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Ski
Hiking Trail Conditions Report
Peaks
Peaks Carter Dome, South Carter, Middle Carter, NH
Trails
Trails: Wild River Trail, Highwater Trail, Black Angel Trail, Carter Moriah Trail, Moriah Brook Trail
Date of Hike
Date of Hike: Saturday, July 19, 2014
Parking/Access Road Notes
Parking/Access Road Notes: FS gravel road is in great shape; 113 a bit rough. Parking lot had a fair number of cars but still room for more when we returned. 
Surface Conditions
Surface Conditions: Dry Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Mud - Significant 
Recommended Equipment
Recommended Equipment:  
Water Crossing Notes
Water Crossing Notes: Rock hops 
Trail Maintenance Notes
Trail Maintenance Notes: Wild River and Highwater sections in pretty good shape; a bit of damage at a couple of brook crossings on Highwater. Black Angel and Moriah Brook had patches of mud scattered about down low; MB had more and also some in its upper section. Upper MB pretty ragged with many crossings, mud, and eroded sections. Upper BA might be tough for those with large packs due to rock/ledge, but it's pretty easy otherwise. BA had some major blowdowns around 3800', and one around 2800', that are walk arounds or crawl unders. I took one small one out. Otherwise both trails have periodic step overs. Each had a couple brushy sections too. But for much of their length hese two trails had long stretches of easy hiking, nice footbed trail, much nicer than the upper Carter Moriah which is now a rocky strewn drain for its waterbars. CM right now is pretty good from the Carters to Moriah Brook. The steep ledge sections on North Carter were mostly dry and hence not too bad, if slow, going down. All signs in place. 
Dog-Related Notes
Dog-Related Notes: Pretty good day for Pepper. There were lots of sip n dips except in the very upper part of Black Angel and along Carter Moriah. He found one small drainage near Imp on CM, but only needed a little water in a bowl. That's because temps were mild, humidity not bad, and on CM the clouds provided lot of shade. On a typical warm sunny July day water would definitely be needed for CM, along with longer breaks. Pepper met up with 3 very friendly dogs on CM. We didn't meet as many people as expected on CM and elsewhere we saw no one, so he pretty much was free to do as he pleased. He's getting used to the sway in the one bridge across the Wild River. 
Bugs
Bugs: A deerfly or two, a couple skeeters, a few patches of face gnats, and maybe one or two small biting flies. But really, bugs were not an issue. 
Lost and Found
Lost and Found: Blue shorts were seen hanging on a tree branch by a stream on Moriah Brook. I dropped a pole at a small cascade but the cork handle kept it afloat and I managed to retrieve it. 
 
Comments
Comments: It was a good day for this hike. The conditions were very good by July standards, and for a normally busy time we had the trails largely to ourselves. I like Black Angel on the Carters side of Wild River, and after a rough start going down Moriah Brook, found it pretty easy hiking too. We met two nice couples on South Carter who were doing this hike counterclockwise. For a summer time hike of the Carter peaks and don't like crowds, this is the way to go if you can take the longer drive. Thanks Pepper for another fine hike.  
Name
Name: Pepper and Me 
E-Mail
E-Mail: windriversjohn at gmail dot com 
Date Submitted
Date Submitted: 2014-07-19 
Link
Link: https:// 
Bookmark and Share Disclaimer: Reports are not verified - conditions may vary. Use at own risk. Always be prepared when hiking. Observe all signs. Trail conditions reports are not substitutes for weather reports or common sense.

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