Date of Run: 10/5/17
Pinkham Road B & NH16: 1.5 miles / Imp Trail: 3.1 miles / North Carter Trail: 1.2 miles / Carter-Moriah Trail: 4.1 miles / Rainbow Trail: 2.5 miles / Wild River Trail: 1.8 miles / Wildcat River Trail: 1.7 miles / Nineteen Mile Brook Trail: 0.2 miles / Wildcat Ridge Trail: 4.9 miles / Glen Boulder Trail: 0.4 miles / Direttissima: 1.0 miles / Old Jackson Road: 1.9 miles / Madison Gulf Trail: 2.1 miles / Great Gulf Trail: 2.8 miles: Great Gulf Link: 0.9 miles: Bushwhack & Hayes-Copp Ski Trail: 1.2 miles
Total Miles: 31.3 (10,171 feet elevation gained) AMC White Mountain Guide Online & Garmin Forerunner 920 XT
Trip Report:
- In 2016 I tweaked my knee twelve miles into the MMD 50K run in the White Mountains. The result of the knee injury was I was unable to run and had to hike the remaining twenty miles. It was pretty demoralizing since I was running really well that day. So a little over a year later I decided to head back and rerun it to see how I would hold up when healthy.
- MMD is held in early August but the weather on this October day was eerily similar for the start, wet from overnight rain and humid. Luckily, by the time I reached Mount Hight the clouds blew off and I had some great views. An added bonus was seeing peak foliage during most of this run, which was especially stunning during the descent of the Rainbow Trail. The fallen leaves blanketed the trail and hid the rocks and roots, so my downhill speed was a little slower than normal, but I was totally fine with this as I wasn't looking to run too aggressively.
- I only saw four people from the start at Dolly Copp to Glen Ellis Falls, and then about a dozen from Glen Ellis back to Dolly Copp. Getting to run the Rainbow - Wild River - Wildcat River trails without seeing another person while traveling under all the colors was a really awesome experience. As much fun as MMD is with the other runners out and about on the trails, there is something special about heading through this area all alone.
- Overall, I had a very successful re-run of the route, my legs were a little heavy as this was my fifth mountain 50K in twenty-six days, but even with tired legs I still finished in just over eight hours (8 hours 4 minutes). Not a bad way to spend a fall day in the White Mountains!
Pinkham Road B & NH16: 1.5 miles / Imp Trail: 3.1 miles / North Carter Trail: 1.2 miles / Carter-Moriah Trail: 4.1 miles / Rainbow Trail: 2.5 miles / Wild River Trail: 1.8 miles / Wildcat River Trail: 1.7 miles / Nineteen Mile Brook Trail: 0.2 miles / Wildcat Ridge Trail: 4.9 miles / Glen Boulder Trail: 0.4 miles / Direttissima: 1.0 miles / Old Jackson Road: 1.9 miles / Madison Gulf Trail: 2.1 miles / Great Gulf Trail: 2.8 miles: Great Gulf Link: 0.9 miles: Bushwhack & Hayes-Copp Ski Trail: 1.2 miles
Total Miles: 31.3 (10,171 feet elevation gained) AMC White Mountain Guide Online & Garmin Forerunner 920 XT
Trip Report:
- In 2016 I tweaked my knee twelve miles into the MMD 50K run in the White Mountains. The result of the knee injury was I was unable to run and had to hike the remaining twenty miles. It was pretty demoralizing since I was running really well that day. So a little over a year later I decided to head back and rerun it to see how I would hold up when healthy.
- MMD is held in early August but the weather on this October day was eerily similar for the start, wet from overnight rain and humid. Luckily, by the time I reached Mount Hight the clouds blew off and I had some great views. An added bonus was seeing peak foliage during most of this run, which was especially stunning during the descent of the Rainbow Trail. The fallen leaves blanketed the trail and hid the rocks and roots, so my downhill speed was a little slower than normal, but I was totally fine with this as I wasn't looking to run too aggressively.
- I only saw four people from the start at Dolly Copp to Glen Ellis Falls, and then about a dozen from Glen Ellis back to Dolly Copp. Getting to run the Rainbow - Wild River - Wildcat River trails without seeing another person while traveling under all the colors was a really awesome experience. As much fun as MMD is with the other runners out and about on the trails, there is something special about heading through this area all alone.
- Overall, I had a very successful re-run of the route, my legs were a little heavy as this was my fifth mountain 50K in twenty-six days, but even with tired legs I still finished in just over eight hours (8 hours 4 minutes). Not a bad way to spend a fall day in the White Mountains!
Elevation over Distance.
Map of route. This is from last year, this year I had to bushwhack through the woods to the Hayes Copp Ski Trail at the end of the Great Gulf Link as Dolly Copp Campground is closed do to construction.
I start out just before 7AM and run Pinkham Road B and NH16 to the Imp Trail
Heading up the Imp Trail, it's not one of my favorites as far as being attractive, but during the fall it looks much prettier.
View from the Imp Face of a clouded in Presidential Range
Hiking up the North Carter Trail
Along the Carter-Moriah Trail, through an alpine meadow, past Zeta Pass, and over to Hight and Carter Dome
View of South and Middle Carter from Mount Hight
Up next, Carter Dome
Descending the Rainbow Trail, looking back at Carter Dome (bottom left), and looking out towards the Wildcat Range (top left)
Beautiful Birch Glades of the Rainbow Trail
Put the Rainbow Trail on your foliage hiking list!
More bright colors along the Wild River Trail
Wild River Trail
Carter Notch Pond and Wildcat A Peak
Hiking up the steep Wildcat Ridge Trail to A Peak
Carter Range as seen from Wildcat A Peak
Carter Dome
Carter Notch Hut system
Mount Adams and Madison from Wildcat Ski area
Wildcat Gondola and looking down to Pinkham Notch from an outlook on the Wildcat Ridge Trail
Pano of Pinkham Notch
Gulf of Slides
Ellis River, the lowest I've ever seen it!
Hiking up the Glen Boulder Trail and across the Direttissima
Old Jackson Road
Madison Gulf and Great Gulf trails
Trails taken from on the east side of Pinkham Notch (Imp - Glen Ellis)
Trails taken on the west side of Pinkham Notch (Glen Ellis - Dolly Copp)
A day after the hike, Sarge and I headed to Rhode Island for Columbus Day Weekend, where he received A LOT of attention!! :)
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