Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
| Peaks |
Wildcat E, Wildcat D, Wildcat C, Wildcat B, Wildcat A, NH |
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| Trails: |
Lost Pond Trail, Wildcat Ridge Trail, Nineteen Mile Brook Trail |
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| Date of Hike: |
Sunday, December 23, 2012 |
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| Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Plenty of parking at AMC/Pinkham Notch |
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| Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow - Unpacked Powder, Ice - Breakable Crust, Snow/Ice - Monorail (Unstable) |
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| Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Traction, Ice Axe |
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| Water Crossing Notes: |
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| Trail Maintenance Notes: |
The white blazes seemed rare, but, then again, everything was white. Maybe it was just me. |
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| Dog-Related Notes: |
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| Bugs: |
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| Lost and Found: |
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| Comments: |
I would not recommend this hike for the novice or intermediate hiker, especially if they're hiking alone. I had planned to hike to Wildcat from Lost Pond Trail and back, but after The Ridge, I realized that I was not going back the same way. Too risky alone.
I averted the first ledge that looked down upon the distant parking lot of Glen Ellis Falls because it was iced and the snowshoes were not stable enough to make the [totally unsupported] three steps to cross; so I had to break a trail to get around [something which I had to do a few times during the hike up the ridge]. It was the last ledge which I really could've used my crampons [and an ice axe!]. Maybe I'm a wimp, but I thought it was dangerous. I had to do a lot of crawling and grabbing to get up and actually took quite a heart-stopping slide down a ledge. It was here that I realized that I would not return on this trail, even though that would mean hitchhiking back to my jeep down Route 16.
From Wildcat Mountain, the trail was pleasant [well packed]. I was just happy to see a trail [and a couple of groups of hikers on the way up]. Although I kept on my snowshoes [because I didn't want to deal with taking them off and tying them up], I really didn't need them at all on the 19 Mile Brook Trail. The trail was well-packed with many open and wet patches of rock. Microspikes would've been sufficient. I did the hike just under 8 hours and [Thank God!] a kind man offered me a ride back to AMC/Pinkham Notch. |
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| Name: |
markC |
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| E-Mail: |
Haymarke7@yahoo.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2012-12-29 |
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| Link: |
https:// |
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Disclaimer: Reports are not verified - conditions may vary. Use at own risk. Always be prepared when hiking. Observe all signs. Trail conditions reports are not substitutes for weather reports or common sense. |
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