A near perfect weather day for a hike. Joined Kevin on his quest for the 48. He is nearly there. We arrived at the lot a few miles down Sawyer River Road, prepped our gear and off we went. The temps were still cool as it was still early, but the sun was shining. Across the road from the lot begins the Signal Ridge Trail. This will be our way to and from Mt Carrigain.
The 1.7 miles to the junction are a quick walk in the woods with little elevation change. Just before the junction of Carrigain Notch Trail and Signal Ridge Trail, we need to cross Carrigain Brook. This was an easy log/rock hop across as the water level was low. Once past and over a few bog boards we stay left at the junction. A few minor ups and downs and find the start of the elevation gain. The majority of the next 3 miles are up to the ridge. The trail is in decent shape with only a few obstacles to negotiate. There are a couple brief lookouts through the trees, but mostly viewless until you pop out on the ridge. Once there you remember why you invested all that effort.
Views on both sides of the ridge, on this day, seem to go on forever. To the right, over Vose Spur, you can make out the Willey Range and beyond that is the Presidential Range with Mt Washington standing tall above all others. Up ahead, there is a small col to dip into then up to the tower already in sight atop Carrigain. A few photo ops and we continue to the summit.
Once we hit the summit, just about 0930, we climb up the fire tower. I employ the death grip on the rails as the steps are open and the landings are metal grates. Once up top, it is a wooden deck and I’m able to relax a bit and enjoy the view. The 360 degree views and absolutely amazing. The photos do not do it justice, it must be experienced.
Up on the tower, another hiker already there. I recognize her from one of the Facebook groups focused on the 4k’s in NH (https://www.facebook.com/groups/hikenh4k/ or https://www.facebook.com/groups/16316918492/). I always admire the folks who post their adventures. I mainly enjoy the perspective of others photos and to learn the different approaches to each summit. It was quite nice chatting a bit, seemed a wealth of knowledge and wished it was longer, but she was off. It was also nice to know we shared a similar death grip on the stairs. There was another gentleman up there as well. He was on the quest as well. He shared his wife and he were catching up on summits they differed on. While he was on Carrigian she was on another which should sync them to finish the 48 together. I think he mentioned he wife was on her second round though.
After eating a bit for lunch, we started our descent. This was the first time for me to try using poles, on any hike. I bought them for a couple reasons, first was to use for a tarp should I want to hammock on the ground, and second to assist with water crossings. I have watched folks who seem to fair better with them across some rock hopping.
We made quick work down to the col and onto the ridge. The views still amazing. The poles do seem to help with balance, though I’m not certain if they reduce fatigue as much as most proclaim. I will try to use them again a few times to make a better decision. Once on the ridge again, a few more photos, and we continued the descent. We seemed to be motivated as the descent was going quite well. We only missed one turn, but quickly realized it was an old reroute and made our way back on track. We made it down in approximately 2.5 hours, pretty decent descent ;-). I think that was one of the earliest finishes to a 4k hike. We parted ways as Kevin was camping not too far away and I was heading back home.
