Six of us met up at 8 am at the Mt. Moat Trailhead in Conway.  We parked cars and drove to Diana’s Bath to start our traverse of North and South Moat.  Weather-wise, we were greeted with bluebird skies, a warm spring sun, and ferocious winds.  The forecast had called for gusts up to 35 miles per hour and they were definitely along for the hike with us!  The snow on Moat Mountain Trail was largely packed for the first mile or so by snowshoers.  After that, we needed to break trail for most of the rest of the climb.  There were a few water crossings that were just high enough to force us to really think through the best approach to crossing.  On the way back, we actually used a large tree branch to make the crossing easier for anyone who came after us.

As we started gaining elevation, breaking the snow on the trail became more challenging.  We rotated who was in the lead to share this job.  Jim (Rolo) was the hero of the afternoon and broke most of the trail as we approached the summit.  In some places, the drift was 3’ or so deep!  The view from the top of North Moat was breathtaking—Carter Dome, Wildcat D, and the Southern Presidential Ridge are all visible from this summit (3,196’).  The wind, unfortunately, was also taking our breath away.  The sustained winds were well above 40 mph, and many of us were pushed over as we walked.  After a quick lunch, we decided to go down the way we came, enjoying the freshly packed trail.   It is only about 1.5 miles to South Moat, but we were all content to save it for another day.  Once down, we took a little time by Diana’s Bath to chat and soak in the beautiful day.  All in all, it was another wonderful day in the Whites.  Thank you so much to everyone that came out, and to JT for leading this adventure!

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