Hoping to get above what appeared to be a substantial undercast, Kathy, Lily, Judy, Hunter, Maddie(Judy’s dog), and I headed up the Nineteen Mile Brook Trail on October 13, 2013 to climb Carter Dome and South and Middle Carter. This was the Sunday of the Columbus Day weekend and we found the parking area at the trailhead almost full, with several cars parked along the shoulder of the highway as well. As we hiked up the trail, we began meeting folks who had spent the night at Carter Notch Hut, and they told us the undercast extended above the notch, leading us to believe we might not be able to get above the clouds even at the summit of Carter Dome. Not to be discouraged, we continued up the trail to the Carter Dome Trail, then up this trail toward Zeta Pass. As the footpath steepened, Kathy, Lily, and Hunter began outdistancing Judy, Maddie, and me, and we didn’t catch up with them until we reached the top of the pass.
As we paused at Zeta Pass, plans for the rest of the day were discussed. Kathy, Lily, Hunter, and I would continue up the Carter Dome Trail to the summit, then return to Zeta Pass, and continue north over South and Middle Carter. Judy and Maddie would eschew Carter Dome and proceed directly over South and Middle Carter. Judy pointed out that perhaps we could all have lunch together on the summit of Middle Carter, since she felt the rest of us would probably be hiking much faster than she. I wasn’t sure whether the additional 2.2 miles we would have to travel before we would begin our ascent of South Carter would allow us to catch up to Judy on Middle Carter, but I advised her to walk slowly, have a leisurely lunch, and maybe we would get there before she became too bored while waiting for us.
As Kathy, Lily, Hunter, and I climbed toward the summit of Carter Dome, we finally broke through the undercast to brilliant sunlight and a clear blue sky, much to our delight. We arrived at the summit to find a group of folks who had spent the night at Carter Notch Hut and were also pleased to get above the undercast that filled the notch below. I’ve witnessed similar undercasts from the higher Whites several times in my life, but I never cease to marvel at the sea of clouds below with only the higher summits sticking out above. The scene resembles islands in a vast ocean, much as though you are flying over small islands in the Pacific Ocean. We did note that both South and Middle Carter were above the cloud cover, indicating we would have sunny weather as we hiked north along the ridge.
Hiking quickly back down to Zeta Pass and eschewing the slightly longer route over the bare summit of Mt. Hight, we set out for South Carter and the chance we might catch Judy by the time we got to Middle Carter. No such luck was in the cards though. By the time we arrived at the summit of South Carter, it was after 1 p.m and Lily was starved. We found an east facing viewpoint, gazed at the solid undercast below, downed a quick lunch, and headed for Middle Carter. By this time we figured our quest to find Judy was hopeless, but that we might encounter Jamie coming up to meet us. We had arranged that he would traverse our scheduled route in reverse since he could not get on the trail until he finished a flying assignment and got back to the North Country around noon. He estimated he would be on the trail around 1 p.m. and probably meet us on Middle Carter.
We climbed over Middle Carter and neighboring Mt. Lethe, continuing on until we reached the North Carter Trail, and began our descent off the main ridge on this trail. We had not gone more than a half mile when Jamie appeared, charging along with Guyot as we had anticipated. We asked him if he had passed Judy, he said he had, and that she was already heading toward Imp Face on the Imp Trail, probably 30 minutes ahead of us. We continued our descent on the North Carter Trail accompanied now by Jamie and Guyot, turned right on the Imp Trail, and set out for Imp Face.
Shortly before we got to Imp Face, I managed to crack my head with considerable force on a small tree overhanging the trail. I didn’t see it coming, but Jamie, who was following me did, and when I asked why he didn’t warn me, he simply replied he thought I was smart enough to duck! My children usually do look out for me when we’re hiking, but not this time. Collecting myself, we continued on and soon reached the open top of Imp Face. I spotted a raven walking around the bare ledge, and while Kathy tried to get a picture of the bird, I panicked that Hunter might see the raven, try to chase it, and fall off the end of the cliff. With much scrambling around, I managed to catch Hunter, the bird flew off, and Kathy never got her picture. Meanwhile Guyot watched quietly as my children asked me to calm down.
Before leaving Imp Face, we noted that the undercast had lowered somewhat, but still stretched through Carter Notch and slightly below us. It also lapped against the Presidential Range and through Pinkham Notch as well, looking like a giant glacier heading down the Peabody River toward Gorham and the Androscoggin River. We then headed down the Imp Trail to the valley below, Jamie drove us back to the Nineteen Mile Brook trailhead, I retrieved my truck, and we all stopped for the usual milkshake(or just plain ice cream) in Gorham. We never did catch up with Judy since she headed back to Randolph with Kathy’s car that we had left at the Imp trailhead in the morning. Just as with Margot on Passaconaway back in September, these older ladies know how to travel the mountain trails in good time!
I’ve always wondered why the col between Mt. Hight and South Carter is Named Zeta Pass. Not the “Zeta,” but the “Pass.” “Pass” is a common term used in the western United States to describe what we call a “col” here in the eastern U.S. I don’t believe there is another “pass” in all of New England, let alone in the White Mountains. The term “gap” is common in Vermont, and a deep col or gap is called a “notch” in New England, but you have to travel to the Rocky Mountains until you find another “pass.”
