Carter Notch
Encyclopedia
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
(4422 ft (1,347.8 m)), and to the east by Carter Dome (4832 ft (1,472.8 m)). There are two small ponds in the notch, the Carter Lakes, as well as a large boulder field named The Ramparts. Both are the result of a landslide in 1869. 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. 3288 ft (1,002.2 m)). The notch is accessible in winter by snowshoe
s or backcountry skis.
Mountain pass
A mountain pass is a route through a mountain range or over a ridge. If following the lowest possible route, a pass is locally the highest point on that route...
through the White Mountains
White Mountains (New Hampshire)
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. Part of the Appalachian Mountains, they are considered the most rugged mountains in New England...
of New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
. It is traversed only by hiking trails. The notch is located in the Carter-Moriah Range
Carter-Moriah Range
The Carter-Moriah Range of mountains is located in the White Mountains, in Coos County, New Hampshire. The range forms the northern east side of Pinkham Notch, opposite the northern Presidential Range.- Summits :From north to south:...
within the White Mountain National Forest
White Mountain National Forest
The White Mountain National Forest is a federally-managed forest contained within the White Mountains in the northeastern United States. It was established in 1918 as a result of the Weeks Act of 1911; federal acquisition of land had already begun in 1914. It has a total area of...
, in Bean's Purchase
Bean's Purchase, New Hampshire
Bean's Purchase is a township in Coos County, New Hampshire, United States. In New Hampshire, locations, grants, townships , and purchases are unincorporated portions of a county which are not part of any town and have limited self-government .-Geography:According to the United States Census...
, Coos County, New Hampshire
Coos County, New Hampshire
-National protected areas:*Umbagog National Wildlife Refuge *Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge *White Mountain National Forest -Demographics:...
. It is bordered to the west by Wildcat Mountain
Wildcat Mountain (New Hampshire)
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...
(4422 ft (1,347.8 m)), and to the east by Carter Dome (4832 ft (1,472.8 m)). There are two small ponds in the notch, the Carter Lakes, as well as a large boulder field named The Ramparts. Both are the result of a landslide in 1869. The ponds drain south through the talus
Scree
Scree, also called talus, is a term given to an accumulation of broken rock fragments at the base of crags, mountain cliffs, or valley shoulders. Landforms associated with these materials are sometimes called scree slopes or talus piles...
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
Peabody River
The Peabody River is a 12.9 mile long river in the White Mountains of New Hampshire in the United States. It is a tributary of the Androscoggin River, which flows south and east into Maine, joining the Kennebec River near the Atlantic Ocean....
. Drainage to the south is into the Wildcat River, which flows into the Saco River
Saco River
The Saco River is a river in northeastern New Hampshire and southwestern Maine in the United States. It drains a rural area of of forests and farmlands west and southwest of Portland, emptying into the Atlantic Ocean at Saco Bay, from its source. It supplies drinking water to roughly 250,000...
.
Located in the notch is the Appalachian Mountain Club
Appalachian Mountain Club
The Appalachian Mountain Club is one of the United States' oldest outdoor groups. Created in 1876 to explore and preserve the White Mountains in New Hampshire, it has expanded throughout the northeastern U.S., with 12 chapters stretching from Maine to Washington, D.C...
's Carter Notch Hut (el. 3288 ft (1,002.2 m)). The notch is accessible in winter by snowshoe
Snowshoe
A snowshoe is footwear for walking over the snow. Snowshoes work by distributing the weight of the person over a larger area so that the person's foot does not sink completely into the snow, a quality called "flotation"....
s or backcountry skis.
External links
- AMC Carter Notch Hut (official site) - accessed 15 June 2008
- Hike the Whites: AMC Carter Notch Hut - accessed 15 June 2008