Mt. Moosilauke HIke

The week began with very cold temperatures. Weather reports indicated it would be warmer with a high of around 30 degrees, with a chance of snow and breezy. Thanks to good gear, a good crew and teamwork it turned out to be a great hike!  

Mount Moosilauke stands at 4,802 feet and is the westernmost of NH’s 48 4000 footers. Its summit is a completely bald dome that provides what I think are some the best views in the whites. The mountain also offers a wide diversity of routes, with varying difficulty, and is very accessible from I-93. I am not alone in saying that Mount Moosilauke is one of the best in the Whites.

Our plan for this hike was to climb the mountain via the Gorge Brook Trail and then hike down the Carriage Road Trail to the Snapper Trail. Scott had to cancel due to the unexpected death of his brother and our condolences go out to him. Rick had to work late Friday so unfortunately was also unable to join us.

We arrived at the Moosilauke Ravine Lodge trailhead at about 9 am. In the summer this trailhead is near the actual Moosilauke Ravine Lodge. In the winter that trailhead is really just a small plowed section at the beginning of Ravine Lodge Road which adds 1.5 miles to each direction of the hike. We noticed temps around 30, the summits clouded in and there was not much wind to speak of.

We donned MicroSpikes and began the 1.5 mile trek on the unplowed Ravine Lodge Road to the Gorge Brook trailhead. This was an interesting road to hike on because there were tire tracks that packed down the road so the smooth surface helped us speed along. A few breaks in the tress reminded us that the summit was socked in with clouds.

After 1.5 miles we arrived at the Moosilauke Ravine Lodge. This is an impressive structure, maintained by Dartmouth College that sleeps up to 80 when it is open in the summer. It is also the hub for many trails including the Gorge Brook that we planned to climb that day. We began our ascent with gentle but sustained climbing up the Gorge Brook Trail. The trail was well packed which allowed for fast climbing. Our MicroSpikes provided all the traction we needed and the trees coated with snow as we climbed higher provided a spectacular “Currier and Ives” winter landscape!

I am always amazed at how much heat is generated while climbing. The temperature was hovering around 30 degrees at this point but I was down to just my base layer with a light/synthetic jacket, a light headband and gloves. As we approached tree line we noticed a significant temperature drop along with sustained winds that brought colder temperatures. I think with wind chill it got down to 15 degrees. We quickly stopped and began our pre tree line habit of “gearing up” with insulation layers, hat, hand warmers in our gloves, neck gaiter, and wind shells; goggles were at the top of the pack in case we needed them. Luciano hands felt completely frozen seconds after he stopped moving which we didn’t realize until our lunch break after reaching the summit.

Visibility was poor with fog and periods of blowing snow. It was also very breezy but not bad enough to knock us down. We made sure to keep all group members in sight. At the summit we stopped for pictures but it was too cold and windy to stop for lunch. We traversed a long stretch of exposed ridge to reach the protection of the Carriage Road trail for the descent. We proceeded in a cautious single file along the ridge.

At the junction of the Glencliff Trail we stopped for lunch while Rob and Mike summited Moosilauke’s south peak. Luciano said he was very cold and wanted to get moving. We discovered it was his hands that were very cold and Jim generously gave him some hand warmers. Jon had plenty of extra hand warmers so he gave Jim a pair that Jim appreciated because his hands were getting cold. Jon shared some hot apple cider as well. When Rob and Mike returned from summiting Moosilauke’s south peak we asked if they could keep moving because Luciano was very cold. They were in favor of getting down the Carriage Road Trail, and out of the wind, as soon as possible. It is amazing how much of a difference that a few trees and a few feet of elevation can make. Almost as soon as we began descending the Carriage Road, which is flanked by trees, the wind stopped and it felt infinitely warmer. We enjoyed an uneventful descent down the Carriage Road Trail to the Snapper Trail which took us back to the Moosilauke Ravine Lodge.

We marched down the Ravine Lodge Road to the winter trailhead. We got back to the cars at about 3:30 pm. Thirty minutes later we were comfortably back at our house around the fireplace and enjoyed a delicious ham dinner cooked up by Jon! Thank you everyone for the great company!

Trip Report By Mike
Pictures Taken By Jon

This southwestern outpost of the high peaks is unmatched for the variety of its views! You’ll see range after range of the White Mountains leading out to Mt. Washington!  

ROUTE: We will start with a 1.6 mile walk on the Ravine Lodge Road that is not plowed in winter to meet up with the Gorge Brook Trail. We will follow this to the summit [4802’]. We’ll take the Carriage Road for the descent and leave it once we reach the Snapper Trail. The loop is completed once we return back to Gorge Brook Trail and finish off with the 1.6 road walk back to our cars.   

STATS: Approximately 10.6 miles with 2950' feet of elevation gain.

DIFFICULTY:  On a 4,000 footer scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being Mt. Tecumseh and 10 being Mt. Washington, it is around a 5 to Moosilauke. This should not be your first winter hike.  You need to have a few winter hikes under your belt to go on this.

GEAR:  Appropriate winter gear required.  This must include insulated winter boots (no 3 season hiking boots, no exceptions), MicroSpikes, snowshoes, NON COTTON layers of clothing, a pack big enough to hold even the clothes you take off once you warm up.  No hydration systems.  Bring a headlamp or flashlight because we may be hiking out in the dark. Don’t forget lunch and snacks.

PACE:  This will be a group hike at a moderate pace; we will stay together and the slowest hiker will set the pace.  If you are unable to control your pace, enjoy great company, and hike with the team then please don't come.

HIKE PLANNING INFO:  We will send out an e-mail a few days before about the weather forecast and additional details.

After The Hike: Everyone is welcome to join us back our house for dinner. It's $10 per person to pay for our food cost; please note price increase. You may want to bring a change of clothing to be more comfortable and you can use our showers.

Lodging Option: We have 8 bunks available at our house near Waterville Valley, NH for Friday and/or Saturday night. Please note the 2016 price increases: Friday night is $25 and Saturday night is $35 [includes dinner]. Coffee/bagels each morning and linen/blankets/towels are provided. We have limited space in the fridge to store your beverages/food so it's best to bring a small cooler. Space is limited so email us ASAP to reserve a bunk!