AT 101: backpacking the Carter-Moriah Ridge

heading up the Stony Brook Trail

My son told me a month before his 11th birthday that some day he is going to thru hike the Appalachian Trail. Understand that he had never before been backpacking. He had been told that I was once a backpacking guide. I'm not certain he believed that. But I took his new interest seriously. After all he was born and raised in the White Mountains. He has day hiked some of the tougher trails in New Hampshire. So backpacking the more remote stretches would be the next logical step. We formed a plan to do 2-3 overnight trips leading up to a 4 day backpacking route in August.

at the ridge on Day 1

We almost bit off more than we could chew this summer. My son is also focused on summitting the White Mountain 4000 foot peaks before his 13th birthday. Since we have plenty that are a short drive from our house, I picked a route that we get us out to the eastern most peaks, the Carter-Moriah & Wildcat Ridge. I made our daily mileage modest at 7-8 miles, but what the route may have lacked in length it made up for in ruggedness. Our first day was a gentle walk up the Stony Brook Trail to the Imp Shelter. My son's best friend came along with us so her family dropped us off at the trail head. This allowed me to leave my car at our end point in Pinkham Notch. After checking in with the caretaker and dropping our gear at the shelter we made a quick afternoon hike up to Mount Moriah to bag the peak.

checking out the Imp Shelter

When we got back to the Imp shelter a half dozen thru hikers had also checked in for the night. The first thru hikers in were the grey hairs, the folks enjoying their retirement with a leisurely long walk on the AT. Don't misunderstand me, these are often some of the most experienced and entertaining hikers on the trail. But they often have a very different attitude than the 20 somethings who are racing to get the trail done in 3 months. Indeed through that evening every age and sort of thru hiker would check into the Imp Shelter. It was an education for my son to see the range of attitudes & equipment thru hikers bring to the Appalachian Trail. We joked with the retiree set as they called in hostel reservations on I-Phones before they turned in early. We chatted with the ultra light packing college kids as they laid out 1/2 size sleeping pads under trekking pole shelters. We woke up with 2 guys sleeping across the front of the shelter who had pulled in well after dark.

the Northern Presi's on a blue bird day

The next morning the older thru hikers made their coffee and were on the trail before the kids were awake. We made our oatmeal as the younger folks packed up. Since we were in no rush I took the time to chat with the 2 guys who came in last. They were a pair of south bounder's who had started the trail a month before, trail names Ox and Tiny T. My son had figured that he ought to hike south bound when he attempts the AT since he knows the White Mountains well. So he was eager to ask them about their hike. He asked them about the difficult trail sections in Maine, their time frame, their ankle gaiters, and water filter choices. Both of them were happy to entertain his questions. But the day was advancing so we shouldered our packs and headed up the trail.

The second day of a backpacking trip is always the hardest. Eagerness has been replaced by sore shoulders and hips. Novelty has transformed into the awareness that many miles of trail and meters of elevation gain lay ahead. We began the day with an immediate challenge, climbing the steep trail to North Carter. We climbed at a good enough pace to enjoy the morning glow on the Northern Presidentials at the summit. We took a snack break and headed on to Middle Carter, crossing paths several times with another South Bounder trail name Pace Maker. I said I hoped his trail name was not for hardware he carried in his chest. He laughed and said that it was because when he had 3 companions hiking with him he set the pace. He had started in Georgia but when his companions left the trail he chose to go to Maine and finish the AT hiking South. We hike past too many North Bound thru hikers that morning to count. Their lean legs, bushy beards, and trimmed down packs made it obvious that we were headed to Katahdin.

hiker's favorite lunch spot at the Carter Dome-AT trail juncture

After crossing Middle and South Carter we hiked down to Zeta Pass passing more thru hikers. Several were plugged into earbuds or listening to music streaming out loud. I suppose that helps make dozens of miles go by each day, but it's not the way I have ever hiked. We got to the juncture with the Carter Dome Trail just past noon. We stopped for lunch with over a dozen other hikers. It was like an AT open air cafeteria. Just after we found a spot to sit down Tiny T and Ox came striding down the trail. They asked my son if his pack felt light with a grin, then handed him his crocs. He had left them at the Imp shelter that morning. So my boy got to realize his first bit of trail magic.

just another Presi view

After finishing lunch I convinced the kids to go up Mt. Height. 20 minutes later I almost regretted my decision as we scaled the steep rocky section of that trail. The view of the full Presidential Range on a blue bird day however is a rare treat. But what goes up must come down. And the descent from Carter Dome to the hut is one endlessly steep down hike. We got to the hut tired & wrung out from the humidity. We filled up on water, checked the weather forecast, and chatted with the hut croo. A large group of teens had arrived at the hut earlier and a family was just about to check in. Seeing their fresh looking clothes & light packs reminded me how different hut hiking is from backpacking or thru hiking. So we cleared out to head down the Wildcat River trail to find our tent spot.
 

ready to tuck in for the night

We spent a quiet night at the least stealthy "stealth camp site" I've ever seen. But rather than impact a new spot I decided to use the well hardened one 30 feet off the trail. Sometimes low impact means using the already hardened areas instead of creating new ones. We hiked back up to the hut the next morning to fill up on water again. The weather report for Tuesday night and Wednesday was getting worse, high wind & heavy rain. Originally I planned to hike into Tuckerman Ravine for a day hike to Mt. Washington on Wednesday. But the weather forecast made that look like a very bad idea. By the time we climbed the Wildcats and were having lunch on the observation deck it was clear that the kids were tired. Where they had been skipping ahead of me on steep sections a day ago they were now plodding behind me. This confirmed my decision to cancel our Wednesday plan. But the route was not done yet, and the descent down the Wildcat Ridge Trail is one of the most demanding in the White Mountains. Slowly, carefully we picked our way down the boulders, slabs, & ladders.  It is the type of descent where each mile seems more like 5 especially on tired legs.

Looking back at the Carter Ridge from Wildcat A

We got back to Pinkham Notch late afternoon. We eagerly dug into the extra snacks I had left in the car for Wednesday's hike. 3 days of hard hiking had caught up with each of us. We spotted several thru hikers checking into the Joe Dodge Lodge including Pace Maker. I chatted with him about the last few days hiking. He told me how impressed he was with how the kids were taking to the trail. The kids themselves were happy with their hike. They poked through the gear and books in the visitors center, plotting their next adventure. I just hope I can keep up with them when they are leading the trips.

heading down from Wildcat D Mt. Washington in view

What has changed in the 20 years since I last backpacked the AT? Smart phone technology has altered the way hikers can negotiate the trail. The sight of folks making hostel reservations & researching the next trail section on their phones caught me by surprise. I could do without the streaming music some prefer while hiking, but to each their own sense of wilderness. The ultra light weight revolution has certainly made a big impact on thru hikers. I spotted more trail runners, stripped down packs & tarp tents than I remember ever seeing before. But most of AT hiking culture has not changed. It is still the social trail, the people you meet often define the hike. The log books are still paper & pen. The AMC shelters are still funky & crowded in August. Staying at them may be the best way to learn the ways of thru hiking. Frankly I wouldn't want it any other way.