Wildcat zipline? (and other things)

[Taconic]

OK, now before you all stone me to death at the mere suggestion of not climbing down a mountain, hear me out.

I'm taking the GF up to NH for her birthday. She's not much of the hiking type. However, I'm pretty sure that I can get her to tackle Wildcat with the promise of a ride on their zipline.

So I have a few questions for locals/people familiar with Wildcat.

1: Does the zipline run all the way down to the notch?

2: Can one purchase a ticket for it, climb the mountain, and ride down the zipline, or does one have to ride up on the gondola? I'm willing to ride down a mountain... but as long as I can walk, I'm climbing up it.

3: Which is the easier way up: AT or ski runs? (I don't care, personally, but she does.)

And some other questions:

4: What is a good and relatively easy place for one to observe moose? I've run into them inadvertently a few times, but I've never gone looking for one. The Unknown Pond springs to mind and we'll be spending some time on/around Umbagog, but are there any other "high probability" locations that aren't choked with tourists? The GF has never seen a moose and would like to... from a safe distance. Besides, it'd give me an excuse to lug around the 200mm lens.

5: I'm looking for some good (and relatively inexpensive) places to eat. Pretty much anything in the region is fine since the trip will be ranging from Franconia Notch to Evans Notch over the span of a few days. I know about the Muddy Moose and Moat Mtn Smokehouse. Anything else worth stopping at? Ideally hiker friendly so I can stop at them after hikes in the future.

6: Any good rainy day activities in the region? I'm hoping it doesn't rain, but pretty much everything planned is outdoors. I've never done anything but hike and eat in the Whites, so I'm at a loss as to what else there is to do.


I realize that's a lot of questions, but I'm trying hard to sell NH to her. Maybe then she'd be interested doing in some 4Ks. If I can get her up Wildcat, that would be a start.

Thanks in advance.

 

[rocket21]

1: Does the zipline run all the way down to the notch?

2: Can one purchase a ticket for it, climb the mountain, and ride down the zipline, or does one have to ride up on the gondola? I'm willing to ride down a mountain... but as long as I can walk, I'm climbing up it.

The ziplines run from the top of the beginner (shortest) triple chairlift to the back corner of the parking lot. I doubt they would have any problem with you hiking up to the top of that chair, so long as you pay for the zipline ride.

3: Which is the easier way up: AT or ski runs? (I don't care, personally, but she does.)

Ski runs...the Wildcat Ridge Trail has some scrambles/exposed areas, whereas the ski trails are relatively gradual (still quite steep though!) The Polecat Trail tends to be a good choice for summer hiking (usually a well worn path through the grass).

 

[Kevin Judy and Emma]

Zipline

As Rocket says, the zipline doesn't go to the summit, not even close. It goes horizontally across the bottom of the ski trails.

I'd suggest the ski trails for climbing for a beginner. Again, as Rocket suggests, the Polecat is probably easiest.

If you're going to Umbagog you'll see moose. Look for them at dawn and at dusk.

Eats: I suggest the Moat Mountain Brewery in North Conway and Mary's Pizza in Gorham. Get the Philly Cheesesteak Pizza.

Rainy indoor activity should include the Mount Washington Observatory's Weather Discovery Center in North Conway.

KDT

 

[J.Dub]

Eats: I suggest the Moat Mountain Brewery in North Conway and Mary's Pizza in Gorham. Get the Philly Cheesesteak Pizza.

+1 for Moat Mountain!!

If you like good beer, bring an empty glass bottle and bring home a gallon.

It can get pretty crowded on Friday and Saturday evenings, though, with the younger crowd (which, sadly, I no longer find myself part of...)

 

[smitty77]

Rainy indoor activity should include the Mount Washington Observatory's Weather Discovery Center in North Conway.

Ditto this suggestion. Not an all-day activity, but you could spend 15 minutes or a couple of hours there depending on how much you get into the exhibits. And there's some cool little shops (not the outlet mega store types) in that area of North Conway that you could poke around for a few hours. And you could always do a ride on the Conway Scenic RR. They have trips of varying length depending on your time schedule.

I know what you mean about selling the GF on the white mountain region. I sold my wife on it long ago with a fun couple of days in the North Conway area. Hers was with a car ride up Mt. Washington on one of those rare, clear days. If the weather is awesome, I recommend this after your zipline ride if time allows. When she saw the views from up there, she finally realized why I like this hobby so much.

 

[spencer]

Can you imagine riding a zipline from the summit of a 4k peak to the base

count me out...

 

[bikehikeskifish]

When is her birthday? If the water is warm enough (or I'm hot enough... see the thread on long pants and sweating ) I try to work in a stop at Sawyer Rocks in the Bartlett area...



Tim

 

[weatherman]

Can you imagine riding a zipline from the summit of a 4k peak to the base

count me out...

I imagine a zipline from summit to base would find you approaching the speed of sound by the time you got to the bottom. That would define extreme, I think. Human body making sonic boom.... wow. Yeah, I know, terminal velocity in air wouldn't permit it, yeah, yeah... fun to think about though.


On a practical note, maybe a smaller summit the day before might help get her hooked? Mt Willard? If wedded to Pinkham area, Square Ledge? Lost Pond with an option for more?

Weatherman

 

[Trainwreck]

I think you would be better off hiking up the ski trails. The Wildcat ridge trail is quite rough, and unrelentingly steep. It could be discouraging for her, unless she is in great shape and likes bugs.
I like the 19-mile brook trail as an introduction. Once you get to the hut, and have lunch looking out over the ponds, she might get hooked.
I'll probably get flamed for this, but I findthe Moat very noisy, and food so-so.
I'd get my Growler "to go".
For a quieter dinner, we eat at Decades. Tuckermans in Jackson also has a roomy bar and good food. Believe it or not Delaneys has decent Sushi for being so far from the ocean.
For Breakfast, go to Peaches.
Ditto the Mt Wash Weather for rainy days. Interesting exhibits.
Have fun

 

[dug]

Regarding the moose question, if you are heading to Umbagog you will travel between Milan and Errol and go through Thirteen-Mile-Woods. You pretty much have to have your eyes closed to miss them in through there.

 

[Fisher Cat]

If you still want a zipline, try the one in Lincoln (their office is in Lincoln anyway) or the one at Bretton Woods.
I second Kevin's nomination of Mary's, great pizza, but if you're on the main drag of Gorham, try Yokohama's. If you're a boozer try their Mai Tai's or Scorpion Bowl (for a group).

 

[smitty77]

Regarding the moose question, if you are heading to Umbagog you will travel between Milan and Errol and go through Thirteen-Mile-Woods. You pretty much have to have your eyes closed to miss them in through there.

Then call me the anti-forestgnome.... I worked a road construction job in that area where we made the cold-mix at a site in Milan, then layed it out on Rt. 16 between Milan and Errol. In the 2 days I was there, not one moose spotted.

Same thing after working for a week on Rt. 201 in Caratunk Maine, just south of Jackman. Supposed to be prime moose country, and even with 5am and 6pm "commutes" between Waterville and Caratunk, not one moose was spotted.

If you want to see moose, make sure I'm in Massachusetts.

 

[Taconic]

Wow. Awesome info. Thanks.

The ziplines run from the top of the beginner (shortest) triple chairlift to the back corner of the parking lot. I doubt they would have any problem with you hiking up to the top of that chair, so long as you pay for the zipline ride.

Good to know. I was hoping for a ride from the top back to the notch, though. Too bad on that.

Ski runs...the Wildcat Ridge Trail has some scrambles/exposed areas, whereas the ski trails are relatively gradual (still quite steep though!) The Polecat Trail tends to be a good choice for summer hiking (usually a well worn path through the grass).

Noted. Maybe I can get her to do that.

Hers was with a car ride up Mt. Washington on one of those rare, clear days. If the weather is awesome, I recommend this after your zipline ride if time allows.

I've thought about that, but I don't think my car would survive the trip. It's getting old and I don't think I'd trust it on the decent. I looked into the Cog since I've passed by it so many times, but I found that it's far more expensive than you'd think.

If we don't do Wildcat, I think we may take the ride up Cannon. It has a decent view and it's a 4K, so maybe it will do something towards selling her.
My one climb of it was pre-dawn and I had the top to myself for an hour, so I imagine it'll be a completely different experience in the middle of the day.

Can you imagine riding a zipline from the summit of a 4k peak to the base

count me out...

It was actually her idea. She saw a video of a ride from the top of a mountain to the base on a zipline (I think it was somewhere in the Urals.) It looked to cover a few miles on the way down and looked like a lot of fun.

So I said, "hey, I think Wildcat has a zipline..."

When is her birthday? If the water is warm enough (or I'm hot enough... see the thread on long pants and sweating ) I try to work in a stop at Sawyer Rocks in the Bartlett area...

Late July, so it should be hot enough. I'll add that to the list. We're definitely making a few stops of that nature.

On a practical note, maybe a smaller summit the day before might help get her hooked? Mt Willard? If wedded to Pinkham area, Square Ledge? Lost Pond with an option for more?

I actually brought her halfway up Willard once before (we stopped at the Centennial Pool. There were so many people going up and down on that fall weekend that I figured the summit would look like a mosh pit.)

I've also brought her up Middle Sugarloaf out by Twin Mountain and Monadnock (which was trying for her, but it was actually her idea.) I'm not sure she'd want to go over 2K feet of vertical under normal circumstances, which is why I thought a zipline from the top of Wildcat would sell her on it.

I'll look into Square ledge. I do plan to hit Blueberry Mtn out in Evans Notch. Never done it, but viewing it from the Baldfaces/maps leads me to believe it should be pretty tame. We also might hit Pine Mtn out by Madison. I've heard the views are good and that it's an easy climb.

She's adverse to any scrambling, so I try to look for things without any.

Regarding the moose question, if you are heading to Umbagog you will travel between Milan and Errol and go through Thirteen-Mile-Woods. You pretty much have to have your eyes closed to miss them in through there.

Noted. Thanks.


Thanks a lot for the info. Especially on the places to eat. I've been looking on google earth, but that doesn't tell me much about the food being good.

 

[dug]

Then call me the anti-forestgnome.... I worked a road construction job in that area where we made the cold-mix at a site in Milan, then layed it out on Rt. 16 between Milan and Errol. In the 2 days I was there, not one moose spotted.

Same thing after working for a week on Rt. 201 in Caratunk Maine, just south of Jackman. Supposed to be prime moose country, and even with 5am and 6pm "commutes" between Waterville and Caratunk, not one moose was spotted.

If you want to see moose, make sure I'm in Massachusetts.

Did I read that right... you spent two days on a road construction job and didn't see a moose? Does that suprise you? Maybe, you scared them off?

I've been up there a few dozen times (family camp in Milan) and it's never failed for us. It's kind of lost it's luster, I'm more concerned now with hitting one than seeing one.

 

[Mike P.]

On a hot sunny July day I don't think I'd want to go up a ski trail, not much shade on a wide open ski trail.

I've only been up Sugarloaf back when the CVR was not very passable & ski trails are generally geared for fast winter descents although the Pole Cat is not as steep as those on Sugarloaf. (I've got a winter Pole-cat descent)

Any particular reason on why Wildcat? Not real easy for a non-hiker, Not super views, although from the ski area, they are pretty good. Just down the road, the Imp is probably a better place to take here with a wide open ledge

 

[cushetunk]

Just an unsolicited and rude observation o), but if it is your GF's birthday, and she's not that into hiking, why are you doing what you want to do? You should do what she wants to do.

Instead of climbing a 4000-footer by ski trails (....boring!...) why not ride the lift or whatever to do the zip line, and then go climb something less high, less strenuous, and far more interesting. There are about a gazillion options out there, starting with Imp Face. Easier and more interesting hikes generally increase the odds of a successful hiking trip for non-hikers.

In my experience, doing this will serve you much better in both the long and the short run.



Edit: I see you've sort of addressed this already; missed it on the first skim-through. Still, I maintain that this might not be the choice weekend to push the vertical climb envelope. When is your birthday?

 

[roadtripper]

Cheap food in North Conway = Flatbread Pizza!

http://www.flatbreadcompany.com/2007Home.htm

 

[Gris]

Wildcat is OK

if you pack a lunch and take your time going up Polecat. Great views 3/4 way up. Then you/she can ride the lift down.

but if you really wanna get her hooked on summer hiking, do a walk through some fine woods where there is a cool stream and/or waterfall, like Coppermine Brrok or Basin/Cascade to Kinsman falls.

 

[Taconic]

Just an unsolicited and rude observation o), but if it is your GF's birthday, and she's not that into hiking, why are you doing what you want to do? You should do what she wants to do.

We are. The main point of the trip is to kayak on Umbagog. She likes boats. I don't and I'm 99% sure that I will roll the damned thing over 40 times before the end of the day.

It was actually her idea to go up in the first place. She likes the scenery and finds the in general people to be far nicer than here in CT. I'm just looking for other things to do while we're up there and the zipline seemed to fit the bill.

Instead of climbing a 4000-footer by ski trails (....boring!...) why not ride the lift or whatever to do the zip line, and then go climb something less high, less strenuous, and far more interesting. There are about a gazillion options out there, starting with Imp Face. Easier and more interesting hikes generally increase the odds of a successful hiking trip for non-hikers.

Well, the only reason that Wildcat even came up is because of the zipline. She said she might be interested in climbing it if she could ride down. Having learned that the zipline doesn't go to the top, a climb of Wildcat (and any other 4K) is more or less off the table. We still may do the zipline, which I guess is easy enough to reach on foot, but there's no reason for her to climb to the top.

I guess I didn't really explain the trip very well in the original post, but yeah, it's basically a kayak trip with some other activities thrown in over the span of the time we're there. If I were to pick a 4K for her to climb for the sake of climbing, I'd probably have to go with Moosilauke. Great view and a fairly easy climb (from the Gorge brook side, anyway.)

But that's not for this trip.

 

[Taconic]

Cheap food in North Conway = Flatbread Pizza!

http://www.flatbreadcompany.com/2007Home.htm

Looks good. I'll add it to the list of options. Thanks.

but if you really wanna get her hooked on summer hiking, do a walk through some fine woods where there is a cool stream and/or waterfall, like Coppermine Brrok or Basin/Cascade to Kinsman falls.

I'm planning a trip to a few easy to reach things in Evans Notch with a stop at the Emerald Pool. I really like that area a lot. I've only been in the fall, but I remember the woods being beautiful there.

I'll add Kinsman Falls to the list of possibilities, though, I actually hadn't considered that, but it's a good one.


Thanks again for all of the suggestions. This thread has been very helpful.