Fumbling Around In The Woods: Middle Carter Mtn (4,610 ft) & South Carter Mtn (4,430 ft) 9-12-20

Distance: 11.3 mi.
Elevation: 3,221 ft (overall) 3,737 ft (total)
Time: 3:00 (Flag Location) 3:12 (Middle Carter) 4:03 (South Carter) 6:40 (Road) 6:52 (Total)
Trails: Camp Dodge Cutoff, Imp Trail, North Carter Trail, Carter-Moriah Trail, Carter Dome Trail, Nineteen Mile Brook Trail, Route 16

This year for Flags on the 48 our group decided on Middle Carter Mtn to fly our flag from. We all met at the Great Gulf Parking lot knowing that the lot for Nineteen Mile Brook Trail would likely be overflowing by the end of the day. This required a very short road walk to the entrance to Camp Dodge (AMC requires a face covering crossing through here right now) so we could use the shortcut to the Imp Trail. From there we would head up to the ridge using the Imp Trail and the North Carter Trail.

Our group broke up into two groups for the hike up as some thought they would be a bit slower. We let them go ahead and the rest of us waited for the last of our group to show up before we headed up with the flag pole on our shoulders, taking turnes carrying it. I have come down this trail twice, but never gone up it. I remember it being rocky on the decent, but it didn't seem as bad today going up. Even when I was carrying the pole on my shoulder for a long stretch.

By the time the second half of the group got to the junction with the North Carter Trail, we had caught up to some of the first group while the rest was still working they way up the mountain. We continued up the North Carter Trail which was a bit rockier, with bigger rocks anyways. It was also a bit narrow which is what I remember too. Some brushing out along the trail could be helpful. Once up onto the ridge it is a much easier hike follwing the Carter-Moriah Trail.

Maybe a quarter mile or so from the summit our group gathered at an open spot along the trail. After a break here and some discussion, we decided to fly the flag from this location as the summit is not open and the trail isn't overly wide. It would be tight for all of us at the summit once the flag was up, and it would be hard for other hikers to get by. From our location we would have more room and the flag could more easily be seen. We got out the flag pole and set everything up here. Our setup has improved over the last few years and it is pretty easy to get the flag up once the pole is secured.

Once the flag was up we put up a couple other small memorials that had been given to us or that team members brought. And before some group members headed out over to South Carter and possibly Carter Dome one of them did a great job singing the National Anthem. Shortly before 2pm, a couple other members of our group and myself headed up and over the summit of Middle Carter and over to bag South Carter as well. The rest of the team would disassemble to flag pole and carry it down. On our way by we would grab the two small handheld flags we had someone put at the true summit of Middle Carter.

Our hike over South Carter went smoothly with a quick break there for some pictures and to ask the remainder of that summit group if they needed help taking down their setup. After that we took another break at Zeta Pass for snacks before hiking back down to the parking lot. If the rest of our group beat us down with the pole they were going to meet us at the Nineteen Mile Brook trail head to save us a road walk. Turns out we beat them by about 10 minutes and we just did the short road walk back to the cars. With how spread out everyone was with where they were staying, we decided not to do a group meal after out hike like we normally do. But even without that it was still a great day in the mountains with a great group of people for a great cause. Yet again, all 48 peaks had coverage this year. Big thanks go out to all the people that volunteer for this event.