Ultralight Backpacking on the Carter-Moriah Range
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- Опубликовано: 5 сен 2024
- 3 Days of Ultralight Backpacking & Hammock Camping on the Carter-Moriah Range in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.
For this summer backpacking trip, I headed up to the Wild River Wilderness to create a 36 mile hiking loop with 10,000 feet of gross elevation gain by linking together the Appalachian trail with several other lesser used and more rugged trails in the White Mountain National Forest.
This video is sponsored by Upstart.
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My June temperature range for this trip would be 35° to 85° with a chance of rain each day, mostly at night. Due to the wide temp range and unpredictable weather typically encountered in the White Mountains, I packed a puffy jacket and ultralight rain gear for additional protection against the elements. This brought my pack’s base weight right up to around the 10 lb mark.
I packed my standard minimalist hammock camping setup for this trip. While I planned to stay at "official" campsites, I still wanted the ability to camp at a legal, but unofficial spot if the opportunity or need arose. Due to the dense vegetation and uneven ground found at upper elevations in the Whites, I’ve learned that a hammock is often the best option in those conditions.
Water would be plentiful along the river portion of my loop, but would only be reliably available at Imp campsite during the ridge hike section, so I had to plan accordingly during the first half of my trip. The second half of my trip would have more water, but would be on more challenging trails. Notably, the Black Angel Trail, a rugged and minimally maintained wilderness trail, and the Highwater Trail, which suffered substantial washouts and haphazard re-routes due to storm damage from Hurricane Irene back in 2011.
For an easier read, more info & GPS data, check out my full blog post
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Trailhead: Rattle River TH
44°24’04.4″N 71°06’35.2″W
Shelburne, NH
Trails Day 1
Rattle River Trail (Appalachian Trail South)
Kenduskeag Trail (AT)
Carter-Moriah Trail (AT)
Camp at Imp Shelter Tentsite
This site has a reliable water source, a large wooden shelter, bear box and tent platforms. I was able to easily hang my hammock at one of the spots. There is an AMC caretaker and $15 fee June - October. As per the USFS, no fee is required outside of caretaker season.
Day 1 Mileage: 8.4 miles
Day 1 Gross Elevation Gain: 3,809′
Day 1 Gross Descent: 1,396′
Trails Day 2
Carter-Moriah Trail (AT)
Black Angel Trail
South on Wild River Trail
Camp at Spruce Brook Tentsite
Water is available from the brook. Camping spots are uphill from the trail. A large campfire area is at the base of the hill. There used to be a shelter here, but it was removed.
Day 2 Mileage: 11.3
Day 2 Gross Elevation Gain: 2,983′
Day 2 Gross Descent: 4,439′
Trails Used, Day 3
North on Wild River Trail
Highwater Trail
Shelburne Trail
At intersection with Kenduskeag Trail, continue on Shelburne Tr
Unnamed Trails
Here’s where I made the unfortunate gamble to avoid some elevation. I wouldn’t recommend this in warmer months. The trails I took ended up being snowmobile trails that aren’t really maintained with hiking in mind. They had a ton of standing water on them and were basically a 3 mile long mosquito breeding ground. Do yourself a favor and take the Kenduskeag trail back up the ridge to Rattle River Trail instead.
Return to parking
Day 3 Mileage: 16.5
Day 3 Gross Elevation Gain: 3,147’
Day 3 Gross Descent: 3,992′
Total Mileage: 36.2
Total Gross Elevation Gain: 9,939′
FTC Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a commission for purchases made through some of my links.
Notable Backpacking Gear
ULA Ohm 2.0 Backpack bit.ly/2Sq1FPH
Dutchware Pack Cover bit.ly/2O8N7AL
Dutchware Half-Wit Hammock bit.ly/3yShE0I
Hammock Gear Phoenix 30 Underquilt bit.ly/3LzBPDv
HG Burrow 40 Top Quilt
HG Dyneema Hex Tarp bit.ly/3GadwLh
DIY Cat Can Alcohol Stove
Vargo Windscreen amzn.to/2M3uRuG
Toaks 750ml Titanium Pot amzn.to/2GR7AJX
Sea to Summit Long Handled Spork go.magik.ly/ml...
Potable Aqua Water Purification Tablets amzn.to/3uYZ1TP
Outdoor Research Helium Rain Jacket amzn.to/2BiSnB1
Helium Rain Pants amzn.to/3uL7xIo
Outdoor Vitals Satu Adventure Pants bit.ly/3r4nhDI
La Sportiva Wildcat Trail Runners amzn.to/3hyKrMi
Wright Socks amzn.to/2XqbOSP
Nitecore NU25 Headlamp amzn.to/2YVsp0A
Spot X Satellite Messenger amzn.to/3adSjBr
Casio ProTrek FR-30 Smartwatch amzn.to/3dtY7Xj
Benchmade Bugout Knife amzn.to/2JVfBS5
Mountain House Backpacking Meals amzn.to/3lBAgdv
Baofeng UV-5R Radio amzn.to/3R53gbY
GoPro Hero 8 Black amzn.to/2D8n6lL
Shorty Tripod Grip amzn.to/2MPhGOM
Ed Murphy, age 50, was the man killed by the falling tree. It was big news here in NH when he was missing, and big news in the hiking community when he was found. I'm certain he would want you to mention hammocking safety. I hope his family takes comfort in knowing he loved hiking and passed doing what he loved.
Hope it was a swift silent killer
Murphy's Law,👎,RIP Eddie.
Been watching you since i was 19-20 im 28 now u cure my anxiety bro thanks for the amazing views
Sintax just makes the best most detailed hiking videos out there. Thanks for another great one.
And with Sintex,I'll just take 2 Sinutabs so I can breath while watching this great video.
Hey Sintax! Just wanted to say after watching Carter-Moriah: At first, I said to myself, yeah, Syntax is looking like an old trailhand after all these trails! Then, getting lost, and recovering! How many times have I done the same darn thing! Don't sell yourself so short! All that counts is that you recovered. Sometimes though, and not when it's happening and certainly not at the tail end of a long hike,, it can be fun to get lost and try to 'dig' your way out of it. Ya know what? Face it! You're just an Ol' Trailhand! P.S. Keep up the Tkki Masala!
That's what I do alot: roadwalk to the hike. Sometimes the roadwalk is longer. Sometimes there is an Uber. Once in awhile I find a cheap bicycle.
Makes quite the adventure.
Lookin' good man!
To add to this: many people do not understand the concept of traveling light & versatile. For instance many hammockers have huge, huge hammocks surrounded by admireably toasty insulation. (Try to pack that up.)
Sure they are lixuriouse for a group hang a bit into the local state park, or even to walk a couple days, but day in & day out. Train to plane to Uber to walking up the tracks.
Often my Thermarest x-Lite still goes along for a sleep on the Lounge Car on a two-day train ride into Idaho. That same pad gets integrated into my hammock & can go to the ground or someones apartment too.
10lbs for a hammock base weight is pretty slick. We will see what you like to use these days. I already like that pack.
Back in the day I had Z-Packs sew custom rucksacks for my ULA Epic. Since then they have grown too big to do that, but I like to think I pioneered those black Cuben packs when I sent my drawings to them. I like to pretend.
NALI AND SARAH HELLO!!!😍 Sean, just wanted to throw a shout-out and thank you for turning an avid camper into a solo-backpacker. Your videos have been very influential and were instrumental for me finally going out on my own. Thanks for the great adventures and gear recommendations. Years long subscriber and Fan from AZ.
Thanks, Scott - That's awesome to hear. Keep on getting out there! :)
Whew.... that was some walk!!! I was holding my breath there a couple times. Thanks for posting. I always enjoy your hikes!
Great video, as usual. Nothing is more annoying than hiking into a swamp of mosquitos when there's no wind. That highwater trail reminds me of Rocky Branch Trail (July 2021), accessed from Jericho Rd TH, with tons of wash out from the hurricane, lots of route finding, and there are still no real trail markers except for the occasional cairn at the many river crossings (I added at least 3 during my last trip).
With this vid in mind, I finished my 115 Northeast 4,000 footers by hiking Carter Dome and the Wildcats via the Black Angel trail. Geez, it is indeed beautiful and rugged - very little “easy” terrain. Even carrying only day hiking gear, it was the most I could do to bag my peaks and pop out in civilization near Pinkham Notch. Backpacking in that remote wilderness must be quite the adventure.
Without this vid, my finisher would have been a lot less memorable. Thanks for all you share.
Those little baofengs are outstanding a bit tuff to program but well worth it does a lot of stuff
Pause: that is cool one can set up shop (camp dispersed) in an array of places in that area. Another big reason I always went with the hammock was to stealth camp. No one can see a hammock down a ravine by a creek bed, but a tent must have a decent place for goid rest, though a smaller tent or bivy hides well.
I have thought of trying, like a small Dynema tarp, a bivy & maybe even take a pocket hammock to pitch for versatility.
Sara is smart glamping in the RV while mr sintax77 battles the bugs 🐞
She definitely made the right call, haha.
What a trip! You sure did amazingly getting to and from your destination! You deserve medal for this one! Stay safe stay well.!
Love the map and hike planning segment… really gives context to the trip… great vid as always.
Thanks, 12. Glad you enjoyed it!
That lightweight, hydrophobic tarp I bet is nice: keeps that base down to ten.
A little cold water around the rim of the pot will make the grinds settle. Much easier if you are pouring then from a pot to a cup. I love cowboy coffee.
Awesome, thanks for the tip! I'll give that a try next time.
Very nice RV!
At 59:10 I was expecting the moose 🫎 to say “thanks! You too!”
Awesome trip. Moose sighting was the cherry on top. On my bucket list for sure. Thanks for bringing us along!
Dutch gear , love it
Thanks for the learning experience in practice.
Hey Sean 👋 Thanks my friend, always appreciate your adventures, hope you're doing well, stay safe and take care ✌️🙏🇺🇲
Thanks, DB. Same to you!
Hey you follow Sintax also! He is the reason I make my videos long and detailed. Im watching this as I try and get my new one uploaded.
@@adventureswiththecrazyvet Yes I do, Sean is an awesome guy, so are you my friend, Thank you for all you do my friend 🇺🇲🙏👍
Outstanding broadcast
Thx for the video. Great hike . Good times.
Pause: yeah hard to find spots for tents. I got a nice tent to examine here, a Big Agnes Copper Spur, but there is not hardly a lick of flat ground in granny's yard here, and even then I must crawl about the ground, getting my trousers full of snow, slush & mud...or even worse...finding a sharp rock with my knee.
The hammock: I just hang it. Awhile back I sent some designs to alot of places for an Integrated, All-in-One Hammock...a cacoon, and Grand Trunk built one, the Evolution.
I tested the Evolution, and though it had a seam flaw, it was awesome just clicking in one end, then the other, then relax.
The Evolution has a long way to go, and places like Superior Gear have been working this design. It is nice, though a bottom quilt has its advantages too, just like a pad does.
That hike close to the edge of a nice drop off into the river made me nervous even watching it here at home.. Mosquitoes are hell... not been hiking with the problem but certainly camping. Another another great video, looking forward to the next !
I wasn't sure if it was going to come across on the video, but yeah - that steep washout section was pretty sketchy in real life.
Ah man the White Mtns are soo tough! Yes moose charge! Had it happen to me, absolutely terrifying!!!!
I had looked at doing Rattle River trail to bag Shelburne-Moriah peak as part of a 52 list, but that wall of elevation doesnt excite me, so I keep putting it off. The month of June was rainy and cold up here, so not surprised you had crappy weather. Am surprised nobody was at Imp Shelter though. Glad you survived another brutal NH hike. Deep respect!!!
Yeah, I was pretty surprised to have that spot to myself as well. You should definitely give the Rattle River Trail a shot some time. The elevation push wasn't as bad as I had expected. There was about 3800' feet of gain on day one, but a good chunk of it in the beginning was more gradual grades through the woods on dirt instead rock scaling.
I've been catching up on your video's and happy to see your back in the Whites, my back yard. I remember your video years ago when you started at Wild River campground with a friend. Brings back good memories. Great video and narration.
Nice! Looks like a great hike! Always wanted to get out that way. Been awhile. Look forward to 2023! Blessings!
The radio geekery is fun.
Spruce Pine is the town next to me...cool you were there. This is Angela WNC btw ... it's Appa-LATCH-a girl 🤣🤣🤣❤️
Thanks for sharing!
Yikes. What a roller coaster trip. Beautiful area, but it really sucks when it goes off the rails. Glad you kept your chin up and made it out of the woods. No worse for the wear. Cheers.
Been watching for over 5 years. Started my own hiking channel. Ive learned from this channel that you must always carry a can opener. “The can opener incident”.
Never forget! 😅
@@sintax77 P38, bring 2, they're small
I see new. People in your life. Ok. Love your camping stories thanks for bring us alone with you 🗻🏕
Love your dog’s name. :) Denali NP (Alaska in general) is beautiful & an amazing place to hike.
Kingston NY just got hit by an EF1 twister. I got caught outside with no warning. I was literally spooked lol. My 4runner is totaled from a flying tree. I’ll be double checking allllll my trees lol. Also, I’ve set up at night only to wake up to a missed widow maker close by. It all makes me think. Great video as always.
Beautiful views. You know your at decent elevation when the trees disperse.
It looked like the sintax doggo was ready for action 🎬
The platform you saw around 21:40 was one of the camp spots, you missed the actual caretaker's hut. The stuff you saw under the tarp was either firewood of maintenance equipment stored nearby the hut
Of all your vlogs tgat I've watched I've never seen you work so hard to achieve that afternoons trail nike. What an extraordinary area you hiked through .. it had it all and yes I think some very sketchy sections that I was willing you not to slip up on. Awesome job in difficult circumstances. Thanks for sharing this one. Bushyboy Oz
Wow! I'm worn out. 😀 Enjoyed this one but, you had me worried toward the end.
Mosquitoes and flies are horrible in May into June in that region but its gets much better as you get into July and August. Great hike!
sintax in new hampshire again...its gonna be a good day.
Yea you made it. That was some hike! The camping looked good, other than the scotch pine incident. Happy the moose wasn't interested in having you as a snack. I hope you reflect on only the good parts of this trip. Definitely learned to be cautious and always be thinking twice about setting up your hammock. You really deserved a cheeseburger though. Be safe and well til the next one. Thanks for the trip.
I can't tell you how much we learned about backpacking just watching your videos. Always first rate info, including the reality of backpacking for better or for worse (getting lost, bugs, foul weather, forgetting gear, runaway hotdogs, lol). Thanks for another great trip up to New Hampshire! Would love to see you do another hike in the Harriman/Bear Mountain area, maybe midweek when the trails aren't so crowded!
Cheers from South Padre Island Texas
I love your backpacking videos.. You are truly a well experienced backpacker.. and very fun and helpful to watch.
Well done sir.
Impressive wilderness hiking video, It was a rough trail but well worth it I am sure beautiful forested areas and epic views of the mountains. Nice shelter along the trail still wishing they had them here along our long Bruce Trail. however we do have the platform for tent or hammock. I would love to hike the trail your on, scary though on those drops off cliff area . I saw the moose . Sad story about the guy that was killed but died in an area he enjoyed being. Darn pesky mosquitoes. Happy you made it back safely even though bug bitten . Loved this ... Ontario.
If you haven't done so yet, we'd love to see you break down your Ultralite hammock set up, specifying ounces for each article, including tarps and cords and carribeaners, etc.
Goodness. You are now almost back to the RV, and I can breathe a sigh of relief! I would have been even more upset, if I did not know that if you had not finished this hike successfully, the video would not have been up. You had slick rocks, looking nearly impossible to climb ,and the mosquitoes would have finished me as I am really susceptible to them, and the the bites actually raise water blisters on me. Next time, if you are brave enough to take these hikes in the summertime, please take twice the bug spray you think you will need. I felt each one of those bites for you, and we won't even mention the moose sighting and the sad sorry about the deceased camper . You are a brave soul, and I will continue to enjoy these adventures vicariously! Keep hiking, but continue to take care and be safe!
Thanks, Barbara. I definitely messed up by not reconsidering how much bug spray I had in that bottle. Lesson learned, haha. I also have a bug head-net at home that I haven't touched in years, but I should remember that in the future as well. I typically don't hike the New England until later in the season to avoid mud season, but now I remember the bigger reason - bugs! :p
Once again you’ve done a route that is close me but I’ve never done it. My GPS skills need an update to try a route like this. Thank you for the marvelous adventure!
The cowboy coffee cracked me . Turkish coffee is mad and served the same way.
Always enjoy watching your videos (Keep forgetting to hit the thumbs up button because I get caught up in the video)
I can't believe everybody's wondering if that motorhome is his. Looking through the comments he hasn't answered and I hope he doesn't. Great videos
Another great hike and camping vid. That moose “encounter” was so cool! Thanks for taking us along!
Great views of the terrain & footage of what the trail is like.: nice work.
Great timing for a video. I was just thinking about going for a trip this weekend.
A slicing matt from Dollartree is a buck 25, and you can trim it, if necessary.
Add cold water to your coffee at the end to help force the grounds to the bottom
I’d say you enjoyed the Tika Masala after those last few miles dealing with those bugs.Great video.
Another great video Sean! Gotta tell you I almost put on MY head net watching the last portion of this video! That was a challenging hike but you slayed it!
Sean, talk about what you do bear safety wise (bear spray or bazooka) and your bear encounters over the years….
You need coffee bags, Sintax. Fresh ground coffee in a bag, steep it in your mug of hot water for 3-4 minutes, no grounds floating in your drink!
Thx so much ❤️🥰
Great job with your video again! Watching this video made me almost feel like I was hiking with you. I would love to go hiking in the Whites someday. Yes, I was a little late to watch this video. I've been very busy.
Another outstanding adventure with a bonus of a moose sighting. thanks!
Great video, been watching your stuff for years. I have the baofeng as well - Would love to see a video on your channel setup, or alternatively can you post the NH frequencies or source where you got them. Thanks in advance.
Please tell me you Didn’t treat that mossy spring water.
We did the Shelburne trail in early Spring this year .. bugs where very bad ! Yikes
Awesome trip! Thanks for sharing.
If you put water after you steep the coffee grounds the coffee grounds should sink to the bottom.
Welcome Back to New Hampshire!
Always a pleasure to get back up there. :)
@@sintax77 I know you have your favorite burger places up here (Delaneys hole in the wall) but on a future trip, get a burger at Stickneys at the Mount Washington Resort, fat guy approved
And here I thought I was the only one that put camping gear in my Motorcoach :)
Sorry to hear that Sarah had to work but at least she's working in style in super chill relax mode area
Yeah, that ended up being a pretty cool campground. They had a really nice river trail right along the property that her and Denali took advantage of each evening.
Thanks!
Crazy, i've camped at Timberland before. You could hear the road traffic at night.
We were lucky enough to get a pull-thru site towards the back of the campground so the road noise wasn't too bad. I can see how some of those spots up towards the front would be a bit noisier. It's a nice little campground though, and the wifi service was awesome for working remotely :)
This trail looks like a must do. Thanks S77 you da man!
It's worth a go, for sure. There's a good deal of awesome views, but much quieter relative to the presidential range.
Great audio engineering and mixing. None better in trail videos
Incredible scenery!
I love jalapenos but gotta watch what you do with those fingers after. Thanks for the cautionary tree tale
Oh, yeah - made a point to rinse my hands pretty thoroughly in the brook afterwards. That could have ended pretty badly if I forgot to do that :o
Bushwhacking, hardly a trail, just like Sipsey Wilderness over here in Alabama. No blazes, just signs at intersections lol. Thanks for the awesome content. Also hows the GI situation after the pepper and jalapeños???
Made it: nice. The Rattle River. Have to find a burger 🍔
I hope I am remembering right but when you said "Black Angel trail" I remembered your trip with mike what a difference this trail is when it isn't raining for 3 days straight
Good memory! Yup, we did it together with the Rainbow Trail back in 2012. Black Angel with pouring rain was *sketchyyyy* :o
Well done video. Really enjoyed it
Grreat hiking spot!
You might try getting you some of the bags that's made for refillable tea bags and can put the coffee in them and let it sit and then pull the little bags back up no grounds I know they said trader Joe's has some and other places too
Great trip always enjoy seeing more of the White's still need to get there myself at some point. Terrible what happened to the other backpacker. Thoughts of situations like that make it very rare for me to setup in the dark.
You know what - I hadn't thought of it until know, but perhaps that's why I decided to go hangout down by the trail again immediately after setting up. It did make for a strange vibe up there.
Awesome video. Hate spider webs in your eyes. Love Tika Masala
Great video but Sarah deserves a more sincere "I love you" goodbye from you. LOL
Love your videos - been watching them for years and I hike a lot of the same trails in NH. Would love to see a review / set up of the radio your using.
Again excellent video
Awesome! Another Sintax video in the feed. One thing i want to commend you on is your camera work. Lord knows folks could not stand anything I'd produce.
Thanks, Fly. Trust me, there are several hours of terribly shot footage from each video that ends up on the cutting room floor 😅
Enjoying your show. Keep doing what your doing. I think you should include “Cheeseburger Time” with your show. I actually believe this is how you should end it since you always announce it. I think others would enjoy seeing it as well. We all get to see the great pay off at the end. Give it some thought. Take care and stay safe.
Can you give a list of the scanner frequencies you used? Great video by the way
She looks like an accountant with those double screens.
Nice teachable moment, always bring bug spray and treat your clothes with permethrin.
Loved this rigorous adventure. When you saw the moose, you mentioned an encounter with a black bear. I live very close to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park where there are numerous black bears. I have hiked a number of times to Mount LeConte and bears are often seen in that area. If possible, could you please elaborate on your encounter.
I only had one time where an animal wouldn't back down and it was in PA at night while camping with my dog. I never actually saw the animal, but based on the sound of it approaching, it almost certainly wasn't a deer, so I assume it was a bear. My dog an I were awoken by something large and deliberate approaching the camp. I started making a ton of noise and my dog was growling, but it stubbornly kept approaching for several minutes. It eventually stopped getting closer, but strangely, we never heard it turn tail and retreat. I guess it's possible that we were near wherever it liked to sleep and night and it just finally bedded down. Whatever it was, it certainly wasn't scared of us, haha.
@@sintax77 Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my inquiry. Glad you had your dog along with you as that would have been a very frightening situation to be in alone. Looking forward to many more adventures with you and, hopefully, Denali.
Well done Syntax! You continue to be very humble and include parts where shit happens as is part of the human condition. Totally see how one could get turned around in the thicket there.
Hey!!! Nice ride there pal!! Is that a rental or does Denali have full ownership?😁
Ive done the first 3 peaks there. Dome, height and the other one next to it.
Take care. NQU