Mt. Mooseilauke - 06/13/06

[skibum9995]

Date Hiked: 06/13/06

Trails Hiked: up - Gorge Brook, down - Carriage Road, Snapper

Total Distance: 7.2 mi

Difficulty: Fairly easy, nice grades the whole way

Conditions: Patches of mud but fairly dry overall

Special Required Equipment: none

Trip Report:
Started up Gorge Brook at about 9:30. The trail was wet in places but it was a lot drier than I had expected. We stopped for snacks where the trail turns away from the brook and starts to climb more moderately. After this point the trail got a little wetter for about a half mile and the dried out to the top. Stopped for lunch at one of the viewpoints and made it to the summit just after noon. As we got to the summit nasty looking dark clouds started rolling in so we had a quick snack and then headed down. Within a few minutes of us leaving the summit the sun came back out and made for a very hot trip down the carriage road. At about a mile down from the summit we meet two hikers coming up the trail who asked us if we had any extra water. They were not carrying anything with them, no water, no food, no anything. We shared some water and then continued down. Carriage Road was in good shape but there were 4 or 5 blowdowns on Snapper. Got back to the car around 2:30 after a nice day of hiking.

 

[thetrailboss]

I would have told the folks who were hiking without water to turn around. They were just asking for dehydration if not heat exhaustion/stroke.

 

[Mike P.]

I've given extra water to hikers before in Catskills but they were carrying something at least, just not nearly enough (as opposed to be sweating carrying too much). They had a dog & there really was no water up where they were heading so I gave them some as they were going to share it with the dog too.

I have a feeling they would not have turned around just because they were thirsty.

 

[JimG.]

I have a feeling they would not have turned around just because they were thirsty.

Your intuition is more than likely correct...amazing isn't it?

The waterless/foodless hikers amaze me almost as much as the hikers who wear flip flops, high heels, or some other inappropriate form of footwear.

 

[Mike P.]

My first time up Camel's Hump I came across some people in sandals who at first I thought were nuts. As I got closer I detected an accent, a European accent. Learning they were Austrian Trail regulars made me rethink their footwear choice.

As I've lost a little weight & the ankles have been working more, I'm wearing lighter footwear, no sandals yet but I wore running shoes on Middle Sugarloaf a couple of weeks ago & regular cross trainers up Waumbek.

I'll be in boots while on the Presidentials though, Tomorrow on Martha though may be sneakers again.

I sometimes kid Dave M that the DOC must make the incoming freshman groom the Moosilauke trails with a toothbrush, my experience has been that these trails are among the cleanest best maintained trails in the Whites.

 

[JimG.]

I sometimes kid Dave M that the DOC must make the incoming freshman groom the Moosilauke trails with a toothbrush, my experience has been that these trails are among the cleanest best maintained trails in the Whites.

I made a similar observation on my Dartmouth freshman camping trip on Moosilauke...I asked our group leader if the hiking trails were swept with a broom each night. Those trails are certainly the smoothest and cleanest I've ever been on.

Good lord that's 30 years ago!

 

[David Metsky]

Good lord that's 30 years ago!

Hey, it's my 20th reunion this weekend. (Actually 21, Dartmouth was never very good with math.) That means 25 years since my 'shmen trip. Yikes.

There's actually a spring up top, near the cement foundation of the summit cabin (not the rock foundations on the summit itself). It's not great water, but it'll do. I've gone up with limited water and drank from that, but sounds like these folks were out of their element.

-dave-

 

[Jonni]

Your intuition is more than likely correct...amazing isn't it?

The waterless/foodless hikers amaze me almost as much as the hikers who wear flip flops, high heels, or some other inappropriate form of footwear.

It's interesting that people just don't understand that hiking in the white mountains or anywhere for that matter requires some planning as well as taking something with you. I haven't hiked very much in the WMNF but just from experience hiking ski areas, I always bring extra water, maps, food (especially chocolate), change of socks, as well as bug spray and sun block. I forget: does the WMNF have guidelines for being "prepared" for hiking?

 

[thetrailboss]

I forget: does the WMNF have guidelines for being "prepared" for hiking?

Yeah, kind of....the NH State Police have fliers/pamphlets that discuss what one needs to have for a hike. You can get them at rest areas. However, you can't really arrest/ticket people for not being prepared....only when they need rescue.

 

[David Metsky]

I forget: does the WMNF have guidelines for being "prepared" for hiking?

The state of NH has a Hike Safe program with some guidelines. Failure to follow them that results in a rescue effort may end up costing you, but it's only used in extreme cases. For the most part, people just don't know, and need to be educated.

-dave-