BIGEarl
Well-known member
December 31, 2009: Wildcats & Carter Dome
Trails: Lost Pond Trail, Wildcat Ridge Trail, Nineteen Mile Brook Trail, Carter-Moriah Trail, Carter Dome Trail
Summits: Wildcat “D” Peak, Wildcat “A” Peak, Carter Dome
Hikers: Trail Trotter (Sue), KPMMBM (Keith) and me
The wake-up call came a little earlier for this one. It’s roughly four hours from Sue’s place to PNVC (three hours from Nashua). We planned to meet Keith at ~5:45am. You do the math. We were all on-time.
After spotting a vehicle at the trailhead lot for the Nineteen Mile Brook Trail we completed our final prep at PNVC and went for a hike. We crossed Route 16 and grabbed our snowshoes – they never came off until we reached the end of the hike. Sue had MSR Lightning Ascents while Keith and I were using MSR Denali EVO Ascents. This was the second hike for me on these snowshoes.
All I could think about was the Cannon hike of a couple days earlier and the deep snow we encountered. Would we spend the day trail breaking on the Wildcat Ridge Trail? That wasn’t a pleasant thought.
First, we took the Lost Pond Trail for the .9 mile warm-up to the Wildcat Ridge Trail. The trail was well tracked out and the snowshoe track was fairly smooth and solid. Things were starting off great! In twenty minutes we were at the Wildcat Ridge Trail (WRT) and Lost Pond Trail junction. All we could see was fresh snow. It appeared the WRT was not broken out and I was ready to go back to bed. Instead, we got a couple pictures, made the left turn, and started for the ridge.
Very quickly we learned the trail was in fact well tracked out and the fresh snow was only 1 to 2 inches of light powder. Soon we found sections of the trail that had been blown clear of the new snow and we were hiking on a solid trail where it seemed everybody before us had snowshoes (no postholes!). Along the way we came to areas where the snow had drifted in but they were generally easy to get through and didn’t really slow our progress. The WRT is a terrific trail! This trail isn’t for everybody. The climb to the ridge is steep with some ledge sections that might be a little intimidating, especially when covered with snow and ice as they are right now. A small slip will definitely leave a mark. The reward this trail provides is regular exposed areas with outstanding views (the Presidentials are across the street). The higher you climb the better the views become.
Past hikes in winter have required multiple changes between my old Atlas 1230 snowshoes and my crampons. Not today. What a pleasant surprise! The MSR’s are a little like crampons with flotation. When we moved into the real steep stuff, the Televator bars came up and we all enjoyed easy climbing. Those things are definitely not just a marketing gimmick – they’re a real leg-saver.
On the way to Wildcat “E” Peak we came to three blowdowns on the first steep climb, and two more on the second steep climb. All except one were easy to pass. The test was a large spruce that had completely blocked the trail. There was no good way around it and the trail dropped twenty feet or perhaps a little more at that point. The only approach was to slide underneath the tree and through its branches. It’s one of those things that once you start, you’re committed. We all made it through this blowdown without and personal damage.
Soon we were at the top of the Wildcat Ski Area lift line that had just started hauling dollar signs to the summit. Everybody I saw seemed to have a big smile as they came off the chair lift. We were all enjoying a great day in the mountains. We stopped for a few minutes to do a little people watching but got back into the hike before any of us could get a chill. It’s a short climb from the ski area to Wildcat “D” Peak and our first “counter” for the day. This was the first time Keith had hiked the Wildcats and he was getting double credit for his efforts; All-Season 4K’s and Winter 4K’s. We hit Wildcat “D”, got the usual summit pictures, and took off for the other end of the ridge and Wildcat “A”.
The WRT is hard work between “D” and “A”. There are a couple big PUDs along the way (Wildcats B & C) and some really tight sections of trail. More sections of hiking with or without the Televator bars engaged. I love the MSR’s! On plan, we arrived at the summit area of Wildcat “A” Peak. Just before the “Views” sign that points to the outlook over Carter Notch we made the turn into the spruce and visited the actual high point. We got a few more pictures there and then on the outlook. The clouds had started to move in and our views were very limited. We couldn’t see down to the Carter Notch Hut and only had brief glimpses to Carter Dome – our next target.
Originally, Keith had planned to hike an out-and-back on the WRT but he decided to continue to Carter Notch. From Wildcat “A” to Carter Notch, and the junction with the Nineteen Mile Brook Trail, the route was not broken. This trail is very steep nearly all of the way down and with questionable footing we had to be a little more focused than usual. We all made our way down with no real problems. Ice on the trail got me at one point but the snow is soft. The final few hundred yards of the WRT were very drifted and we were working through the deepest snow of the hike. Eventually, we hit the trails junction and stopped to grab quick refreshment and say goodbye to Keith. He was calling it a hike and exited straight out Nineteen Mile Brook Trail. Sue and I continued to the Carter-Moriah Trail and our climb to Carter Dome. The snow that was expected for later in the afternoon had started, a few hours early.
We reached the Nineteen Mile Brook and Carter-Moriah trails junction, raised our Televator bars, and got to work. It’s only 1.2 miles but the elevation gain is ~1600 feet to the summit. This section of trail will keep you warm. The climb to Carter Dome is a combination of very steep going at the beginning and then a moderate climb. The steep sections are in great shape. The remainder of the trail has seen a number of bare booters and is quite postholed. Slowly we made the climb with the usual needed stops along the way. Approximately 300 feet below the summit we met the first other hikers for the day. They were a couple (both on snowshoes) headed back to the Carter Notch Hut for the night – New Year’s Eve at the Carter Notch Hut. Soon, we reached the summit of Carter Dome. The area was generally clouded in, the wind was blowing at a moderate rate, and there were snow/ice crystals in the air. We had a choice to either hang around to enjoy the place or keep hiking and stay warm. We got our summit shots and kept hiking.
A short distance off the summit we met three other hikers planning to camp on the summit that night. This has become a tradition with these guys. As I understand it they have camped on Carter Dome together at each decade change since 1979. (In other words 12/31/79, 89, 99, and now 2009). Originally there were four but one has passed away. Stay warm!
We were hiking the Carter Dome Trail for the first part of our exit. We came to the Carter-Moriah trail split where making the turn will take you over Mount Hight. There were no views to enjoy and no reason to head out there. Plus, the only traffic headed toward Mount Hight were bare booters – what a mess! There wasn’t a single snowshoe track that I could see. We continued down Carter Dome Trail and at the lower junction with the Carter-Moriah Trail we could nee no evidence of traffic at all. The trail to Mount Hight from the lower junction was not broken at all.
At Zeta Pass we stopped for some refreshment and were quickly back into the descent. The upper part of the Carter Dome Trail from Carter Dome to Zeta Pass was completely clear, a good snowshoe track with a few postholes, and no blowdowns. The lower section was a different story. From Zeta Pass to the upper brook junction there were seven or eight blowdowns. All were generally easy to pass and are small enough to be cleared with only a small effort. Unfortunately, I didn’t have a saw. From the brook crossing to the junction with Nineteen Mile Brook Trail there are a number of much larger blowdowns that a little more difficult to get past and will be a big job to clear.
We hit Nineteen Mile Brook Trail, pulled out the headlights, and set off for the trailhead 1.9 miles away. We started the day with headlights and were finishing the same way. That’s nothing unusual for us. At the trailhead we quickly packed our things into the truck and drove back to PNVC for a little post-hike clean-up before the drive south.
It was a pleasure to meet and hike with Keith. I really hope we get together for more hikes.
Thanks Sue. We started 2009 on January 1 hiking The Kinsmans and ended on December 31 hiking one of our favorites. In between we visited 218 named peaks together including 172 4K peaks, hiked over 840 miles, with an elevation gain of 280798 feet. That’s a pretty good year.
I hope you’re ready for another one, I am.
Pictures will follow.
Trails: Lost Pond Trail, Wildcat Ridge Trail, Nineteen Mile Brook Trail, Carter-Moriah Trail, Carter Dome Trail
Summits: Wildcat “D” Peak, Wildcat “A” Peak, Carter Dome
Hikers: Trail Trotter (Sue), KPMMBM (Keith) and me
The wake-up call came a little earlier for this one. It’s roughly four hours from Sue’s place to PNVC (three hours from Nashua). We planned to meet Keith at ~5:45am. You do the math. We were all on-time.
After spotting a vehicle at the trailhead lot for the Nineteen Mile Brook Trail we completed our final prep at PNVC and went for a hike. We crossed Route 16 and grabbed our snowshoes – they never came off until we reached the end of the hike. Sue had MSR Lightning Ascents while Keith and I were using MSR Denali EVO Ascents. This was the second hike for me on these snowshoes.
All I could think about was the Cannon hike of a couple days earlier and the deep snow we encountered. Would we spend the day trail breaking on the Wildcat Ridge Trail? That wasn’t a pleasant thought.
First, we took the Lost Pond Trail for the .9 mile warm-up to the Wildcat Ridge Trail. The trail was well tracked out and the snowshoe track was fairly smooth and solid. Things were starting off great! In twenty minutes we were at the Wildcat Ridge Trail (WRT) and Lost Pond Trail junction. All we could see was fresh snow. It appeared the WRT was not broken out and I was ready to go back to bed. Instead, we got a couple pictures, made the left turn, and started for the ridge.
Very quickly we learned the trail was in fact well tracked out and the fresh snow was only 1 to 2 inches of light powder. Soon we found sections of the trail that had been blown clear of the new snow and we were hiking on a solid trail where it seemed everybody before us had snowshoes (no postholes!). Along the way we came to areas where the snow had drifted in but they were generally easy to get through and didn’t really slow our progress. The WRT is a terrific trail! This trail isn’t for everybody. The climb to the ridge is steep with some ledge sections that might be a little intimidating, especially when covered with snow and ice as they are right now. A small slip will definitely leave a mark. The reward this trail provides is regular exposed areas with outstanding views (the Presidentials are across the street). The higher you climb the better the views become.
Past hikes in winter have required multiple changes between my old Atlas 1230 snowshoes and my crampons. Not today. What a pleasant surprise! The MSR’s are a little like crampons with flotation. When we moved into the real steep stuff, the Televator bars came up and we all enjoyed easy climbing. Those things are definitely not just a marketing gimmick – they’re a real leg-saver.
On the way to Wildcat “E” Peak we came to three blowdowns on the first steep climb, and two more on the second steep climb. All except one were easy to pass. The test was a large spruce that had completely blocked the trail. There was no good way around it and the trail dropped twenty feet or perhaps a little more at that point. The only approach was to slide underneath the tree and through its branches. It’s one of those things that once you start, you’re committed. We all made it through this blowdown without and personal damage.
Soon we were at the top of the Wildcat Ski Area lift line that had just started hauling dollar signs to the summit. Everybody I saw seemed to have a big smile as they came off the chair lift. We were all enjoying a great day in the mountains. We stopped for a few minutes to do a little people watching but got back into the hike before any of us could get a chill. It’s a short climb from the ski area to Wildcat “D” Peak and our first “counter” for the day. This was the first time Keith had hiked the Wildcats and he was getting double credit for his efforts; All-Season 4K’s and Winter 4K’s. We hit Wildcat “D”, got the usual summit pictures, and took off for the other end of the ridge and Wildcat “A”.
The WRT is hard work between “D” and “A”. There are a couple big PUDs along the way (Wildcats B & C) and some really tight sections of trail. More sections of hiking with or without the Televator bars engaged. I love the MSR’s! On plan, we arrived at the summit area of Wildcat “A” Peak. Just before the “Views” sign that points to the outlook over Carter Notch we made the turn into the spruce and visited the actual high point. We got a few more pictures there and then on the outlook. The clouds had started to move in and our views were very limited. We couldn’t see down to the Carter Notch Hut and only had brief glimpses to Carter Dome – our next target.
Originally, Keith had planned to hike an out-and-back on the WRT but he decided to continue to Carter Notch. From Wildcat “A” to Carter Notch, and the junction with the Nineteen Mile Brook Trail, the route was not broken. This trail is very steep nearly all of the way down and with questionable footing we had to be a little more focused than usual. We all made our way down with no real problems. Ice on the trail got me at one point but the snow is soft. The final few hundred yards of the WRT were very drifted and we were working through the deepest snow of the hike. Eventually, we hit the trails junction and stopped to grab quick refreshment and say goodbye to Keith. He was calling it a hike and exited straight out Nineteen Mile Brook Trail. Sue and I continued to the Carter-Moriah Trail and our climb to Carter Dome. The snow that was expected for later in the afternoon had started, a few hours early.
We reached the Nineteen Mile Brook and Carter-Moriah trails junction, raised our Televator bars, and got to work. It’s only 1.2 miles but the elevation gain is ~1600 feet to the summit. This section of trail will keep you warm. The climb to Carter Dome is a combination of very steep going at the beginning and then a moderate climb. The steep sections are in great shape. The remainder of the trail has seen a number of bare booters and is quite postholed. Slowly we made the climb with the usual needed stops along the way. Approximately 300 feet below the summit we met the first other hikers for the day. They were a couple (both on snowshoes) headed back to the Carter Notch Hut for the night – New Year’s Eve at the Carter Notch Hut. Soon, we reached the summit of Carter Dome. The area was generally clouded in, the wind was blowing at a moderate rate, and there were snow/ice crystals in the air. We had a choice to either hang around to enjoy the place or keep hiking and stay warm. We got our summit shots and kept hiking.
A short distance off the summit we met three other hikers planning to camp on the summit that night. This has become a tradition with these guys. As I understand it they have camped on Carter Dome together at each decade change since 1979. (In other words 12/31/79, 89, 99, and now 2009). Originally there were four but one has passed away. Stay warm!
We were hiking the Carter Dome Trail for the first part of our exit. We came to the Carter-Moriah trail split where making the turn will take you over Mount Hight. There were no views to enjoy and no reason to head out there. Plus, the only traffic headed toward Mount Hight were bare booters – what a mess! There wasn’t a single snowshoe track that I could see. We continued down Carter Dome Trail and at the lower junction with the Carter-Moriah Trail we could nee no evidence of traffic at all. The trail to Mount Hight from the lower junction was not broken at all.
At Zeta Pass we stopped for some refreshment and were quickly back into the descent. The upper part of the Carter Dome Trail from Carter Dome to Zeta Pass was completely clear, a good snowshoe track with a few postholes, and no blowdowns. The lower section was a different story. From Zeta Pass to the upper brook junction there were seven or eight blowdowns. All were generally easy to pass and are small enough to be cleared with only a small effort. Unfortunately, I didn’t have a saw. From the brook crossing to the junction with Nineteen Mile Brook Trail there are a number of much larger blowdowns that a little more difficult to get past and will be a big job to clear.
We hit Nineteen Mile Brook Trail, pulled out the headlights, and set off for the trailhead 1.9 miles away. We started the day with headlights and were finishing the same way. That’s nothing unusual for us. At the trailhead we quickly packed our things into the truck and drove back to PNVC for a little post-hike clean-up before the drive south.
It was a pleasure to meet and hike with Keith. I really hope we get together for more hikes.
Thanks Sue. We started 2009 on January 1 hiking The Kinsmans and ended on December 31 hiking one of our favorites. In between we visited 218 named peaks together including 172 4K peaks, hiked over 840 miles, with an elevation gain of 280798 feet. That’s a pretty good year.
I hope you’re ready for another one, I am.
Pictures will follow.
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