We look at the mountains and consider them steadfast and unchanging, and they do appear to have permanence at a glance. But if you observe them over time and are paying attention to the details, you may realize that the landscape as a whole is in constant motion. Rocks roll, break, crumble into sand, and are washed away by rains eventually making it the sea. We see the erosion, but the scale of these events is minute. Only when we see it in action under our very feet, or feel the aftermath of larger events, do we really take note. Usually with little to no effect on us. But in other cases, it has profound impact. Take for instance one of the more popular 4000-footers, Mt Carrigain (4680′). By its most popular route, Signal Ridge Trail, the hike is about five miles in, and five miles out — at least in the warmer months when the access road is opened to vehicular traffic. In the winter, however, when gated, we must add two miles in each direction changing the more normal ten miles into almost fifteen. That’s how it used to be. Then, bam, weather. The road gets washed out forcing a prime season and likely multi-year closure. And that is the case today as Redline Guide Debra McCown documented in a few photos. This wasn’t unknown to us, and it has happened before, but it does offer us a reminder to the impermanence of it all. Before we get to the photos, however, Debra wrote this short summary of the day, leading one returning guest to a longer-than-normal out-and-back.
Going the Extra (Four) Miles
Today’s guest is nearing completion of his NH 48. He began the day with eight peaks remaining, and now he’s down to seven, which he hopes to complete this fall.
On this hike we went up Mt Carrigain, a tough one featuring roughly 2.5 miles of sustained uphill climbing on a steep, rocky trail before you reach the ridge line and the final uphill climb to the observation deck.
This year Mt Carrigain has an added challenge: about than two-plus miles of road walking at the start and end of the hike, after the road leading to the trailhead washed out this past winter. The extra road miles turn a hike that was a little over 10 miles into something closer to 15.
But a steady pace wins the race, and we got to the top to enjoy beautiful, sunny observation deck views on a cool, windy, fall-like day. —Debra
