Recomendations for the Carters and Wildcats this weekend

[1SlowHiker]

I’m planning my first and only winter hike this year for this coming weekend. I’m hoping to repeat a hike I did in October four years ago ( http://1slowhiker.blogspot.com/2012_10_09_archive.html ) doing the Carters and Wildcats with an overnight at the Carter- Notch hut. I have a transportation issue so I’m coming up from Providence and Boston on Friday by bus and spending Friday and Sunday nights at the Joe Dodge Lodge bunk rooms at Pinkham Notch. Tentatively I’m thinking of road hiking ~ 5 miles early Saturday to either the nineteen-mile trail head or the short bushwhack from Camp Dodge to the Imp trail and doing the three 4k Carters and Mt Hight on Saturday. By distance and elevation I’d rather go up Imp. But, given that I solo and have emphysema, I try not to break trail much. Anyone have any ideas if either Imp or 19 mile would have a significant better chance of being broken out Saturday or at least have hikers passing me. Despite the longer 19 mile river trail approach it does have the advantage of my being able to bail out on Middle or even Middle and South Carter, if I need to. It looks like nineteen mile may have quite a few river crossings - Could they be an issue? Alternately if the opinion is that neither Imp or 19 may be broken out by Saturday, I could do the Wilds the first day. I would go up pole-cat not lost pond and the ridge trails. I’d rather come down polecat on Sunday though. I’m guessing that being the last few days of official winter and what looks like temps in the 20s Sat & Sun that there will be a lot of traffic out breaking trails for me. Any thoughts / suggestions on any of this?
Also any input on expected trail conditions particularly in and out of the notch (Ice?) would be helpful. I plan on shoes and crampons but probably not spikes, and I don’t carry an ice axe.
Also, I can’t recall if the huts supply any blankets in the off season. Based on my pictures it looks like - No, but I think I have heard otherwise.

Thanks for any input.

 

[bikehikeskifish]

Marvin,

19 Mile Brook is one of the most heavily used trails in the White Mountains.

Tim

 

[TJsName]

Hey Marvin - if you're carrying an overnight bag you might want to go to the hut first. The bunkhouses are separate, so no heat source means you will need a sleeping bag (they do provide pillows), so if you can drop some weight that might help. 19 Mile Brook is a pretty gentle ascent, and most of the crossings have bridges (all the big ones at least). From there tagging the Dome and the Carters isn't too bad aside from the initial steeps out of the notch (you might want crampons). The biggest issue is the potential for drifting on the Carters making trail finding more difficult. If you go to the hut first the gives you the option to turn around and go back on familiar turf to the hut vs. feeling pressure to go on or turning around and walking all the way back to JDL. I think your plan to descend Polecat is wise, but keep in mind they require a trail pass that you can probably snag the day before. Have fun!

 

[1SlowHiker]

I like the idea of dropping weight at the hut before the Carters but that would be a very long hike for me. I'm going to take it one step further and add a day to my trip; Bus up thursday, Hike to the hut friday (short hike but I also have a 5 mile road hike on 16). Try as many Carters as I can on Saturady, then come down via the wilds on sunday.

 

[TJsName]

I like the idea of dropping weight at the hut before the Carters but that would be a very long hike for me. I'm going to take it one step further and add a day to my trip; Bus up thursday, Hike to the hut friday (short hike but I also have a 5 mile road hike on 16). Try as many Carters as I can on Saturady, then come down via the wilds on sunday.

I am willing to bet you can get a ride/hitch from JDL to 19 Mile trailhead. I think it's only 4 miles anyway.

 

[TJsName]

So how'd it go?

 

[1SlowHiker]

So how'd it go?

Great weekend. Yes, Tim, 19 mile brook was the best choice Friday. Two hikers tried Imp to M. Carter Saturday and had to turn back and come up 19 mile after trying to break trail to M. Carter. I stayed at the C-N hut Friday did Carter Dome and S. Carter Saturday. Trail to Hight not visible. Cross grade C-M below it was in bad shape and wore me out. Barely had enough left for S. Carter behind group of 5 breaking it out and losing the C-M trail for a while. Went back to hut via down C-D trail and back up 19 mile. Long hard day for me , but it was great, especially on C Dome early in the morning with zero wind. Slack packed Wildcat A early Sunday starting in fog and light snow thinking it was going to get worse later by our last report - but it was reversed and sun came out after I got down. First part of trail to Wild-A was a bit confusing and there were multiple attemps to find the trail but after the slide it was well defined. Nineteen mile brook trail was like a paved sidewalk when I walked out Sunady afternoon. Yes, TJ hitching a ride from JDL to 19 mile Sat and back Sunday was easy - picked up after 5 - 10 minutes each way. Three out of my planned 5 peaks. Great time. Everything worked out good for not haveing transportation. Even made it back in time Sunday for diner at JDL. Never knew there was a bus between Boston and Berlin that had a JDL stop. Might try something like this again.

 

[dailey7779]

Sounds like a great weekend in the snow, Marvin. Hope you post a report and pics on your blog about it. If you're ever up in that area and need a car spot shoot me an email, I'd be more than happy to help out

Hope to bump into you again on the trail this spring or summer -Chris

 

[1SlowHiker]

Sounds like a great weekend in the snow, Marvin. Hope you post a report and pics on your blog about it. If you're ever up in that area and need a car spot shoot me an email, I'd be more than happy to help out

Hope to bump into you again on the trail this spring or summer -Chris

Thanks Chris,
Just happened to see your log entry for the start of your 24H Hut to Hut in a 2012 C_N Hut log book while looking for mine for that year.
Marvin

 

[peakbagger]

Out of curiosity where the heck is JDL?. Last thing I knew there was a JBL lodge about 200 miles west of AMCs Pinkham Notch Visitor Center (PNVC) that's decidedly closer

FYI There is also Concord Coach bus service to Lincoln NH that links up the AMC shuttle system via a different route than the RT16 route that runs up through Conway PNVC and Gorham.

Looks like you had great weekend.

 

[1SlowHiker]

Out of curiosity where the heck is JDL?. Last thing I knew there was a JBL lodge about 200 miles west of AMCs Pinkham Notch Visitor Center (PNVC) that's decidedly closer

FYI There is also Concord Coach bus service to Lincoln NH that links up the AMC shuttle system via a different route than the RT16 route that runs up through Conway PNVC and Gorham.

Looks like you had great weekend.

JDL was meant to be "Joe Dodge Lodge" at the Pinkham Notch visitor center. I spelled it out in the original post then TJ used JDL in a response so I figured it was an accepted acronym. Thanks for info on other bus, I'll have to check that out. Yes I did have a great weekend, wish I could have got up north more this winter. Will try to get back before snow is gone but I have big plans for next winter

 

[peakbagger]

Okay that makes sense !