Carrigain

Trip Details
Date: February 22^nd, 2019
Total Distance: 15.82 mi (via Garmin fenix 5X)
Total Time: 7 hours 59 minutes
Total Elevation: 4242 ft gained
Click for more details.

The winter continues to roll on as we continue to find ourselves with less than stellar days to hit the mountains. We wanted to tackle one of our more daunting ones that we had left that would also keep us in the trees. BishopX wanted Isolation, and I wanted to do Carrigain as I hate road walks. We were at a stalemate. So like a child who does not get his way, I threw out well it is my birthday so my vote counts double. Mt. Carrigain it was! The forecast was for wind chills below zero at elevation. Besides that, the forecast had predicted an otherwise sunny day so we had a slight advantage. A day before going, BishopX got the dreaded “No Service” error on his iPhone 7 so it made working out the final details a bit more challenging. Not to mention no way to contact each other once we started driving. I headed up a bit early to get my electric vehicle some extra juice as I was not sure how cold it was going to get at the parking lot and I would rather stop to charge on the way up instead of the way back. While walking around North Conway for the hour or so, I got warm fast. It was beautiful out. So as I got my final gear on I had to make some final adjustments, which resulted in me ditching a bottom layer and hiking up to Signal Ridge in just my top base layer.

BishopX predicted that he would arrive around 0920 and he was on the money, which was nice since I had no way to contact him if something had come up one the drive. The parking lot was freshly plowed from the few inches of snow they got. I was a little concerned after seeing the snow banks on the side of the road that ridiculously high. We started on the bushwhack to the right of the sign in the winter parking lot. It had some evidence of use but as it went on, it faded away. We found ourselves with no obvious trail in front of us and decided to just climb up the embankment to Sawyer River Road. This was probably one of the hardest parts of the hike as the snow was not packed and the incline was rather steep. Using some well-placed trees we eventually made it up, found the trail we had apparently lost and then made our way towards the road. Snowmobilers were passing by us on the road and I kept wishing for one to ask if we needed a ride, but sadly it was not in the cards. Two miles later we were at the actual trailhead.

The trail to the right is where we started.

Parking lot is well maintained.

Random cabin along Sawyer River Road.

Old foundation along Sawyer River Road.

The Signal Ridge Trail was broken out for the most part until the junction with the Carrigain Notch Trail. Past this junction as the trail started to climb, the previous trail (except for the hiker in front of us using only spikes) was filled in. This trail wore out its welcome real fast during the elevation climb. The trail is just a series of quite long switchbacks, which drags out the hike. It is good from the point that you spend less energy as you are not attacking a series incline, but it is bad from the point that it takes forever to actually get anywhere. The path was also narrow (not as narrow as the Rollins Trail) so you had to hug the upslope side. To make matters worse, the snowpack was so high we were walking in the tree branches. We got smacked by branches and soaked from all the snow falling on us (no idea how the hiker in front of us managed to not knock any snow off).

This looks like a nice swimming hole during the summer.

At the junction for the Carter Notch Trail we could see that we still had so much to go and it felt like we had made little gains in the four or so miles from the parking lot.

Finally we made the ridge and it was time to change clothes. The wind was present, but it was mild at this point. The views were already spectacular. Layered up we continued on.

Signal Ridge

Looking north towards Mt. Washington.

Great undercast for those who summited Mt. Washington.

The whitewall of Mt. Lowell.

The summit platform.

Making our way to the summit was rather quick, but the wind was stronger here on the summit. It made for a rather cold time so we only hung out for a bit on the platform to take some photos. Climbing it in snowshoes is a fool’s errand by the way.

This always makes me laugh. The Pemigewasset Wilderness starts at the summit.

Looking towards the Pemigewasset Wilderness.

Bondcliff and Mt. Bond in the foreground with West Bond and Mt. Garfield in the background.

Owls Head with the Franconia Ridge in the clouds behind it.

Great undercast surrounding Mt. Washington and the Webster Cliffs in the foreground.

Signal Ridge

Vose Spur

Mt. Passaconaway

The Tripyramids with the Sleepers and Mt. Whiteface in the background.

The Osceloas

Mt. Chocorua

Mt. Moosilauke

Grey Jay

We then started the long trek back to the parking lot. At this point we basically put our heads down and just went for it. Everything felt extended, but looking at our times we made it back to the junction rather quick and we were back to the trailhead as the sun started to set. The last two miles on Sawyer River Road we had just enough light to walk out without headlamps. This part got annoying as it was warmer at the low elevation and instead of the snowmobiles packing the snow down they were churning it up. It just balled into our snowshoes constantly.

Not a great photo, but I tried to capture what we were pushing through to hike this trail.

It was a good overall hike, but honestly I am not sure I want to hike it again. I have now done both ways up this mountain and both are long and drawn out. I am interested in tackling Vose Spur in the future but as far as the summit of Mt. Carrigain is concerned, I could take it or leave it. In the summer when I could get some trail running in I may think differently, but we shall see.

The drift whenever we stop is ridiculous. I would say this is off by greater than a mile.