Mount Moriah, October 8, 2011, White Mountain National Forest

APC on Moriah Summit, Mt. Washington in Upper Right

1 down, 47 to go?

There are 48 uniquely-designated 4,000-foot peaks in the White Mountain National Forest. A handful of ambitious outdoor enthusiasts (who like to call themselves "peak baggers") strive to reach the summits of all 48. I've run into plenty of them over the years on my hiking adventures.

I myself have never been a fan of competitive outdoor activities. The point of backpacking, for me, is getting away from the hyper-competitive nonsense of modern American society. But when my brother asked me to accompany him on a recent hiking trip to the Whites, I found myself soon warming to the idea of topping all 48. The first on my list... Mount Moriah.

Beautiful Day for a 4000 footer

We climbed Moriah as an up-and-back warm-up hike to a full Columbus Day weekend of hiking in the Carter Range. The town of Gorham is the perfect base of operations as our trail - Carter-Moriah - was easily accessible from town via a footbridge over the Peabody River, a tributary of the Androscoggin. We hit the trail at dawn, as is our ritual, and were the first hikers to the beautiful, open summit ledges.

Amazing views into the Carter Range to the south and the Presidentials to the west.

View from the Top

Peak: Mount Moriah
Elevation: 4,049 feet (Gain: 3,550 feet)
Distance: 9 miles
Route: Up and back, via Carter-Moriah Trail   
Conditions: Sunny, 65 degrees F