Home States  Connecticut  Maine  Massachusetts  New Hampshire  New York  Rhode Island  Vermont  View All Lists  NE 4,000 Footers  NE 100 Highest  NH 4,000 Footers  NH 52 With A View  NH Belknap Range  NH Ossipee 10 Explanation of Ratings Links Ossipee Mountains Notice Search Trail Conditions Trip Log About	Mt. Surprise, Mt. Moriah Gorham, NH, Shelburne, NH, Bean's Purchase, NH Trailheads, measurements, times, distances, and maps are all approximate and relative to the hike(s) as shown below. Looking up the Carter Moriah Trail on the way to Mt. Surprise Route: Carter Moriah Trail After a few days off due to a sore foot, I decided to try something perhaps a bit more gradual. It was a beautiful day weatherwise, though the clouds were rolling in from the west. The Carter Moriah Trail to Mt. Surprise was generally in pretty good shape. The views from the ledges below Mt. Surprise were quite good, as the Presidentials were easily seen. Skipping the true summit of Mt. Surprise, I was soon heading up the steep slabs - I forgot how tough these could be in wet weather - good thing I put off this hike until a nice day! The mud bog with bogwalks was a pain - the bogwalks are rotting away and a few of them toss up mud when stepped on. Reaching the summit, I was stunned by the quality of the views. While points to the west were increasingly hazy, the views in other directions were stunning crisp. Even the distant peaks in the Rangeley area were easily seen, such as the Saddlebacks, Sugarloaf, and Abraham. I couldn't help but spend some time on the summit, taking in the amazing scenery. I was tempted to hang out at the Mt. Surprise ledges for sunset, however I decided I'd rather get through Pinkham Notch before dark. A beautiful day for Mt. Moriah. Hike Ratings Getting To Trailhead: Easy Destination: Mt. Surprise Length: Moderate Steepness: Moderate Navigation: Easy Views: Excellent Crowds: Minimal Destination: Mt. Moriah Length: Moderate Steepness: Very Difficult Navigation: Easy Views: Excellent Crowds: Minimal Hike Stats Date Hiked: Wednesday, July 15, 2009 Hike Commenced: 3:19 PM Parking Elevation: 790' Destination: Mt. Moriah Ascent Commenced: 3:19 PM Summit Reached: 5:25 PM Time Elapsed: 02:06 Trailhead Elevation: 790' Summit Elevation: 4,049' Distance: 4.5 miles Vertical Gain: 3,558' Hike Ended: 7:54 PM Hike Time Elapsed: 04:35 Hike Distance: 9 miles Hike Vertical Gain: 3,868' The Carter Moriah Trail trailhead on Bangor Street Looking at the Presidentials from the ledges below the Mt. Surprise summit Looking up the Carter Moriah Trail between Mt. Surprise and Mt. Moriah Looking northeast from Mt. Moriah Directions to trailhead: Take Route 16 North to Gorham, then take US 2 East. Just after crossing the river, take a right onto Bangor Street. Trailhead is at the end of this street on the left. There is limited parking at the trailhead. Back to Mt. Surprise Profile Back to Mt. Moriah Profile
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