Carter Notch | |
---|---|
Elevation | 3,396 ft (1,035 m) [1] |
Traversed by | hiking trails |
Location | Bean's Purchase, Coos County, New Hampshire, United States |
Range | White Mountains |
Coordinates | 44°15′42″N071°11′43″W / 44.26167°N 71.19528°W [1] |
Topo map | USGS Carter Dome |
Carter Notch is a high mountain pass through the White Mountains of New Hampshire. It is traversed only by hiking trails. The notch is located in the Carter-Moriah Range within the White Mountain National Forest, in Bean's Purchase, Coos County, New Hampshire. It is bordered to the west by Wildcat Mountain (4,422 ft or 1,348 m), and to the east by Carter Dome (4,832 ft or 1,473 m). There are two small ponds in the notch, the Carter Lakes, as well as a large boulder field named The Ramparts. The ponds drain south through the talus barrier formed by The Ramparts. The height of land is to the north. To the north, the notch drains via Nineteenmile Brook, which flows into the Peabody River. Drainage to the south is into the Wildcat River, which flows into the Saco River.
Located in the notch is the Appalachian Mountain Club's Carter Notch Hut (el. 3,288 ft or 1,000 m). The notch is accessible in winter by snowshoes or backcountry skis. [2]
The White Mountains are a mountain range covering about a quarter of the state of New Hampshire and a small portion of western Maine in the United States. They are a subrange of the northern Appalachian Mountains and the most rugged mountains in New England. Several of the higher peaks contain an Alpine tundra. The range is heavily visited due to its proximity to Boston, New York City, and Montreal.
The Four-thousand footers are a group of forty-eight mountains in New Hampshire at least 4,000 feet (1,200 m) above sea level. To qualify for inclusion a peak must also meet the more technical criterion of topographic prominence important in the mountaineering sport of peak-bagging.
Franconia Notch State Park is a public recreation area and nature preserve that straddles eight miles (13 km) of Interstate 93 as it passes through Franconia Notch, a mountain pass between the Kinsman Range and Franconia Range in the White Mountains of northern New Hampshire, United States. The northern part of the park, including Cannon Mountain and Echo and Profile lakes, is in the town of Franconia, and the southern part, including Lonesome Lake and the Flume, is in Lincoln. Attractions in the state park include the Flume Gorge and visitor center, the Old Man of the Mountain historical site, fishing in Echo Lake and Profile Lake, and miles of hiking, biking and ski trails.
Mount Lafayette is a 5,249-foot (1,600 m) mountain at the northern end of the Franconia Range in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, United States. It lies in the town of Franconia in Grafton County, and appears on the New England Fifty Finest list of the most topographically prominent peaks in New England. The mountain's upper reaches are located in the alpine zone, an area where only dwarf vegetation exists due to the harsh climate.
South Twin Mountain is a mountain located in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States. The mountain is part of the Twin Range of the White Mountains. South Twin forms the high point of a north–south ridge, with North Twin Mountain lying approximately one mile to the north and Mount Guyot two miles (3.2 km) to the southeast. Galehead Mountain, a lower spur of South Twin, is to the west.
Mount Moosilauke is a 4,802-foot-high (1,464 m) mountain at the southwestern end of the White Mountains in the town of Benton, New Hampshire, United States. It is the tenth highest and most southwesterly of the 4,000 foot summits in the White Mountains.
The High Huts of the White Mountains are eight mountain huts in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, owned and maintained by the Appalachian Mountain Club. They are modeled after similar huts in the Alps and positioned at intervals along the Appalachian Trail, allowing "thru-hikers" who hike the entire Appalachian Trail to benefit from their services. They are generally separated by six to eight miles, about a day's hike.
The Ellis River is a 16-mile-long (26 km) river in the White Mountains of New Hampshire in the United States. It is a tributary of the Saco River, which flows to the Atlantic Ocean in Maine.
Pinkham Notch is a mountain pass in the White Mountains of north-central New Hampshire, United States. The notch is a result of extensive erosion by the Laurentide Ice Sheet during the Wisconsinian ice age. Pinkham Notch was eroded into a glacial U-shaped valley whose walls are formed by the Presidential, Wildcat, and Carter-Moriah ranges. Due to the volatility of the area's climate and rugged character of the terrain, a number of rare or endemic ecosystems have developed throughout the notch.
The Appalachian National Scenic Trail spans 14 U.S. states over its roughly 2,200 miles (3,500 km): Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. The southern end is at Springer Mountain, Georgia, and it follows the ridgeline of the Appalachian Mountains, crossing many of its highest peaks and running almost continuously through wilderness before reaching the northern end at Mount Katahdin, Maine.
Wildcat Mountain is a mountain located in Coos County, northern New Hampshire, United States. The mountain is part of the Carter-Moriah Range of the White Mountains, on the east side of Pinkham Notch. Wildcat Mountain faces Carter Dome across Carter Notch to the northeast, and Mount Washington across Pinkham Notch to the west.
Kinsman Notch is a mountain pass located in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, United States. It is the westernmost of the major notches through the White Mountains. To the southeast, the valley of the notch is drained by the Lost River, leading to the Pemigewasset River, and ultimately the Merrimack, flowing into the Gulf of Maine. The northwest half of the notch is drained by Beaver Brook and the Wild Ammonoosuc River, part of the Connecticut River watershed leading to Long Island Sound.
Mount Zealand, or Zealand Mountain, is a mountain located in the White Mountains, in Grafton County, New Hampshire. Zealand stands on a spur ridge northeast of Mount Guyot, and facing Whitewall Mountain to the east across Zealand Notch.
Mount Willey is a mountain located in Grafton County, New Hampshire. The mountain is named after Samuel Willey, Jr. (1766–1826) and his family, who in 1825 moved into a house in Crawford Notch. The family was killed a year later in August 1826 during a landslide.
Kinsman Mountain is a mountain located in Grafton County, New Hampshire. It is named after Nathan Kinsman, an early resident of Easton, New Hampshire, and is part of the Kinsman Range of the White Mountains. To the northeast, Kinsman is connected by The Cannon Balls ridge to Cannon Mountain.
Galehead Mountain is a mountain located in Grafton County, New Hampshire. The mountain is part of the Twin Range of the White Mountains. Galehead is flanked to the east by South Twin Mountain, and to the west by Mount Garfield. The summit is reached by the Frost Trail which departs from Galehead Hut. There are several ways to reach the hut from one's car, the Gale River Trail from the northwest being the most direct.
Sandwich Mountain is a 3,983 ft (1,214 m) mountain located on the border between Carroll and Grafton counties, New Hampshire spanning parts of the towns of Sandwich and Waterville Valley, respectively. The mountain is part of the Sandwich Range of the White Mountains.
The Pemigewasset Wilderness is a 45,000-acre (182 km2) federally designated Wilderness Area in the heart of New Hampshire's White Mountains. It is a part of the White Mountain National Forest. It is New Hampshire's largest wilderness area.
Zealand Notch is a mountain pass in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, United States. It is located in the towns of Bethlehem and Lincoln, near the northeastern corner of the Pemigewasset Wilderness. The center of the notch is traversed by hiking trails and is approximately 2 miles (3 km) from the nearest road. Zealand Pond, Zealand Falls, and the Zealand Falls hut are located near the height of land.
Evans Notch is a mountain pass located in the White Mountains in Maine, United States, about 1 mile (1.6 km) east of the New Hampshire border. It is the easternmost notch through the White Mountains. To the south, the notch is drained by the Cold River, which leads via the Charles River to the Saco River, which in turn flows into the Gulf of Maine east of Saco and Biddeford. The Mad River is a small mountain stream that joins the Cold River from the west about 2 miles (3 km) south of the height of land, after dropping over Mad River Falls. The notch is drained to the north by Evans Brook, a tributary of the Wild River, which flows north to the Androscoggin River. The Androscoggin leads east and south to the Kennebec River at Merrymeeting Bay north of Bath, Maine.