Summit: Mount Moriah (4,049')
Trail route: Carter-Moriah Trail
Trail conditions: Dry with some wet and muddy sections
Weather: Started cool, cool with a slight breeze on the summit, warm on the way down
Total miles: 9
Total time: 5:25
The weather reports leading up to the weekend were forecasting spectacular weather for both Saturday and Sunday. Just before leaving for the trailhead this morning the latest weather report was forecasting cloudy skies with slow clearing by the afternoon. At least there was no rain in the forecast. As I drove to the trailhead I could see that the high summits were in the clouds and that included Mount Moriah, my destination for today. I was hoping that by mid-morning the clouds would start lifting.
I parked on Bangor Street and was soon on my way up the trail. It was a nice cool morning, a pleasant change from the heat and humidity that I have been experiencing this summer on other hikes. I was feeling very tired at the start of this hike. Earlier this week I was on vacation in Panama City Beach, Florida. Then I returned to work on Thursday and Friday so it was taking me awhile to become acclimated to the hike after not having hiked for a couple of weeks. It would get better on the way back down.
There were a few hikers that passed me on the way up and I met a few coming down from the summit. As I passed over Mount Surprise I could see that the high summits were still in the clouds and they did not look like they would be clearing any time soon. As I approached the summit I was into the mist of the clouds and there was a cool breeze blowing. There would be no views today. I had the summit to myself for a moment but other hikers soon arrived. It was not a day for lingering and basking so after a few minutes I started my descent.
During my descent there were many hikers on their way up. The temperature was warming up and it was a good trip down. I arrived back at the parking area to find it full which didn't surprise me with all the hikers I saw going up. I was glad to have gotten an early start.
This was the eighth time in eight different months that I have hiked this summit and I now have four more times/months to grid it out. Today almost felt like a Fall hike which was a reminder that Fall is not far off and that summer is quickly coming to an end.
Enjoy the photos and video!
Clouds on the high summits
Sun rising into a cloud cover
The hike starts here
Bright leaves on this plant
Mushrooms were out along the trail
A brief view of the Presidential ridge between an overcast and undercast
Clouds cover the Presidential summits
Leaves starting to turn
Another mushroom
Asters
Not a day for falling off the bog bridge
"Alien" mushroom
Passing through a blowdown
Lots of indian pipes seen along the trail
More indian pipes
Approaching the summit
Sun breaking through the cloud cover on the summit
Another mushroom
Back across the bog bridge
More mushrooms
Descending the ledges
Brain-like fungus
Wet section of trail
Saw lots of blueberries along the ledges
Seeds about to drop off
Reindeer lichen
Blue bead lily
And one more mushroom
Fern forest
Met the usual familiar burls along the trail
Tree anomaly
Big burl
Dropping down to the trailhead at the end of the hike
Having Fun in the Great Outdoors!
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