Taking time off is a double edged sword, so to speak. Sure, the rest up is nice, it helps us heal, but too long a rest can make starting back up a rough proposition. No different than taking a break on trail. We cool off a bit, we rest up a bit, but if we take too long a break we end up have to start cold, momentum lost. The good news is while getting back to it is hard, it is doable. And with momentum, the hard becomes manageable, and the manageable eventually becomes easy… in time. This hike of Mt Moriah, led by Redline Guide Michael Scire, attempted after a recent snow was the hard. Up next, though, hopefully there is the (more) manageable. Michael offered this summary and photos…
The goal of this hike was to summit Mount Moriah via the Carter Moriah Trail, and add to the list of 4000-footers already summited by our guest. The weather for the hike could not have been more perfect with minimal winds and partly sunny to full sun for the day.
The day before it had snowed and the storm left us with over a foot of snow at the higher elevations. We decided that snowshoes were needed given we were the ones breaking trail from the beginning. The day was amazing given the view of the Presidentials and even a clear view of Mt Washington.
Time is not always on our side especially when there is a limited amount of daylight. At about three-quarters of the way to the summit my guest made an educated and informed decision to turn back and not complete the hike to the summit. The focus was more on safety than completing the hike.
As I said to the guest, the mountains will always be here for another day, but we may not be if we make the wrong decision! —Michael
