Mt. Moriah
Where: Mt. Surprise (2159 ft.), Mt. Moriah (4049 ft.) - Gorham NH
When: May 13, 2025
With: Solo
40 years ago, on the Pemi Loop hike when I summited my first 4000' NH peaks, I renamed Mt. Lafayette as "Soul Killer", because it kept offering false summits. Today I transferred that name to Mt. Moriah, for much the same reason, along with tough trail conditions. But I'm getting ahead of myself...
I've had Moriah as my next NH 4000 footer to tackle for awhile now. At one point I was considering a multi-day traverse from Gorham to Pinkham Notch to claim six peaks (Moriah, the Carters, and the Wildcats), but I couldn't work out the logistics. Then the AMC offered a $99 deal for hut stays in June, so I booked space at the Carter Notch hut, figuring I could knock off the Wildcats and the Carters over the course of two days. If I could get Moriah done before then, I'd wind up with 47 of the 48 peaks climbed, with just Owlshead left.
With June fast approaching, I needed to get to Moriah soon. There had been several opportunities, but always excuses. Things to do at home, bad weather, poor trail conditions, etc. Finally I resolved to just do it. I found a day with nothing else scheduled, mowed the lawn the day before & filled up the gas tank, packed a daypack, and forced myself out the door and onto the road at 5:30AM.
Three hours later I pulled into the parking lot under some power lines (apparently the folks who live by the trail head don't like people parking there). Mine was the only car there. After a quick change of footwear, I made the short walk to the trail head and began my hike. The trail began climbing immediately and didn't really ease up much. It appeared to be a former road (logging, perhaps), and I was surprised to see mountain bike tracks in the occasional patch of mud. Better climbers than me!
The trail climbed moderately and pretty much constantly until it came to some views across the valley to the west to the Presidentials. I was at Mt. Surprise, two miles into the 4.5 mile hike. It's a minor peak (2159 ft.), notable for the views. A well-used side path just past the views led to the apparent summit and I searched for a canister with a log book, but didn't find one. On the north side of the summit was a small cleft (a flume) between two walls of rock.
Leaving the summit, the trail descended into a col, then began climbing again. It soon came out to an open spot with great views of the Presidentials (the views from Mt. Surprise were somewhat obscured by trees). Then it was another descent followed by another climb. This was a pattern that would be repeated for the rest of the hike. Some of the climbs were rough and rocky, others were steep and slabby, and some were just up. A few of the cols were wet & muddy, with bog bridges across the wet sections.
The whole trail follows a ridge, and overall it's an uphill route, but the pattern of rises and small descents were tiring. Fortunately the descents weren't too significant, so there wasn't a big loss of elevation each time. Each time though, I'd be convinced I was on the final climb, looking up and seeing blue sky just ahead. Then the trail would drop into another col.
One thing that had kept me from doing this climb earlier was reports of damage from storms early in the winter, with folks describing trails made impassable by fallen trees. I encountered a few larger trees across the trail in the lower sections (easily stepped over), but as I neared the top I began running into more damage. Some clearing had been done, with the fallen trees either cut away or pulled aside, but much was still on the trail. In some cases, large logs remained that had to be crawled under or climbed over.
Patches of old snow began to appear on the trail, mostly covered by pine needles and such. Small bits at first, then longer (20') sections. Fortunately it was firm enough to support me, and wasn't a problem to get over. About this time I heard a noise and turned to find another hiker coming up the path. A middle-aged trail runner, he was moving fast and strong. He commented on the snow and climb-over trees, then disappeared up the trail.
A note on clothing: The trail runner was in shorts, a t-shirt, and trail runners for footwear. I'd read a forecast of temps in the 40s, so I wore lined pants and a long-sleeved wicking shirt, with my North Face sweater over that (the sweater went into the pack soon after I started hiking). I could have dressed much lighter. I also wore my old Vasque boots, since I wasn't sure if the trail conditions were okay for my trail runners. That turned out to be a good decision, especially in the muddy stretches.
Another note, on my condition: By this point I was struggling. Actually, the term running though my brain was bonking. Where the trail runner was skipping lightly up the path, I was - using Chip's term - plontering (a portmanteau of plodding & sauntering). Making steady progress, but with slow, deliberate steps. It just seemed more difficult than usual. Why? First, there was the trail itself, with the frequent rises & falls. Both physically and mentally wearing. Then there was fuel. I'd intended to grab some food at home, but forgot, so breakfast was a mug of coffee. I briefly considered swinging into a Dunkin' in Gorham for a breakfast sandwich and more coffee, but figured I'd be fine. Finally, the previous day I'd helped build a trail bridge - including more large rocks - then mowed my lawn, then stood for a couple of hours running a camera for a volleyball game. My legs were a bit beat up. Oh, and as usual, I hadn't slept very well, so I was tired.
Soon after meeting the trail runner, the trail dropped (again!) into a small col that was basically filled with fallen trees. I had to spend a few minutes there, figuring out where the path went, and how to get around the obstruction to get to it.
Eventually I did find a way around and began what turned out to truly be the final climb. I turned a corner and looked up to see blue sky and a sign saying, "MT. MORIAH SUMMIT ->". Huzzah!
As I approached the sign, the trail runner came bounding down from the summit and continued north along the trail. I plodded up and made my way to the summit, 3 hours after I'd started the hike. My 42nd NH 4K peak! It was an open rocky area, with a summit medallion in the rock and a spectacular view of the surroundings.
I took a few photos, then sat to rest and eat my lunch. Getting some food in me helped greatly. I heard some voices, and soon another hiker joined me on the summit. He'd come up the Stony Brook trail, and had chatted with the trail runner down below. A younger guy living in Portland, Moriah was his 37th of the NH48. He said he came over to hike whenever he could get time off work.
I stayed at the summit for about half an hour, chatting with the other hiker and giving my legs a break. Rested & refueled, I hoisted my pack and began the return trip. I was moving faster now, but still took my time, being careful on the often slick rocks. The spot with the fallen trees stumped me again, and I headed the wrong way a short distance before backtracking to find the true path. Soon after I got past that, I met another hiker coming up, and I warned him about the obstruction ahead.
The rest of the return trip was uneventful. I took care to plant my hiking poles firmly, and used roots for footholds to avoid any slips and falls. When I could, I stretched out my stride to make better time. Toward the end my thighs began complaining and I took a few breaks to give them a rest. It was still a spectacular day, with temps now in the 70s (they'd been in the 50s at the start), light winds, and clear blue skies, so it was easy to sit and enjoy it all.
Sounds of civilization (road noise) became apparent, along with views of houses at the base of the trail. I was nearing the end. A few more turns and I was at the top of the initial climb, with the trail head signs in sight. I landed back down about 2.5 hours after I'd Ieft the summit, walked back to my car, and headed home.
Numbers: 9.11 miles hiking (4.55 miles each way), 3500 feet of climbing, 3 hours to the top, 2.5 hours down, 6.5 hours driving, 400 miles added to my car.
The AMC's White Mountain Guide estimates a time of 3:55 for the hike to the summit, so my 3 hour plontering time wasn't as bad as I thought.
