Wildcats and Carters with an overnight at Carter Notch Hut

[MadRiver]

I have some friends looking to do the Wildcats and Carters with an overnight at Carter Notch Hut. I’ve suggested the following route. Hike in 19 Mile to the hut and pick your bunks. Slack pack up to Wildcat A then over and back to Wildcat D. Spend the night at the hut. Next day hike out over Carter Dome, South and Middle Carter and come down South Imp and take the Dodge cutoff back to their car. They do have an option for a car spot, so I am wondering if it would be easier to go from Glen Ellis Falls up and over the Wildcats to the Hut, rather than an out and back from the hut. I did this route in 2001 & 2006, so it has been a few years, plus I didn’t have two kids in tow.

The kids are 16 and 14. The mom and daughter (16) are doing the 48’s while the son and dad are just along for the ride. I did do a Caps Ridge to Jefferson and over to Adams and out Lowe’s Path with the dad and two kids a few years ago, and that was about their limit at the time.

I fear that if they go from Glen Ellis with full packs that the initial climb might be a tad daunting and slow them down. Given they would not have picked their bunks yet and given it will be full service with dinner at a certain time, I tend to think the out and back with slack packs might be the best option. They can also have a turnaround time if they are too slow. It has been awhile since I’ve done the section form Wildcat D to the hut so I was just wondering if the out and back would be a better option.

Discuss

 

[peakbagger]

I like the 19MBT option. The backpack up out of Pinkham is a grunt for those with backpacks on especially right out of the box. Its far more enjoyable with a day pack on. The hike back out of Carter Notch the second day will probably give them plenty of exposure to steep rocky climbing. FYI, they need to take the North Carter trail down to the Imp loop. The Dodge Cutoff is usually quite obvious but you do need to prepare them to look for it or supply them with coordinates for the turn. The dayhike up from C notch to Wildcat to D and back again is a nice day hike.

 

[MadRiver]

You are correct on the North Carter Trail; I just left it out since I figure most people knew what I was saying. I tend to use the sound of Cowboy brook as my guide that the cutoff is nearby as well as the open filed to the right. I might also send them over Hight if the weather is good, though that will be their call. Thanks

 

[Lost Dad]

I took my family on a Bonds overnight last summer. We were Mom, Dad, 17 y/o & 15 y/o. This was our first overnight. We went in over the Twins, crossed Guyot and went down to the tentsite & dropped a lot of gear. From there (same day) we did Bond & Bondcliff then backtracked to the tentsite. The next day we went to West Bond, Zealand and out to a car spot. We powered through day one; we all had packs in the 25 to 30 lb range. We were all pretty beat on day 2. We are just an average family working our way through the 48; no one is in especially great shape.
I think that your plan seems very reasonable when compared to what we did last summer with similarly experienced/aged kids. The days are split well and they won't require as much gear as we had for tenting. Most important (imo) is to work hard to keep the pack weight down. I like the idea of hitting the hut so early in the day, careful to not be too early! If day two is too much, they could bail to 19MB through various options. There is a good amount of flexibility in your suggestion.

 

[IQuest]

I would suggest the traverse rather than the in and out of the Cats due to day one would be about 5 miles from Glen Ellis Falls to the hut rather than 9 from 19MB to D Pk and back. Plus the latter would add a significant amount of elevation gain. If you are staying at the hut you can pack pretty light. No tent needed and only snacks for throughout the day. You can even omit the sleeping bag if you want. I've stayed at Galehead twice and only used the wool blankets. Less miles means that you can take your time and not over exert yourself. Just my 2 cents. I hope they have a good time with whatever route the choose.

 

[1SlowHiker]

Another option; Stash a bicycle at Wildcat ski area, drive down rt 16 3 miles to 19 mile trail head and park, less than 1/2 mile road hike down 16 to camp dodge, very short, well defined BW to Imp trail, up imp trail to Carter Moriah trail, bag Middle and South Carters. Take the time to do Mt Hight (though not on a list it is fantastic views) then Carter Dome and down to the Hut. Sounds long but if 1slowhiker can do it in daylight in October it shouldn't be bad. Day two; continue up wildcat ridge and bag wildcat A through D, then down the ski slope to your bike. One person does the short 3 mile almost all down hill bike ride to retrieve the car. Details of my hike in October are at http://1slowhiker.blogspot.com/2012_10_09_archive.html. Also you might want to bring fishing poles for the ponds near the Hut.