I have been putting this route off since I crossed the muddy Harris Trail on an AT-section hike a few years ago. Yet somewhere in the sea of miserable opinions towards these trails, I found 1 great report from around this time of year. So, as I watched the radar sweep New Hampshire on Thanksgiving, I became sold on heading to Etna to climb Moose Mountain in a light snow cover just as the trail reporter did.
In this awkward time of the year, I overpacked on almost everything but snowshoes while still keeping my summer bag. It is certainly time for traction, but even after the hike, I'm still unsure if I would've preferred snowshoes to my spikes. As long as we don't get another rain melt, I think this will be my last time without the snowshoes for a while!
Still full from last night, my dad and I started at 10:30 am from 3-Mile Road. The lot was blocked by a snowbank, however there was some extra space plowed along the road. There were already two other cars on the side of the road, promising that they hadn't been hit by a plow and that we could follow their footsteps for some of the day. We got started up the AT which had a set of snowshoe tracks and a set of boots over it. At first, there were maybe only 3 inches of snow, making our microspike and gaiter combination excellent. By the top, it was more like 8 inches which would've necessitated snowshoes had Nat Thompson been a remotely popular trail.
As we came to the junction that sparked my dismay for the Harris Trail, we de-layered and brushed the snow off the "Matt Dustin Stopped Here -Abruptly- Feb 2001" sign for all to enjoy. Then, we left the broken path and headed east 0.4 miles down the Fred Harris trail. I was immediately grateful I'd waited for early-winter conditions for this route. While I didn't think the loop was worth breaking out deep snow for, I did think it would be more pleasurable with frozen ground and snow coverage- making today ideal!
We moved to the North Cabin Trail junction fairly quickly- though not in the guidebook (to my knowledge) this trail is a common access route for the Class of '66 Lodge. From here, the lodge was just a few skips away and over a nice bridge. While the trail network in here looked daunting on my GPS the night before, it was plenty clear in the moment- especially in getting to the lodge. Long story short, if it's blazed with a bright enough orange sign, you're on a trail that hasn't been forgotten. However, I was sure to mark the route on Gaia the night before just in case, which I would highly recommend.
As the Class of '66 Lodge came into sight, we couldn't help but marvel at it. Sleeping a whopping 49 people, the lodge almost feels bigger than some ski-area cafeteria buildings. Its craft, from the massive beams to the memorial signs was stunning. While the lodge is public information, it appears to be a well-kept secret that the 8 people who read this blog will probably do nothing with- unless there's a Dartmouth alum on here who can advance book a night there!
Behind the lodge and their well-stocked wood stash, my dad & I picked up the Nat Thompson trail to do a fairly easy mile of consistent gain. The trail felt remote, because in a way it is, but it was highly pleasant. The blazes are faded as heck, yet I believe I only checked my GPS for clarity once on the final ascent! From the backside of South Peak, Nat Thompson somewhat sneakily comes up perpendicular to the AT from the 3-mile Road route.
While we didn't have a completely clear view, the glances over Cannan and Carrigan were nice, especially in that the mountains were freshly glazed in snow. I found the view to be much better this time of year than they were in May, and NO BUGS!!!
On the way down, we enjoyed a broken path and some obstructed views of the skyline as another snow rolled in. Unsurprisingly, the same parts that are eroded in the summer had some loose snow today but overall there wasn't anything of note along our descent.
All said and done, I would encourage anyone waiting on these silly little Moosilauke tab trails to get out soon! As usual, I ended up loving a route I put off for no good reason based on public opinion. Happy hiking!
Final Stats:
4 miles
982 gain
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