.March 10, 2007
Madison and I left the trailhead a little before 8:00.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ After several days of record cold temperatures for March, things are starting to warm up a bit. We might even have a little melting at the lower elevations. This trail leads to Carter Hut, 1 of the 3 White Mountain Huts that stays open year around. As I expected Nineteen Mile Brook Trail was extremely well packed down.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Madison and I won't make it all the way to the hut today. Two miles in, the trail split, and we turned onto Carter-Dome Trail.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ The trail starts getting a little more difficult here. It was steeper and although the trail was broken, it wasn't packed down near as much. I started to posthole. I promptly filled in the holes and switched to my snowshoes. I am now a firm believer in the "Geneva Posthole Convention", a phrase coined by Rick Walsh.
Madison absolutely loves the snow. For some reason, she loves to crawl in, pulling herself along with her front paws and pushing with her back paws.
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~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ The trail was smooth, but gradually getting steeper.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ As usually, Madison got in twice the miles. Once she got off the trail a little and started heading downhill. When I called for her, she turned around, and found herself in some very deep snow.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ She needed some help. I cut a path down to her with my snowshoes, and she followed me out.
I turned around and through a hole in the trees, I got my first view of the day. This is Boott Spur, the southeast shoulder of Mount Washington.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Madison patiently waits for me to catch up.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ We reached Zeta Pass. Here the trail intersects the Carter-Moriah Trail which is also the Appalachian Trail, although I doubt I will meet any AT thru hikers today.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Madison and I took our first break of the day here. I remembered there was a small log seat here in the summer, but it was well covered over with snow. A little less than a mile later, Madison and I reached the summit of South Carter at 4430'. This is my 6th winter 4000 footer in the Whites and Madison's first winter 4000 footer.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ There was no view from South Carter, but I would get some great views while I hiked the ridge from here to Middle Carter. Looking ahead to Middle Carter, a little over a mile away.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ We were on the Appalachian Trail so we had white blazes to follow. This time of year the blazes look like they were painted by someone about a foot tall. The blazes are usually 5 or 6 feet high, but we were walking on several feet of snow.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ I was surprised that today turned out so nice. The weather was calling for clouds all day. The weathermen/women were mostly right, but I got several breaks of blue in the sky. Here's a view of Mount Washington.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ View of the valley to the east
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ View of the valley to the west
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ As I neared the summit of Middle Carter, I had one awesome view of the northern Presidential Range. From left to right, Mt. Washington, Mt. Jefferson, Mt. Adams, and Mt. Madison.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Closing in on the summit of Middle Carter
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ The snow was deep here. The post with the summit sign on it was completely buried.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ This 4610' summit is my winter #7 in the Whites. There is a little bit of a view from here but not much. The views are much better just north and south of the summit. I decided not to hit North Carter today. I've been up there twice before, although not in the winter. It's a nice mountain with a great view east just before the summit. Although at 4530', North Carter is not an official 4000 footer because there is not enough of a drop between there and where I was standing on the summit of Middle Carter. Time to head back. I prefer loop hikes in the summer, but in the winter I try to do out-and-back hikes. I would hate to do a long loop hike in the winter just to find an obstacle on the far end, like unbroken trail or a bridge out, so I try to play it safe in the winter. Madison and I headed back, stopping for our second and last break of the day where we had a great view of the Presidential Range earlier. This Greater Swiss Mountain Dog felt right at home.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ In the picture below, the lower of the two peaks is Mount Madison, the mountain we named Madison after.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ We retraced our steps up and over South Carter and then back to Route 16.
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