Hiked by: Debi, Tim and Valerie on July 13, 2008 - Nineteen-mile Brook Trail, Carter Dome Trail, and Carter-Moriah Trail
Conditions: Cloudy and quite windy as we left the car. There were many people coming down the trail in the early AM, probably from an overnight at the hut. The first 1.9 miles up to the intersection with Carter Dome Trail went very quickly and easily. The Carter Dome Trail had a couple brook crossings, but both were manageable. The trail was not too rocky, and we made really good time up the switchbacks to Zeta Pass. We were at Zeta Pass in about 2 hours, 10 minutes.
From that point, we decided that there was no reason to go over Mt Hight today. Visibility was nil due to clouds and fog. We stayed on the Carter Dome Trail until we reached the summit. Along the way, we saw a black-throated blue warbler, but it was too dark for pictures. At the summit, we took a snack break just long enough to result in drizzle. It was cold and windy (and wet). We donned our rain gear and started down.
Within a few minutes, the wind had died and the rain was just a mist. We continued back to Zeta Pass before making any decisions regarding South Carter.
At Zeta Pass, we discussed it. The rain had stopped. The mile of downhill had rejuvenated us somewhat (maybe it was euphoria). Debi was going to get her first "two-fer", and heck, it's only 0.8 miles, right???
We arrived at the top, quite certain that the wide lines on the topo map were wrong. It was the steepest hike of the day! We met a few guys at the summit who had come over from North/Middle Carter. Like us, they were going back the same way they came, so we just chatted for a minute or two, then headed back down.
The trip down was a little hairy due to wet rocks and mud from the rain, but we still made good time. Everyone was tired and sore by the time we got to the car.
Debi got her "two-fer", but she's now been on 4 high peaks and has only been able to see anything from one of them. Let's hope that Seek the Peak has a clear day for her!
Overall: 7 hours, 15 minutes including multiple snack breaks, but no stops of any significance. 11.6 miles, 3900 ft of elevation gain.