BIGEarl
Well-known member
October 4, 2008: Wildcats
Trails: Lost Pond Trail, Wildcat Ridge Trail
Summits: Wildcat “D” and Wildcat “A” (and all the stuff in between)
Hikers: Solo
I managed to beat the alarm clock again. With an earlier than planned start I made a stop at the computer to check conditions and forecasts before starting into the day. My targets were the Wildcats from the Pinkham Notch Visitor Center (PNVC). I planned to hike a round trip to/from the Wildcats on the Lost Pond Trail and Wildcat Ridge Trail. The forecast for winds, temperature, and sky conditions (low wind, cool but not cold temps, and mostly clear) looked good for the hike. I finished preparing my pack and was headed north a little ahead of plan.
There was activity starting at PNVC when I arrived. Other hikers were preparing for their day with some headed west and others, like me, headed east. The lots at the visitor center were only about ¼ occupied. It didn’t take very long to get my boots on, grab my pack, and head out on the Lost Pond Trail. Hiking on the west side of the Wildcats means there is no early sun to warm things up but the temperature wasn’t cold – the truck thermometer indicated ~40 degrees, with no wind at all. I made my way along the trail headed for the Wildcat Ridge Trail (WRT) junction and my first surprise for the day was a new bridge. Several weeks ago when Sue and I hiked through the area there was a floating plank bridge spanning a wet area. Unfortunately, it would sink when walked on. The new bridge is a very nice and substantial improvement. And, after using it I still had dry feet. The .9 mile walk around the pond to the WRT is a perfect warm-up for the day.
I reached the junction and turned left to start my climb. From here to Wildcat “E” is generally a very steep and rough climb but the footing is great for much of the distance with stairs in a number of places. There is also a section mid-way where the climb moderates for a while. Along the way are several very nice viewpoints where the views to the Presidentials, and north, and south are unrestricted. Even though the climb was generally in shaded conditions I enjoyed watching the sun gradually light up the Presidential Range across the street – the bright foliage was terrific.
At the second open ledge I enjoyed a first for me. While looking over the amazing color in all directions I realized there were snow flakes in the air. I looked straight up and the sky was clear. Evidently the snow was drifting across the notch from the Mount Washington area where there appeared to be a fair amount of weather activity. The earlier report I had seen for the summit area indicated high winds at 6288 feet – fortunately I wasn’t planning hike at that elevation. As I enjoyed the scenery I noticed a couple snow-bows, actually called a snow halo I believe. They looked like a rainbow but were the result of light refracting through ice crystals. I was able to get several pictures. I don’t recall ever seeing a snow halo before and this was a great start to the day.
I continued to work my way up to Wildcat E peak passing one other hiker along the way. He had a huge pack and was planning to spend six days in the area. I commented the pack was large enough to hold Mickey Rooney. After he described the contents, it seemed good old Mickey may have been less work. I cleared the E peak and headed for the top of the ski lift. The gondola had started operating to haul leaf-peepers to the summit and I met a few on the trail. I’m sure the day was a very profitable one for Wildcat Ski Area. I was relatively warm from the climb and there was enough of a breeze that would require me to pull out a jacket if I stood around for any time so I was quickly off on my hike.
I passed over Wildcat “D” peak and noticed the observation deck was still closed but new planks were nearby. Perhaps it will be repaired – I hope. Next was hiking the ridge to Wildcat A peak. This two mile section includes a couple big PUDs along the way (Wildcat C and B), a pretty good loss of elevation and re-climb to Wildcat A. The trail has dried out a lot since my last time through but there are still sections where the growth is very tight. There is one place where I actually started talking to myself as I passed through a place that might make a rabbit think twice and then the trail opened wide as it followed the ridge. Nice. I think this place is between the C and B peaks. All the way across the ridge there were only a few mud pits that required some fancy stepping to get past. Otherwise, it was a very pleasant hike to Wildcat A. I reached the sign for the viewpoint above Carter Notch, the AMC Carter Notch Hut, and Carter Lakes. Before stepping out onto the open ledge I paid a visit to the summit area. Somebody has re-built a summit cairn – sort of. From there I stepped down to the viewpoint and enjoyed the bright colors to the south, east, and north – and the warm sun. It would have been very easy to stop and take a nap but I made the u-turn and headed back across the ridge.
As usual, I expected hiking back out the way I came in would only show me a different side of the trees. In this case things were different. Descending some of the steep sections was very different making for a completely new WRT experience. Previously I had always hiked down to Carter Notch and either headed out on Nineteen Mile Brook or continued on via the Carter-Moriah Trail. As I made my way closer to the top of the Gondola I started to encounter more leaf peepers wondering where the trail went. I reached Wildcat D and needed a couple pictures from the observation deck so I climbed up, pulled out my tripod, and snapped away. While there approximately fifteen to twenty people passed through and I decided it was time to head for quieter places.
I quickly passed by the top of the gondola waving to the operator on the way, made my way over Wildcat E, and started the descent to Route 16 and the PNVC. It wasn’t clear at first but eventually I realized why many people don’t descend this section of trail and use a ski trail instead. Heading down some of the open sections of ledge can be quite intimidating. You’re headed down a steep ledge and the world seems to fall away from the far side. It’s been a tough year for me and falls. Consequently, I was extra careful on these areas. I managed to make it through all of the tests without any problems.
Roughly half-way down I came up on a couple that was also hiking down. From their clothing and the things they had it seemed clear they were not hikers. They continued down and I managed to stay a comfortable distance behind. At the WRT – Lost Pond trails junction they stopped for an extended time studying the signs. Eventually, they set off on the Lost Pond Trail. I made the turn and followed. Near the new bridge they stopped to ask a question. They had taken the gondola to the ridge and now needed to find their way back to the base parking lot to retrieve their car. I explained the road walk that was ahead of them and we all continued to PNVC.
When I stepped onto Route 16 across from PNVC it was an interesting sight. The lots were completely full and cars were parked along the road. On the east side of the highway were people with tripods and cameras set pointed toward the summit of Mount Washington just waiting for the ideal cloud formation to blow through. There was also a steady stream of northbound and southbound non-resident vehicles. I hope they were able to leave lots of money while visiting the area.
Pictures to follow.
Trails: Lost Pond Trail, Wildcat Ridge Trail
Summits: Wildcat “D” and Wildcat “A” (and all the stuff in between)
Hikers: Solo
I managed to beat the alarm clock again. With an earlier than planned start I made a stop at the computer to check conditions and forecasts before starting into the day. My targets were the Wildcats from the Pinkham Notch Visitor Center (PNVC). I planned to hike a round trip to/from the Wildcats on the Lost Pond Trail and Wildcat Ridge Trail. The forecast for winds, temperature, and sky conditions (low wind, cool but not cold temps, and mostly clear) looked good for the hike. I finished preparing my pack and was headed north a little ahead of plan.
There was activity starting at PNVC when I arrived. Other hikers were preparing for their day with some headed west and others, like me, headed east. The lots at the visitor center were only about ¼ occupied. It didn’t take very long to get my boots on, grab my pack, and head out on the Lost Pond Trail. Hiking on the west side of the Wildcats means there is no early sun to warm things up but the temperature wasn’t cold – the truck thermometer indicated ~40 degrees, with no wind at all. I made my way along the trail headed for the Wildcat Ridge Trail (WRT) junction and my first surprise for the day was a new bridge. Several weeks ago when Sue and I hiked through the area there was a floating plank bridge spanning a wet area. Unfortunately, it would sink when walked on. The new bridge is a very nice and substantial improvement. And, after using it I still had dry feet. The .9 mile walk around the pond to the WRT is a perfect warm-up for the day.
I reached the junction and turned left to start my climb. From here to Wildcat “E” is generally a very steep and rough climb but the footing is great for much of the distance with stairs in a number of places. There is also a section mid-way where the climb moderates for a while. Along the way are several very nice viewpoints where the views to the Presidentials, and north, and south are unrestricted. Even though the climb was generally in shaded conditions I enjoyed watching the sun gradually light up the Presidential Range across the street – the bright foliage was terrific.
At the second open ledge I enjoyed a first for me. While looking over the amazing color in all directions I realized there were snow flakes in the air. I looked straight up and the sky was clear. Evidently the snow was drifting across the notch from the Mount Washington area where there appeared to be a fair amount of weather activity. The earlier report I had seen for the summit area indicated high winds at 6288 feet – fortunately I wasn’t planning hike at that elevation. As I enjoyed the scenery I noticed a couple snow-bows, actually called a snow halo I believe. They looked like a rainbow but were the result of light refracting through ice crystals. I was able to get several pictures. I don’t recall ever seeing a snow halo before and this was a great start to the day.
I continued to work my way up to Wildcat E peak passing one other hiker along the way. He had a huge pack and was planning to spend six days in the area. I commented the pack was large enough to hold Mickey Rooney. After he described the contents, it seemed good old Mickey may have been less work. I cleared the E peak and headed for the top of the ski lift. The gondola had started operating to haul leaf-peepers to the summit and I met a few on the trail. I’m sure the day was a very profitable one for Wildcat Ski Area. I was relatively warm from the climb and there was enough of a breeze that would require me to pull out a jacket if I stood around for any time so I was quickly off on my hike.
I passed over Wildcat “D” peak and noticed the observation deck was still closed but new planks were nearby. Perhaps it will be repaired – I hope. Next was hiking the ridge to Wildcat A peak. This two mile section includes a couple big PUDs along the way (Wildcat C and B), a pretty good loss of elevation and re-climb to Wildcat A. The trail has dried out a lot since my last time through but there are still sections where the growth is very tight. There is one place where I actually started talking to myself as I passed through a place that might make a rabbit think twice and then the trail opened wide as it followed the ridge. Nice. I think this place is between the C and B peaks. All the way across the ridge there were only a few mud pits that required some fancy stepping to get past. Otherwise, it was a very pleasant hike to Wildcat A. I reached the sign for the viewpoint above Carter Notch, the AMC Carter Notch Hut, and Carter Lakes. Before stepping out onto the open ledge I paid a visit to the summit area. Somebody has re-built a summit cairn – sort of. From there I stepped down to the viewpoint and enjoyed the bright colors to the south, east, and north – and the warm sun. It would have been very easy to stop and take a nap but I made the u-turn and headed back across the ridge.
As usual, I expected hiking back out the way I came in would only show me a different side of the trees. In this case things were different. Descending some of the steep sections was very different making for a completely new WRT experience. Previously I had always hiked down to Carter Notch and either headed out on Nineteen Mile Brook or continued on via the Carter-Moriah Trail. As I made my way closer to the top of the Gondola I started to encounter more leaf peepers wondering where the trail went. I reached Wildcat D and needed a couple pictures from the observation deck so I climbed up, pulled out my tripod, and snapped away. While there approximately fifteen to twenty people passed through and I decided it was time to head for quieter places.
I quickly passed by the top of the gondola waving to the operator on the way, made my way over Wildcat E, and started the descent to Route 16 and the PNVC. It wasn’t clear at first but eventually I realized why many people don’t descend this section of trail and use a ski trail instead. Heading down some of the open sections of ledge can be quite intimidating. You’re headed down a steep ledge and the world seems to fall away from the far side. It’s been a tough year for me and falls. Consequently, I was extra careful on these areas. I managed to make it through all of the tests without any problems.
Roughly half-way down I came up on a couple that was also hiking down. From their clothing and the things they had it seemed clear they were not hikers. They continued down and I managed to stay a comfortable distance behind. At the WRT – Lost Pond trails junction they stopped for an extended time studying the signs. Eventually, they set off on the Lost Pond Trail. I made the turn and followed. Near the new bridge they stopped to ask a question. They had taken the gondola to the ridge and now needed to find their way back to the base parking lot to retrieve their car. I explained the road walk that was ahead of them and we all continued to PNVC.
When I stepped onto Route 16 across from PNVC it was an interesting sight. The lots were completely full and cars were parked along the road. On the east side of the highway were people with tripods and cameras set pointed toward the summit of Mount Washington just waiting for the ideal cloud formation to blow through. There was also a steady stream of northbound and southbound non-resident vehicles. I hope they were able to leave lots of money while visiting the area.
Pictures to follow.
