hiking with someone who stops when they talk! I have hiked alone so often lately that I’d forgotten to add in time just for interaction with another person.
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