Wildcats/Carters/Moriah Traverse 12-26 - Views From The Top

Frodo · 12-26-2003, 09:50 PM

7:00am
The 3 of us leave the Wildcat Ski Area parking lot with one of the workers stating, "We don't open until 8". We tell him thanks, we know, and head up one of the ski trails to the summit.

8:12am
We reach the summit of Wildcat D. It's cold and windy with a good 8 inches of fresh powder blowing around. We head off to Wildcat A breaking trail as we go.

9:34am
Reach the summit of Wildcat A. We can barely see Carter Notch hut below us thru the blowing snow. Ridge has alot of windblown powder over a packed base.

11:26am
We are on the summit of Carter Dome. Very blustery! We have a quick lunch off the summit and keep going towards Zeta Pass.

12:15pm
We reach Zeta Pass. Thom heads down towards the 19MB Trail, and we head off to S. Carter.

12:51pm
We arrive at S. Carter, take a quick break and just keep on moving... The ridge has less snow than the Wildcat Ridge, but we are still breaking trail.

1:36pm
We reach M. Carter. Still windy and cold.

4:24pm
We are on the summit of Moriah. Getting dark now so we take a few pictures and head down back towards the Stony Brook Trail.

We head down the Stony Brook Trail with our headlamps guiding the way. Trail is a mess! Lots of undermined snow. Snow is also soft, not very consolidated, so we occasionally posthole while wearing our snowshoes.

Stony Brook is very high and difficuilt to cross, especially while wearing snowshoes and using a headlamp. I almost made it across dry...

Back to the spotted vehicle at 6:55pm

6 down, 42 to go...

Frodo and Stinkyfeet

Mohamed Ellozy · 12-27-2003, 03:04 AM

Best of luck on your quest, Frodo and Stinkyfeet!

carole · 12-27-2003, 08:56 PM

Looking forward to more reports!!

max · 12-27-2003, 09:22 PM

Nice report Frodo! I think at that agressive pace, when you were "falling" in the brook, I would have been somewhere around North Carter!

Max

MichaelJ · 12-27-2003, 10:21 PM

I'd still be sitting at the hut drinking cocoa. 1:12 to Wildcat D? Oy! Nice pace!

Great report (and the Twins one as well). Keep going - I'm living vicariously through them!

fluffy · 12-28-2003, 08:57 AM

[color=blue]
Hey Frodo and Stinkyfeet.

We slept in this morning. When I woke up and looked at the clock, I said to 4-wheeler- "They've been hiking for 2 and a half hours already!

Sleeping in is good. We may join you on Thursday though...
good luck!

fluffy and 4-wheeler

12-26-2003, 09:50 PM	#1
Frodo Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Wilmington, MA Posts: 538	Wildcats/Carters/Moriah Traverse 12-26 7:00am The 3 of us leave the Wildcat Ski Area parking lot with one of the workers stating, "We don't open until 8". We tell him thanks, we know, and head up one of the ski trails to the summit. 8:12am We reach the summit of Wildcat D. It's cold and windy with a good 8 inches of fresh powder blowing around. We head off to Wildcat A breaking trail as we go. 9:34am Reach the summit of Wildcat A. We can barely see Carter Notch hut below us thru the blowing snow. Ridge has alot of windblown powder over a packed base. 11:26am We are on the summit of Carter Dome. Very blustery! We have a quick lunch off the summit and keep going towards Zeta Pass. 12:15pm We reach Zeta Pass. Thom heads down towards the 19MB Trail, and we head off to S. Carter. 12:51pm We arrive at S. Carter, take a quick break and just keep on moving... The ridge has less snow than the Wildcat Ridge, but we are still breaking trail. 1:36pm We reach M. Carter. Still windy and cold. 4:24pm We are on the summit of Moriah. Getting dark now so we take a few pictures and head down back towards the Stony Brook Trail. We head down the Stony Brook Trail with our headlamps guiding the way. Trail is a mess! Lots of undermined snow. Snow is also soft, not very consolidated, so we occasionally posthole while wearing our snowshoes. Stony Brook is very high and difficuilt to cross, especially while wearing snowshoes and using a headlamp. I almost made it across dry... Back to the spotted vehicle at 6:55pm 6 down, 42 to go... Frodo and Stinkyfeet

12-27-2003, 09:22 PM	#4
max Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Templeton, MA Posts: 51	Nice report Frodo! I think at that agressive pace, when you were "falling" in the brook, I would have been somewhere around North Carter! Max __________________ "Never take no cut-offs, and hurry along as fast as you can." Virginia Reed -- surviving member of the Donner Party

12-27-2003, 10:21 PM	#5
MichaelJ Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Watch City Posts: 3,836	I'd still be sitting at the hut drinking cocoa. 1:12 to Wildcat D? Oy! Nice pace! Great report (and the Twins one as well). Keep going - I'm living vicariously through them! __________________ May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view. May your mountains rise into and above the clouds. - Edward Abbey

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12-27-2003, 03:04 AM	#2
Mohamed Ellozy Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Thornton, NH Posts: 1,619	Best of luck on your quest, Frodo and Stinkyfeet!

12-27-2003, 08:56 PM	#3
carole Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: NH Posts: 1,324	Looking forward to more reports!!

12-28-2003, 08:57 AM	#6
fluffy Junior Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: jaffrey, nh Posts: 15	[color=blue] Hey Frodo and Stinkyfeet. We slept in this morning. When I woke up and looked at the clock, I said to 4-wheeler- "They've been hiking for 2 and a half hours already! Sleeping in is good. We may join you on Thursday though... good luck! fluffy and 4-wheeler