.February 10, 2007
I had a tough time deciding on a hike for today. I tried to sign up with several AMC hikes. Two of them were cancelled and the third was full, so I decided to venture out on my own. Because I was going alone, I took a few extra precautions including a sleepbagging. I am not planning on getting lost or hurt, but at least I know if that does happen, I can survive the night. If I got lost in the summer without a sleeping bag and had to spend the night, I might just get cold, but in the winter I might just get dead.
Today's destination is North Moat Mountain. I started off by heading toward Diana's Baths.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ The trail started off flat and packed down. I took a gamble that I wouldn't be needing my snowshoes today and left them in my truck.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Almost immediately I passed a man with his dog who was coming back from Diana's Baths.
"I imagine Diana's Baths is frozen," I said.
"Frozen solid," he replied.
I would recommend the short hike to Diana's Baths for any fitness level. The trail is short, flat, and smooth with benches along the way.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ I crossed my only bridge of the day.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ As the man said, Diana's Baths was frozen solid. I bet this a great place for a quick dip in the summer. There are even a couple picnic tables. I recommend this as a great spot for families although I am guessing it gets a lot of traffic in the summer.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
I continued on the trail. I passed the junction with the Red Ridge Trail. If all goes as planned, I'll come back that way. After another 1.2 miles on flat trail, I reached the junction with the Attitash Trail. I took a left and continued on Moat Mountain Trail. Now it is time for a workout. Almost all my elevation gain would be over the next 2 miles.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ The trail was still well packed down and wasn't icy, so I continued to 'bare boot it'. About 2/3rds of the way up I got my first view of the day looking toward Kearsarge North Mountain on the other side of North Conway.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
I saw few (if any) blazes coming up this trail. It was still easy to follow since so many had come up this way, but it started to get more difficult. I came across some open ledges where the snow had blown around covering the tracks. I just kept going up, up, and up before entering back into the trees for a while.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Nearing the summit
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Once on the 3196 foot summit, I got my first complete winter 360 degree view. Although the sky was gray, I had great views in all directions. Surprisingly, the summit was calm with almost no wind.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
I believe that is Mount Carrigain way back in the clouds.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Cranmore Ski Resort in the distance
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Looking south toward Middle Moat Mountain
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
After a 15 minute break on the summit, I decided to get moving again. I had two choices: 1) Go back down the way I came
2) Continue toward Middle Moat but before I get there, head down the Red Ridge Trail. I was a little reluctant about the 2nd option, but figured if I had trouble following the trail I could always turn back. I had trouble right off the bat finding where the trail picked up again. After a few minutes of searching, I headed into the trees.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
I had trouble following the trail for the next mile or so. I had no footprints to follow and saw no blazes. I've learned to look for other things like a log or branch that has been sawed through. I occasionally saw one of those which assured me that I was on the trail. I was about to turn back when I came across the junction with Red Ridge Trail.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Before heading down I walked over toward a rock, ...
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
...climbed up, and got a view back to North Moat. Note the trail junction at the bottom right.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Looking toward Middle Moat
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
I went back into the woods for a few minutes before coming out into the open as I headed down Red Ridge. I knew the trail followed this open ridge so I just tried to stay in the middle of it. Most of the blazes marking the trail are covered with snow. I then caught a break and saw a yellow/orange blaze. It was the first one I had seen for miles. Can you find it in the picture below?
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
If you couldn't find it, here's a close up.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ It was a nice, safe feeling to know I was still on the trail. Here'a look back up part of the ridge.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ I kept moving down, down, down.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
After a near slip, I decided I better put on my crampons.
A minute later I came across these ice flows.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
As I feared, I had some trouble locating the trail when I came to the end of the open ridge. I spent about 5 minutes searching before I found it. I went back into the woods before emerging for one last view of the valley.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ After this, I had about 2 miles that were very flat before meeting back up with Moat Mountain Trail. From there I retraced my route for 1.1 miles passing Diana's Baths and then reaching the parking lot. I love winter hiking!!
| 
