| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Surprise, Mt. Moriah, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Carter-Moriah Trail, Kenduskeag Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, March 17, 2024 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Parked in the dirt lot under the power lines about 500 ft. from the trailhead. Plowed and plenty of room for close to a dozen or so cars. Was only one of two when I arrived around 12:30, and one of three (though not hikers, I don't think) when I left around 6. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Trace/Minimal Depth, Wet Trail, Ice - Blue, Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Wet/Slippery Rock, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Snow - Wet/Sticky, Mud - Significant, Leaves - Significant/Slippery, Slush, Snow/Ice - Small Patches |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Light Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
None, just lots of runoff down the trail in the lower sections. |
|
 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Carter-Moriah was well blazed. Several blowdowns, many larger in size, but none that were particularly problematic. |
|
 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Should be fine. |
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 | Bugs: |
None |
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 | Lost and Found: |
Found a pair of sunglasses a few miles up Carter-Moriah Trail and left them on the trailhead sign. |
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|
 | Comments: |
A weird weather day and a later start, but but relatively smooth sailing as far as conditions were concerned at this point. First mile or so was mostly mud and running water, but it eventually transitioned into slush and then increasingly deeper snow from there. Pretty firm snowpack after the first mile and a half or so, becoming deep enough by the summit that the sign was only an inch or so above the snow, which was a bit or a brain warp upon looking down at my muddy boots ;P I managed well enough with just spikes on the way up, and while a few steeper spots may have benefited from crampons of some sort with the slick snow, nothing was unmanageable with a bit of scrambling. Was fortunate enough to have a gorgeous weather clearing just as I hit the summit :)
Having made decent time up to Moriah, I figured I'd poke around to see how impossible breaking out over to Shelburne Moriah via Kenduskeag would be--short answer? Very, lol. Wasn't bad for the first quarter/third of a mile, but it quickly became clear that the snow was just a bit too deep and after another quarter mile or so of squeezing through frozen snow-laden tree tops, I called it and turned around after discovering half of an AT blaze peeking out from the snow, explaining their suspicious sparsity up til that point lol. Opted to just keep the snowshoes on for the way back down Carter-Moriah Trail, which definitely helped with some of those steeper sections, especially in the areas that had experienced some of the light hail/snow/drifting that started as I was heading up. All in all Carter-Moriah was definitely in great shape at this point, all things considered lol. |
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 | Name: |
Amelie Crowe |
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 | E-Mail: |
ameliecrowe22@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2024-03-17 |
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 | Link: |
 https:// |
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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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