Was this November? 23’rd? Where’s the SNOW!

Mt. Moosilauke

Trail: Gorge Brook

Date: 11/23/2003

Attending:Pete & Gary Gilchrest, Gabe, Noah, Simone & John Chicoine

Miles:7.5-mile loop Time: 3 hours to summit. 5.5 hour total

AMC huts, / shelters / camping site: Moosilauke Ravine Lodge

Weather: 50’s, Sunny

Oh brother where art thou?

Don’t get me wrong, we loved this hike and the views and temps were fabulous, but ,,,, Where’s the SNOW? Usually we have several feet on the summit by this time of the season. But this time there was no hint of snow anywhere in the Whites on the roads and we didn’t reach any snow on the trail until the last 1/2 mile. Even on the summit the snow was only a few inches deep with lots of open earth. We had lots of time to do the hike, so we moderated our pace quite a bit to accommodate for the fact that most of us haven’t been hiking for a few months or more. We all liked the relaxed pace. The temps were so unseasonably warm that we just couldn’t bring ourselves to leave the summit in less than an hour of enjoying the views. At one point during the hike Gary hiked without a shirt, (This was for the top 1/4 of the trek up!) I don’t have a picture of this but it will not be an image I will forget. Considering just a few years ago Gary considered himself a “non-winter” hiker. Even on the summit it was quite comfortable in just a short sleeved shirt and a vest or sweater. Speaking of sweaters, Nice sweater Gary; Very fashionable.

A face we don’t see at the top often.

I was especially glad to have Noah on this peak with us. He doesn’t hike much with us, but if there is a mountain that could be considered “the best of the Whites”, Moosilauke is the one. It’s within the top 10 highest peaks and the vast open (above treeline) summit is one of the nicest peaks to visit. Although Noah’s bagged 6 or 7 peaks by now, this peak is my favorite and I believe epitomizes the White Mountain experience. Good to have you along, even if I ended up carrying up your pack because you secretly decided (against my specific request) to pack 6 pounds of camera gear and lenses.

1. Moosilauke1 Matt Leblank, Gabe, J&S (Winter 1998)
2. Moosilauke2 Shawn, Ralph, Gabe, J&S (Winter 2000)
3. Moosilauke3 Shawn, Ralph, Gary, Gabe, J&S (Winter 2002)
4. Moosilauke4 Gary & Pete, Gabe, Noah, J&S (Winter 2003)
5. Moosilauke5 J&S (Spring 2009)
6. Moosilauke6 Chris, Joel, Shawn, J &S, (Fall 2011)
7. Moosilauke7 J&S (Fall 2017)

It looks like Andy Goldsworthy must have had a few extra moments on his last hike up here!

Mt. Moosilauke

Trail: Gorge Brook, Carriage Road, & Snapper

Date: 4/23/2009

Attending: Simone, & John Chicoine

Miles: 7.5-mile loop Time: 3 hours to summit. 5.5 hour total

AMC huts, / shelters / camping site: Moosilauke Ravine Lodge

Weather: 30’s, Partly Sunny (Wind chill in the low teens)

“Keep close to Nature’s heart… and break clear away, once in awhile, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean.” John Muir

We just had to get back up here! It’s been at least several years since the last time.. We never meant for it to be so long, but life tends to spin on (out of control) and what we were sure would a be an annual event just slipped by us. Talk about drinking from living waters,,, Moosilauke has a way of refreshing the soul. If God only made one mountain for me to hike,,,, I’d be happy with Mt. Moosilauke! As those years passed by, Moosilauke also has a way of getting harder to hike than we remember. (it’s only been a few years!) But that just makes it all the more special. If it were easy, everybody would have hiked it; and that would be not cool!

This was just about the last few days of this year to find the last few flakes of snow on the summit. Although, it was more than cold enough for a serious winter storm. Simone and I hunkered down behind a small rock wall for a little shelter from the wind, (It didn’t help much.) No MATTER!!! We loved it. If it’s not cold, It’s probably not the summit of Moosilauke!

We did enjoy a seriously long (much needed) rest in the sun about half way down the Carriage road. It seemed to take forever to get to the Snapper trail. And even worse,,,, It did take forever to hike the Snapper trail cutoff. The brook at the Gorge brook bridge was a sight for sore feet and I spent almost as much time wading about in the ice water (mid thigh deep) as we did resting in the sun on the Carriage road. Now that’s a river of living water to refresh everything and everything that ails you.

We love you old friend! We won’t let years slip by again.

1. Moosilauke1 Matt Leblank, Gabe, J&S (Winter 1998)
2. Moosilauke2 Shawn, Ralph, Gabe, J&S (Winter 2000)
3. Moosilauke3 Shawn, Ralph, Gary, Gabe, J&S (Winter 2002)
4. Moosilauke4 Gary & Pete, Gabe, Noah, J&S (Winter 2003)
5. Moosilauke5 J&S (Spring 2009)
6. Moosilauke6 Chris, Joel, Shawn, J &S, (Fall 2011)
7. Moosilauke7 J&S (Fall 2017)

Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul. — John Muir

Mt. Moosilauke (4802)

Trail: Gorge Brook – Carriage Road – Snapper Tr.

Date: 09/28/2011

Attending: Joel Lapoint, Chris Croteau, Shawn White, Simone, & John Chicoine

Miles: 3.7 up, 3.8miles down Time: 3 hours to summit. 6 hour total

AMC huts, / shelters / camping site: Moosilauke Ravine Lodge

Weather: Sunny, clear, gentle cooling breeze

 

Another great hike to our old friend in the whites, with two new 4k hikers on their first official Bag. What a great experience! I think this hike surprised the boys just how long it was, just how much time it took, and just how tired they were. That’s peak bagging!

I say without hesitation, God has blessed Simone and I with this opportunity to get to know these boys and we count ourselves lucky to consider their friendship ours! What a pleasure it is to be lucky enough the share the excitement of standing on their first 4000 footer, and to share for the first time the wonder of God’s greatness alive in His creation from the summit of this great mountain. Neither they or we will ever forget it.

God has cared for these trees, saved them from drought, disease, avalanches, and a thousand tempests and floods. But he cannot save them from fools. — John Muir

For us we were treated to a new and absolutely out of the ordinary and unimaginable happening; we stumbled right into the middle of the Dartmouth College Orientation week. It was a collage of East meets West, Woodstock meets Lolopalooza, 70’s, 80’s, 90’s and the 21’st century all thrown into a social blender, laced with a heavy dose of Positive Self speak Ego Brainwashing, all spilled out on the holy ground of the base of Mt Moosilauke. We had to walk better than a ½ mile to find ourselves out of ear shot of the roar of the crowds, and blare of the over amplified sound system. (It was… We are here, and we believe we deserve to be noticed.) The summit was a cacophony of large groups of self absorbed College freshmen, the epitome of this 21’st century spawn of the upper middle class, Self centered, Self gratifying, Self aggrandizing plebes, all seeking to impress and be impressed by each other. The majesty of this spectacular mountain was only but a cool backdrop to the presence of these little deities.

The smiles in this picture says it all.

(This picture was taken before the looonnnggggg slog back down to the car.)

1. Moosilauke1 Matt Leblank, Gabe, J&S (Winter 1998)
2. Moosilauke2 Shawn, Ralph, Gabe, J&S (Winter 2000)
3. Moosilauke3 Shawn, Ralph, Gary, Gabe, J&S (Winter 2002)
4. Moosilauke4 Gary & Pete, Gabe, Noah, J&S (Winter 2003)
5. Moosilauke5 J&S (Spring 2009)
6. Moosilauke6 Chris, Joel, Shawn, J &S, (Fall 2011)
7. Moosilauke7 J&S (Fall 2017)

 

Mt. Moosilauke (4802)

Trail: Gorge Brook – Carriage Road – Snapper Tr.

Date: 10/12/2017

Attending: Simone, & John Chicoine

Miles: 3.7 up, 3.8miles down Time: 2.5 hours to summit. 6 hour total

AMC huts, / shelters / camping site: The New! Moosilauke Ravine Lodge

Weather: Sunny, clear, gentle cooling breeze

Happy Birthday to me, (Well, close enough); and a better gift would be hard to beat. I do love Mt. Moosilauke.

The Gorge brook trail has been re-routed because of storm damage from several years ago. (this adds an extra 1/2mile.)

The trailhead has been relocated a 100yards up, (away from the lodge) because of the construction on the new Ravine lodge. I do suspect that this might be a permanent relocation; It doesn’t look like Dartmouth is going to be so open to having hordes of mountain stumble bums sullying up their new lodge. (I hope I’m wrong.) (I do have a strong suspicion that the lodge road may be open year-round.)

It’s always too long between visits to this grand summit. For Simone and I, it’s been at least 4 years. It’s good to know that we still got it. (Not that we were trying, best hike time ever.) Not bad for a couple of 64-year olds.

 

1. Moosilauke1 Matt Leblank, Gabe, J&S (Winter 1998)
2. Moosilauke2 Shawn, Ralph, Gabe, J&S (Winter 2000)
3. Moosilauke3 Shawn, Ralph, Gary, Gabe, J&S (Winter 2002)
4. Moosilauke4 Gary & Pete, Gabe, Noah, J&S (Winter 2003)
5. Moosilauke5 J&S (Spring 2009)
6. Moosilauke6 Chris, Joel, Shawn, J &S, (Fall 2011)
7. Moosilauke7 J&S (Fall 2017)