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Dinner / Breakfast / Lunch: Moriah, Old Speck, Jefferson

Date of Hikes: 9/6 & 9/7

Carter-Moriah Trail: 9.0 miles (3,400 feet)
Eyebrow & Old Speck trail: 7.7 miles (3,000 Feet)
Caps Ridge Trail: 5.0 miles (2,700 feet)
Total Miles: 21.7 (9,100 feet elevation gain)

Trip Report: Moriah
- After leaving Baxter State Park early Friday morning we drove to Saco Maine to a park and ride where the rest of our cars were.  I jumped in my Jeep and headed to Gorham and got a hotel room.  I arrived earlier than expected so I decided to head and do a quick hike up and run down Mount Moriah.
- I saw one person as I headed up, I saw him early on in the hike and then didn't see another hiker.  I had the whole mountain to myself.  The temps were perfect for a quick hike, high 50's and no wind.  There was not a cloud in the sky and the northern Presidential Range was in full view.
- When I got back to the trailhead it ended up being my finish to my fifth round of the 48 - 4,000 footers.  First round took 21 years (Washington 88' - Carrigain 09') /  second round 20 years (Washington 91' - Carrigain 11') / third round 19 years (Washington 93' - Owl's Head 12') / fourth round 18 years (Washington 94' - Moosilauke 12') / Fifth round also took 18 years (Lafayette 95' - Moriah 13').  I have five or so to go for round #6.

Trip Report: Old Speck & Jefferson
- On Saturday morning I gave a car spot to my friend Tim so he could do a Mahoosuc Range Traverse.  After dropping off his car we drove up to Grafton Notch to the Old Speck Trailhead.  Grafton Notch is a beautiful place and the hike up to the summit of Old Speck was quick and had some really pretty outlooks along the way.  Tim and I hiked up to the summit where there was an old fire tower.  There is not much room at the top of the tower, maybe enough for three or four people and the ladder up to it is an old iron rung vertical one.  Views from the tower are great!
- From the summit we hiked back to the trail junction where Tim took off for his trail run of the Mahoosuc Range, he ended up doing 32 miles in eleven hour and thirty minutes.  Pretty impressive.
- From here I booked it back down to the trailhead and drove over to Jefferson Notch to the Caps Ridge trailhead and started trail running up the Ridge of the Caps so I could catch up with Lee and Dion.
- I finally caught up to them above the third cap at the Cornice / Caps Ridge Trail Junction.  From here we hiked up to the summit together, it was pretty windy but temps were in the low 50's so it was perfect for hiking.  At the summit we got out of the wind and relaxed and refueled before heading back into the wind.
- The hike down was a lot of fun and by the time we got to the Caps it was warm enough to shed layers again and hike in short sleeves.  There were lots of people out on the trail, it's one of the more popular ones on a good weather day since it gets you above treeline relatively quickly.
- It was the first time I descended the Caps in a few years, usually I use the Caps Ridge as a starting point and hike back from the Ammo Trailhead using the Jewell, Boundary Line, and Jefferson Notch Road.
- It was great hiking with Lee and Dion, always enjoy their company and they have a lot of fun on the trails.
- Summer is coming to a quick end in the White Mountains and I was happy to get in a few great weather hikes before it's time to layer up!

Carter-Moriah Trail 
 Mount Moriah Summit just off to the right
 Presidential Range from Mount Surprise
 Northern Presidential Range
Carter Range 
New bog bridges on the Carter-Moriah Trail 
 Mahoosuc Range from Mount Surprise
 Tim hiking up the cable section of the Eyebrow Trail
 Re-bar on the Eyebrow Trail
 Re-bar steps along the Eyebrow Trail
 In case you weren't sure...the trail goes up and to the right!
 Grafton Notch
 Old Speck Trailhead
 Old Speck
 Old Speck Trail
 Windmill farm!
 Mossy Wall below Old Speck's summit ridge
 Views forever into Maine
 Old Speck Summit
 Looking south to the Presidential Range
 Mahoosuc Range
 Sunday River
 View from the fire tower
 Mahoosuc Range
 Tim carefully climbing down the tower
 Old Speck Fire Tower
 AT survey marker
 Old Speck Trail
 Fall is creeping up on the mountains
 Old Speck Trail
 Old Speck Trail
 Ladder steps along the Old Speck Trail
 Mini waterfall just off the trail
 Old Speck Trail waterfall
 Old Speck trail northern terminus
 Old Speck Trailhead
 Old Speck Trailhead
 Lower Cap on the Caps Ridge Trail
 Mount Clay, Washington, and Monroe
 Lakes of the clouds Hut and Mount Monroe
 Lakes, Monroe, and Lil' Monroe
 Looking off towards the Monticello Lawn
 Mount Clay and Washington
Brenton Woods, the Twin Range, and Franconia Ridge 
 Lenticular clouds above the Monticello Lawn
U.F.O. Clouds! 
 Alpine grass and Mount Washington
 Dion heading up to mount Jefferson's Summit
 Mount Washington
 Lee heading up to Mount Jefferson
 Mount Adams
 Mount Clay, Washington, and Monroe
 The Great Gulf Headwall
 Dion trying to get Lee to stand on the highest boulder on top of Mount Jefferson
 Lee on Mount Jefferson's summit
 Mount Jefferson summit area
 Monticello Lawn
 Wave of clouds coming in from the southwest
 Old marker along the Caps Ridge Trail, this could be part of the survey markers that were put in during the early twentieth century when scouting for a railroad that would have zig zagged across Jefferson and Clay's summit cones on its way up to Mount Washington 
 Caps Ridge Trail
 Castellated Ridge
 Lee coming down the Lower Cap
 Lee finishing off the Lower Cap
 Glacial Pothole Outlook
 The Ridge of the Caps!
 Glacial Potholes
 Dogs on Jefferson!
 Ridge of the Caps Black Lab!
 Caps Ridge Bog Bridges
 Caps Ridge Trailhead
 Jefferson Notch
 Moose off Base Road
Mamma moose and kid moose off the Base Road


2 comments:

  1. I ENJOYED THE TR AND PICS, BOY YOU'VE BEEN BUSY (YOU HIKED 7 OUT OF 8 DAYS ?), WHEN DO YOU WORK - LOL

    MARVIN

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Marvin! I had a week of vacation so I spent it up in the mountains!

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