Spring break on the Carter-Moriah trail

Mt Moriah is not a big mountain (4049 feet) but due to the low elevation of the trailhead (a short walk from my motel) this hike gains 3400 feet from it's start at the end of Bangor Road in Gorham. I started out with just my boots and switched over to snowshoes when I stopped to enjoy the views from Mt Surprise. From there to Moriah it was steady up with occasional flat spots, dips and short steep pitches. Just as I was almost out of gas I looked down (plenty of snow depth on this trail) and saw the sign for the spur path to the summit which was a large rock in the midst of the woods. Shortly after arriving a large group who had come up the Stoney Brook trail joined me.

A perfect spring day with bluebird skies and great conditions. The local ski hills are likely not happy with the unusual warm weather but it makes spring hikes a real pleasure. Early morning conditions were a firm crust but by mid afternoon things had softened considerably. I made good use of my red rocket personal sliding device and had a nice afternoon nap at Mt Surprise.