I arrived at the trailhead (Nineteen Mile Brook Trail) without money, and with this being a "U.S. Fee Area," I wanted to be sure to put money back into the system that supports and maintains areas I love to use. I went back south to Pinkham Notch, got some funds, drove back to the trailhead, and paid my fee. I was sure to lash the waterproof cover for my backpack before we left, as it looked like rain. Alas, it did not. In the end, I am not complaining. Better to prepare for rain and not need those items, then to not have them and have the rain fall freely upon you. I placed Nia's backpack on her [water/booties], and we headed out.
The first 2/3 of this hike follows Nineteen Mile Brook, and the brook itself is quite stunning. The roar of the water was only outweighed by the simply stunning views of the cascading water. About a mile in, we met two other dogs, said hello [as they were coming down], and labored on. The first half of the trail is a mix of dirt path and stone steps. Nothing too arduous.
We ran in to several of AMC's trail maintenance lads. These young men were likely not over 21 years old. They were pick-axing and digging, restructuring the trail in 3 or 4 different parts, having been torn up from Hurricane Irene. They were doing brilliant, hard work. I can only imagine how sweaty they were throughout that humid day.
At our second stream crossing, I slipped — again [see trip through Kinsman Pond]. Boots and socks, totally soaked. I was OK with it. The magic of wool hiking socks never fails to impress me. Half way up, the trail split: Carter Dome Trail going to the top of Carter Dome and Nineteen Mile Brook trail leading us to Carter Notch. Onward we went.
This last half of the hike was a bit more arduous than the first. I ditched my T-shirt, as it was much too humid to be worrying about social niceties like clothing. And the last 1/4 of this part of the trail is thigh bustingly good. Nia tackled it all like a champ. We crested a small level spot and noticed a trail junction. Here, the trail headed south to Carter Notch Hut, west up Wildcat Mountain, and southeast [though Carter Notch] up to Carter Dome. It was also here that I found two primitive/stealth sites for pitching a tent or hammock. After some branch management, I cleared us a spot and got our tent up. This area for tenting was just outside of the wilderness area where it is not permitted that you camp near the trail. Dogs cannot stay at the shelter, so I had come prepared to use one of the two sites I found.
After putting up the tent, feeding Nia, and hydrating a bit, we headed for the actual lakes and hut in Carter Notch. The .3 miles to the hut was delightful. Lots of vistas of Wildcat Mountain and the very rocky trail up to Carter Dome. The hut is split into 3-4 different buildings. We took in the surroundings, snapped some pics, took in the cool breeze cutting through the Notch, and headed back up to our tent.
Once back up to camp, we briefly checked out the AT going towards Wildcat Mountain, but it seemed to rise steeply very quickly. I abandoned the idea, sparing us the challenge of .7 miles each way. We headed for the tent, opened the rain fly doors, and soaked in the cool White Mountains' breeze. Nia slept, and I read. This eventually turned into sleeping for the evening—at 3,400 feet.
Awoke shortly before 6:00 am. The rain was off and on. After deciding there was no waiting it out, I tied Nia to a tree, fed her, and broke down camp. For breakfast, I ate a peach and granola bar. After, I threw the rain cover over the backpack, and headed down from The Notch.
The descent was great. Nia was a pro—staying behind me the entire time [shout-out to my wife for helping Nia learn this invaluable skill. Sierra (our other dog) does not do this. When it was raining and my footing was unstable, I appreciated not having a dog "drag" me down the mountain. As you will discover, I do not need a dog to make me fall.] It was about half way down when I placed my foot on a wet log and quickly went down. The backpack made it hard to get on my feet. Upon inspecting, I had some minor scrapes on my knee, palm, and forearm from the granite on the path. All manageable. In the end, I was just glad I did not break my wrist or forearm.
The rest of the trip down was wet but fun. The views of Nineteen Mile Brook were great heading down the trail. We eventually hit the trailhead. I loaded Nia into the car, got my clean shirt out for the drive home, cued up some tunes for the drive [The Tallest Man on Earth's album "There's No Leaving Now"], and headed for home.
Pictures:
1) Map of the area I was hiking with Nia, the intrepid Chinook.
2) Cool sign at the trailhead.
3) Nia enjoying Nineteen Mile Brook's sights and sounds.
4) This is a picture I took with the camera beside my thigh, trying to capture Nia's ability to hike perfectly behind/beside the hiker. What a pro!
5) Tent site with views of rocky, southeastern-facing Wildcat Mountain.
6) Nia observing the water at one of the two ponds in Carter Notch.
7) A trail I had initially thought about doing with one of the dogs. Goes up to Carter Dome. Yikes. Glad we didn't do that. Seems a bit too much of a rock scramble for dog paws.
8) Notice the chunk of missing flesh from my hand. They don't call it the "Granite State" for nothing.
9) Nia on the drive home. Tuckered out.
