BIGEarl
Well-known member
May 12, 2012: Wildcats and Carter Dome
Trails: Lost Pond Trail, Wildcat Ridge Trail, Nineteen Mile Brook Trail, Carter-Moriah Trail, Carter Dome Trail
Summits: Wildcat “A” Peak, Wildcat “D” Peak, Carter Dome
Hikers: Fitz, NH Tramper (Mike), Trail Trotter (Sue), and me
The day had a couple personal milestones:
This hike finished our grid hiking for the month of May.
A few weeks ago on Owl’s Head, Sue and I passed 3,000 miles hiking together. This hike put us over 1,000,000 feet of elevation gained together. Thanks Sue, it’s been fun.
The Hike:
The day got off to an earlier than planned start: a car spot for Becca and Georgia was roughly a half hour ahead of plan, our car spot was a half hour ahead of plan, and we left PNVC on the hike ahead of plan. All good.
The warm-up via Lost Pond Trail was a good one. I was a little concerned about water and mud but there was no real problem with either. Roughly one mile of easy hiking was enough to get everything up to temperature and ready for the climb. We made the turn onto Wildcat Ridge Trail (WRT) and started up.
WRT is a terrific way to ascend. The trail is pretty steep in places but its rocky nature makes for a fun climb. Finding a good foot placement isn’t a problem nearly all of the way up. The section to Wildcat E is in really good shape but there are some blowdowns along the way. I counted four whole trees across the trail and one other that had been partially cleared, but needs a little more attention.
We made our way through the steep sections of rocks and ledge and eventually were passing over Wildcat “E” peak. The trail was clear and dry across the top of the Wildcat Ski Area and on to Wildcat “D” Peak. At this point we were roughly 2400 feet into the day’s elevation gain, a little less than half-way through. Wildcat “D” was also the place where we started to run into small children. There were lots of children on the trail; a few on the Wildcats and many more on Carter Dome. All of them appeared to be having a good day. I guess children like mud. We got our summit pictures on Wildcat “D”, had quick refreshment, and continued to Wildcat “A”.
Wildcat “D” to “A” is a rough stretch. We dropped into Wildcat Col, found some snow, and Sue went to work on her first snowman for the day. This small creation ended up on a shady boulder next to the trail. With the snowman distraction done we continued with the hike plan. All the usual places along WRT had mud. None of it was tough to get past and stay clean. Except for being a little tight in a couple places the trail is in great shape from Wildcat “D” all of the way to Carter Notch. There was not a single blowdown from “D” to “A” but there was one hanging above the trail on the descent from “A”.
At Wildcat “A” we stopped for the usual pictures and quick snack. There we found Becca and Georgia enjoying the summit viewpoint. We all visited for a while and then continued on our plans; Becca and Georgia were heading to the trailhead, we were heading for Carter Dome.
The view from the viewpoint on Wildcat “A” to Carter Dome can be a little demoralizing. There’s a big descent into Carter Notch before climbing back up to Carter Dome. I have found it’s best not to think about it; just hike. We made the 1100 foot descent from Wildcat “A” to Carter Notch and started right in on the 1600 foot ascent of Carter Dome. The transition is essentially straight down and then straight up.
The Carter-Moriah Trail from Carter Notch to the summit of Carter Dome is a very steep and rocky trail for the first half. Once we cleared the top of the ledges the trail moderated and the hiking was easier. We planned to make a stop along the way for water at the spring that is below the summit. I believe the tree that holds the sign identifying the spring was taken out by a storm. The tree and sign are now at ground level. The White Mountain Guide indicates this trail is the responsibility of the AMC. Dear AMC – Please, fix the sign. I’ve been to this spring quite a few times and it’s a very good source for water. We wandered off trail down the slope to the spring, I pulled out my filter, and we loaded up. After this short distraction we were back on-trail and on the hike.
From the spring at 4300 feet to the summit at 4832 is a short distance. We met most of the hikers for the day in this area. Most were descending but a few were on their climb. Eventually, we reached the summit clearing, walked over to the summit marker, and got the usual pictures. Usually we don’t hang around for long but everybody seemed to want a break. We all had a snack, I stretched out for a while on a rock, Sue wandered to the viewpoint for some pictures, Fitz and Mike just relaxed, and we all just enjoyed the terrific Carter Dome conditions. Going end-to-end on WRT is a rough hike, climbing Carter Dome right after it is keeping up the intensity, the break felt really good.
We all seemed to decide it was time at the same time and grabbed our things to leave. Fitz was out front, confirmed our intention to follow Carter Dome Trail to Zeta Pass and took off. Fitz was on a relaxed pace, had a head start, and was pretty sure we would catch him before Zeta Pass. On our exit from Carter Dome we came into an area of snow that meant another snowman stop was needed. Again, Sue went to work and built a Carter Dome snowman. As soon as we found the snow it was gone. There is a relatively short section of snow and ice on Carter-Moriah Trail near Carter Dome, ~100 yards.
Back on clear trail we continued with our exit walk out to the trailhead, roughly five miles away. A short distance before reaching the lower junction of Carter Dome and Carter-Moriah trails we caught up with Fitz. By the time we reached Zeta Pass I had a lot more in my boots than just feet and needed to make a stop to empty the boulders and trees (at least that’s the way they felt). The Zeta Pass park bench was an ideal place to take care of this chore. With that final distraction taken care of we were on our exit walk.
The trip to Nineteen Mile Brook Trail went without any surprises. The Carter Dome Trial is clear of blowdowns and has only small amounts of mud in the locations of the small stream crossings. The larger stream crossings were no problem and the lower stretches of mud seemed drier than I expected. We cruised to the NMB trail junction, made the turn, and continued to the NMB trailhead.
The high-traffic NMB trail is in its usual good shape. No blowdowns for the full hike out and the areas of mud seemed drier than expected. A little under an hour from the time we reached NMB trail we were at the trailhead and packing to leave. We made the short run back to PNVC to retrieve the other vehicles left there in the morning, and to change into dry clothes. Soon we were all on our separate ways.
Thanks to Fitz and Mike for joining the fun. You guys are a pleasure to hike with and I hope we get together again soon.
Thanks Sue, we enjoyed another good hike in the mountains.
Pictures will follow.
Trails: Lost Pond Trail, Wildcat Ridge Trail, Nineteen Mile Brook Trail, Carter-Moriah Trail, Carter Dome Trail
Summits: Wildcat “A” Peak, Wildcat “D” Peak, Carter Dome
Hikers: Fitz, NH Tramper (Mike), Trail Trotter (Sue), and me
The day had a couple personal milestones:
This hike finished our grid hiking for the month of May.
A few weeks ago on Owl’s Head, Sue and I passed 3,000 miles hiking together. This hike put us over 1,000,000 feet of elevation gained together. Thanks Sue, it’s been fun.
The Hike:
The day got off to an earlier than planned start: a car spot for Becca and Georgia was roughly a half hour ahead of plan, our car spot was a half hour ahead of plan, and we left PNVC on the hike ahead of plan. All good.
The warm-up via Lost Pond Trail was a good one. I was a little concerned about water and mud but there was no real problem with either. Roughly one mile of easy hiking was enough to get everything up to temperature and ready for the climb. We made the turn onto Wildcat Ridge Trail (WRT) and started up.
WRT is a terrific way to ascend. The trail is pretty steep in places but its rocky nature makes for a fun climb. Finding a good foot placement isn’t a problem nearly all of the way up. The section to Wildcat E is in really good shape but there are some blowdowns along the way. I counted four whole trees across the trail and one other that had been partially cleared, but needs a little more attention.
We made our way through the steep sections of rocks and ledge and eventually were passing over Wildcat “E” peak. The trail was clear and dry across the top of the Wildcat Ski Area and on to Wildcat “D” Peak. At this point we were roughly 2400 feet into the day’s elevation gain, a little less than half-way through. Wildcat “D” was also the place where we started to run into small children. There were lots of children on the trail; a few on the Wildcats and many more on Carter Dome. All of them appeared to be having a good day. I guess children like mud. We got our summit pictures on Wildcat “D”, had quick refreshment, and continued to Wildcat “A”.
Wildcat “D” to “A” is a rough stretch. We dropped into Wildcat Col, found some snow, and Sue went to work on her first snowman for the day. This small creation ended up on a shady boulder next to the trail. With the snowman distraction done we continued with the hike plan. All the usual places along WRT had mud. None of it was tough to get past and stay clean. Except for being a little tight in a couple places the trail is in great shape from Wildcat “D” all of the way to Carter Notch. There was not a single blowdown from “D” to “A” but there was one hanging above the trail on the descent from “A”.
At Wildcat “A” we stopped for the usual pictures and quick snack. There we found Becca and Georgia enjoying the summit viewpoint. We all visited for a while and then continued on our plans; Becca and Georgia were heading to the trailhead, we were heading for Carter Dome.
The view from the viewpoint on Wildcat “A” to Carter Dome can be a little demoralizing. There’s a big descent into Carter Notch before climbing back up to Carter Dome. I have found it’s best not to think about it; just hike. We made the 1100 foot descent from Wildcat “A” to Carter Notch and started right in on the 1600 foot ascent of Carter Dome. The transition is essentially straight down and then straight up.
The Carter-Moriah Trail from Carter Notch to the summit of Carter Dome is a very steep and rocky trail for the first half. Once we cleared the top of the ledges the trail moderated and the hiking was easier. We planned to make a stop along the way for water at the spring that is below the summit. I believe the tree that holds the sign identifying the spring was taken out by a storm. The tree and sign are now at ground level. The White Mountain Guide indicates this trail is the responsibility of the AMC. Dear AMC – Please, fix the sign. I’ve been to this spring quite a few times and it’s a very good source for water. We wandered off trail down the slope to the spring, I pulled out my filter, and we loaded up. After this short distraction we were back on-trail and on the hike.
From the spring at 4300 feet to the summit at 4832 is a short distance. We met most of the hikers for the day in this area. Most were descending but a few were on their climb. Eventually, we reached the summit clearing, walked over to the summit marker, and got the usual pictures. Usually we don’t hang around for long but everybody seemed to want a break. We all had a snack, I stretched out for a while on a rock, Sue wandered to the viewpoint for some pictures, Fitz and Mike just relaxed, and we all just enjoyed the terrific Carter Dome conditions. Going end-to-end on WRT is a rough hike, climbing Carter Dome right after it is keeping up the intensity, the break felt really good.
We all seemed to decide it was time at the same time and grabbed our things to leave. Fitz was out front, confirmed our intention to follow Carter Dome Trail to Zeta Pass and took off. Fitz was on a relaxed pace, had a head start, and was pretty sure we would catch him before Zeta Pass. On our exit from Carter Dome we came into an area of snow that meant another snowman stop was needed. Again, Sue went to work and built a Carter Dome snowman. As soon as we found the snow it was gone. There is a relatively short section of snow and ice on Carter-Moriah Trail near Carter Dome, ~100 yards.
Back on clear trail we continued with our exit walk out to the trailhead, roughly five miles away. A short distance before reaching the lower junction of Carter Dome and Carter-Moriah trails we caught up with Fitz. By the time we reached Zeta Pass I had a lot more in my boots than just feet and needed to make a stop to empty the boulders and trees (at least that’s the way they felt). The Zeta Pass park bench was an ideal place to take care of this chore. With that final distraction taken care of we were on our exit walk.
The trip to Nineteen Mile Brook Trail went without any surprises. The Carter Dome Trial is clear of blowdowns and has only small amounts of mud in the locations of the small stream crossings. The larger stream crossings were no problem and the lower stretches of mud seemed drier than I expected. We cruised to the NMB trail junction, made the turn, and continued to the NMB trailhead.
The high-traffic NMB trail is in its usual good shape. No blowdowns for the full hike out and the areas of mud seemed drier than expected. A little under an hour from the time we reached NMB trail we were at the trailhead and packing to leave. We made the short run back to PNVC to retrieve the other vehicles left there in the morning, and to change into dry clothes. Soon we were all on our separate ways.
Thanks to Fitz and Mike for joining the fun. You guys are a pleasure to hike with and I hope we get together again soon.
Thanks Sue, we enjoyed another good hike in the mountains.
Pictures will follow.
