Wildcat D via Polecat, Sat. Feb 7

[Breeze]

Trish,

I wouldn't TOTALLY write off Wildcat for tomorrow. ( just my tuppence, LOL) Looking at the higher summits forecast from MWO those wind speeds aren't supposed to crank up until late in the day. You are absolutely right that the Gorham ( North) side of Wildcat is well protected when the wind has that much southing.

If you are heading to that neighborhood, I'd give it the AM driveby test at the very least. Would be a shame to miss a warm Bluebird day if thats the way it turns out.

Only other concern that I have is were you planning snowshoes for the Wildcat D by Polecat ascent? The trailside margins may be pretty soft ( groomers don't get too close to the trees OR to the snowmaking guns/hoses). Postholing would not be pleasant for either of you...

If/when you do go, by 7:30 AM there will be someone at the base of the Wildcat Express, and most likely a few Ski Patrollers. Make a friendly stop before you set out, ask if there are groomers still on the slopes ( rare, but not at all unheard of) and if there is still any snowmaking in progress (less than likely but not out of the realm of possible ), or if there are any snow-machines headed up or down moving equipment/supplies ( more/most likely!)

John, Fred, Josh, or Leo ( lift ops) and Ian or Kevin ( or anyone from Ski Patrol) will be more than happy to give you the latest information and let you know if anything should be of concern for you. They will also be REALLY happy to know your plans for the day, so they know you are out there and won't be a surprise for anyone in Mtn Ops later.

Honest, they don't bite, they are a wonderful bunch of folks who want to see everyone have a safe and enjoyable day.

Lifts open at 8:30 AM for pass and ticket holders. Last chair uphill is 3:30 PM, and that will start sweep. You'll want to be off mtn by then anyway!


Have a great weekend, whatever your choice!

Breeze

 

[TrishandAlex]

Thanks, Breeze. I think we will save Wildcat D for a less windy day. We may not feel the wind from the slopes...but then again, we might. There are three other hikes we're considering right now, all of them sheltered, and I know at least two are broken out to the summit. So we'll do one of those instead.

However, the first weekend that rolls around with decent temps and low wind, we'll go up Polecat!

 

[TrishandAlex]

It is a bit easier to take Carter Dome Tr (from Zeta Pass) up to the ridge and the Carter Moriah Tr back to Mt Hight than to go directly from Zeta Pass to Mt Hight. The ridge is pretty level between Carter Dome and Mt Hight.

Those trails are pretty popular and are likely to be broken out or at worst an easy break. (Don's skip Mt Hight if you only have to break the .4 mi over to it.)

Besides, Mt Hight is also above 4K...

Doug

Hi Doug,

We had some really nice views from Carter Dome yesterday -- we did decide to skip Mt Hight because we were both feeling a little fatigued...and also, the trail over Hight was just barely broken out. Even .4 miles of breaking is too much for Alex, she really needs a well-packed trail or she'll tire quickly.

We were lucky in that the snow cover put us out of the trees and we were treated to lovely, gorgeous views. I'm sure we will go back and do Mt. Hight at some point, though, especially since it seems to be a favorite peak of so many hikers!

 

[rocket21]

I'm sure we will go back and do Mt. Hight at some point, though, especially since it seems to be a favorite peak of so many hikers!

Good call - I bet it would have been pretty windy had you gone to it yesterday (it's rather exposed). Definitely worth a return trip, though!

 

[TrishandAlex]

Good call - I bet it would have been pretty windy had you gone to it yesterday (it's rather exposed).

Yes, that was another major reason why we didn't tackle it. That plus the unpacked trail would definitely have been too much.