Moriah

March 14, 2024

Grant, Bill, and I left Ottawa at 06:00 hoping to get down to the White Mountains in time for a short hike before beginning what was planned to be an extended weekend of ice climbing and mountaineering on Mount Washington. Though with the silly weather this year, we figured it might just be a lot of walking around carrying heavy packs, sadly looking at crumbling lines. Anyway, this day was a lovely warm and sunny morning, and after we had crossed the border in no time at all, decided we had enough daylight to take a run up Moriah.

We arrived at the town of Gorham promptly at noon and took our first lunch break right at the trailhead as we prepped our gear. We started climbing this steadily rising trail with bare boots in the thin mushy snow, but at 600 meters there was enough coverage for snowshoes. As we climbed, we kept leap frogging with a mother and son duo who hailed from the ADK area, stopping for some friendly chit-chat several times as we ascended the mountain. At the top of the climbing and gaining the ridge, there were many false bumps before getting to the true summit and Bill decided to turn back down while Grant and I pushed on to the top.

A display of an old vehicle in the backcountry museum.

Far to warm out to be winter hiking.

On the summit we met the mother and son once again, took a few photos of the 360 degree views which included Mount Washington and endless hills off in the distance, towards and onwards into Maine. I rejoiced, as this is the first summit I have stood on with a view of something other than the inside of a cloud in almost an entire year. We said good bye to the other team and began our descent, flying down the slushy trail by snowshoe sliding. We caught up to Bill in short order and stuck together for the remainder of the trek, again leapfrogging with the ADK folk. I sheathed my snowshoes at around 500 meters and boot skied the rotting snow down the final pitches, arriving back at the trailhead after five and three-quarter hours of hiking. Drove to Conway and went out to supper in an excellent or awful Mexican restaurant depending on which one of us you talk to. Some beers at the Conway Hostel with other friendly folk, before retiring to bed just as our friend Karen arrived to join our party for the next couple of days.

Smiling faces on the summit.

A peak with a view!

Giant erratic along the trail.

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