“From physics we know that a body in motion stays in motion, but what about the energy of a human spirit? How can that energy not transfer into something else?”
– from 4000s by 40
This page shares images from the experiences in Chapter 24 of 4000s by 40—the hardest single day of climbing I ever had in New Hampshire. If you want to learn more about it and see what it’s like to climb all of the 4000-footers in New Hampshire, you can read more [here]. And to go along with the photos below, I’ve added a brief retelling of events, along with quotes, to give a small sense of what you’ll find in the book. Enjoy!
Ready to take the bus up to Gorham.
The Plan
All of my previous climbs led me to this: a single day where I planned to knock off six 4000-footers, from Moriah to Wildcat, in one solid stretch over the Carter-Moriah Range. I thought it would also make a good training run for the single-day Presidential Traverse that I had planned for later that summer. The Carter-Moriah Range gave me all that I bargained for and more.
I thought my plan for the day was genius. Parking my truck at the Pinkham Notch Visitor Center, I took the bus to Gorham and the start of the Carter-Moriah Trail. Then, hoping to inflict as much misery on my body as humanly possible, I determined I’d hike back to my truck over six 4000-footers: Mount Moriah, Middle Carter, South Carter, Carter Dome, Wildcat, and Wildcat “D.” And just because that wasn’t enough, I’d take on several other mountains as well: Mount Surprise, North Carter, Mount Lethe, Mount Hight, Wildcat B, and Wildcat C. At this time in my life, I’m not sure I was playing with a full deck.
Mount Moriah via Mount Surprise
Before you reach Mount Moriah, you have to climb over Mount Surprise. I’m not sure why it’s called Mount Surprise, but if I had to venture a guess, it would be because when you reach the summit and turn back to look from whence you came, you get a wonderful surprise view of the mountains in the distance. One peak looks like it’s actually playing a game of peek-a-boo, peeking through the trees. (You’ll appreciate that I resisted the temptation to turn that into a peak pun. Okay, now I can’t! PEAK-A-BOO!)
I found the trail up to Mount Moriah surprisingly rough. Maybe that’s another reason they call it Mount Surprise. On several occasions, I thought I reached the summit, only to find that it wasn’t the summit at all. I ran into four of these false summits, frustrating my progress. I was more than a little anxious to make a quick dent in the trail, given that I had a long way to go and there weren’t any water refill spots along the way. This meant I was carrying a lot of extra weight on the most significant hike in New Hampshire I had ever attempted to date. I did not want to waste time.
Making things trickier, I hurt my left knee on the way up Surprise, and by the time I reached Moriah’s summit, it was throbbing.
The Carter Moriah Trail
In 4000s by 40, I don’t discuss much about the scenery of the Carter Moriah Trail, mostly because there were too many other stories to tell, but the views are breathtaking. On a midweek hike, there are very few people out there and you find yourself mostly alone in this wonderful wilderness expanse. It’s a very special place. But rugged. The trails are rocky and muddy, depending on whether it recently rained, and no other hike in New Hampshire ever hurt my body more. But still, it was beautiful.
On my way from Moriah to the Carters, I needed several breaks. On a couple of occasions I took my boots off to air my feet out and give my entire body a breather.
“Sometimes the mind can become so bent on a singular thought that it propels you to move faster and stronger than you normally move.”
On the way from Moriah to the Carters.
Look but don’t eat. This lovely flower is called Sheep Laurel but is also known as Lambkill because it is toxic and many young lambs took their last meal on its buds and leaves.
Hiking the Carters
One of the major disappointments of a long trek like this is that while you’re aware of the surrounding beauty, you don’t get enough time to immerse yourself in it. Because you’re pressed for time, you acknowledge what you are seeing but don’t fully digest it. Over the course of the day, I found myself both grateful for the opportunity to do this and mindful of how I want my relationship with the mountains to be going forward.
There are certainly 4000-footers that I thought were more beautiful than the Carters, but the Carters are pretty sweet, and I’d like to get back to them so I can take them in more. They are definitely on my “return-to” list. But I think I’ll take them on individually next time through!
Night Ascent of the Wildcats
I was behind schedule. I thought I’d complete the journey before nightfall, but I was still ascending Wildcat as darkness fell. On my way up, I ran into an older hiker descending into the valley to camp out for the night. He walked by me as if it were the most normal thing in the world to bump into somebody on a remote trail at night. Amazing, humans are. After a short interaction, I continued on, spurred by the fact that I had lost cell service and had no way to contact my wife. I was already feeling guilty about the panic I was probably going to cause her.
As it was, I wasn’t back at my car until sometime after 11 or 11:30pm, and I couldn’t get my cellphone to work until after 1am. By then, I had given my wife and my parents a good scare. I felt terrible for putting them through that. It was a stark lesson that while I know I might be able to go on big journeys like this, I can’t forget to take into account the people I care about before I go.
Final light on the way up Wildcat.
“Oxygen converts to carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide converts back to oxygen. Is it different oxygen because the conversion of carbon dioxide makes it something different? Or is it the same oxygen, returning from a miraculous trip?“
Exploring the 4000-footers? Other Mountains?
If you like reading about mountains and the ups and downs of getting “out there,” you can read more in 4000s by 40.
Looking for photos of more 4000-footers? Head back to the 4000s by 40 Visual Companion to explore the other peaks.
In the Carter-Moriah Range
🧭 Ascent Details: Carter-Moriah Range with Wildcat Ski Area Descent
Route: Carter-Moriah Trail from Bangor Street trailhead → Mount Moriah → Carter Ridge (Middle & South Carter) → Carter Dome → Wildcat A → Wildcat D → descent via Wildcat Ski Area main slope → Rt. 16 to the Pinkham Notch Visitor Center
Distance: ~18 miles (point-to-point)
Elevation Gain: ~>5,800 feet. Let’s just say, A TON
Difficulty: Strenuous
Trailhead: Carter-Moriah Trailhead on Bangor Street, Gorham, NH
Ending Point: Pinkham Notch Visitor Center parking lot (Route 16)
🏔️ 12 Summits: Mount Surprise to Wildcat D
- Mount Surprise (~2,200′) – unofficial but scenic
- Mount Moriah (4,049′) – official NH 4000-footer
- North Carter (~4,530′) – unofficial summit, no 4000-footer status
- Lethe (~4,080′) – small but distinct bump before Middle Carter
- Middle Carter (4,610′) – official NH 4000-footer
- South Carter (4,430′) – official NH 4000-footer
- Mount Hight (4,675′) – unofficial but has some of the best views in the Whites
- Carter Dome (4,832′) – highest in the range; official 4000-footer
- Wildcat A (4,422′) – official NH 4000-footer
- Wildcat B (~4,300′) – unofficial but prominent bump on the ridge
- Wildcat C (~4,290′) – unofficial sub-peak between B and D
- Wildcat D (4,070′) – official NH 4000-footer with viewing platform and ski lift