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Ski
Hiking Trail Conditions Report
Peaks
Peaks Wildcat E, Wildcat D, Wildcat C, Wildcat B, Wildcat A, NH
Trails
Trails: Lost Pond Trail, Wildcat Ridge Trail, Nineteen Mile Brook Trail
Date of Hike
Date of Hike: Sunday, December 23, 2012
Parking/Access Road Notes
Parking/Access Road Notes: Plenty of parking at AMC/Pinkham Notch 
Surface Conditions
Surface Conditions: Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow - Unpacked Powder, Ice - Breakable Crust, Snow/Ice - Monorail (Unstable) 
Recommended Equipment
Recommended Equipment: Snowshoes, Traction, Ice Axe 
Water Crossing Notes
Water Crossing Notes:  
Trail Maintenance Notes
Trail Maintenance Notes: The white blazes seemed rare, but, then again, everything was white. Maybe it was just me. 
Dog-Related Notes
Dog-Related Notes:  
Bugs
Bugs:  
Lost and Found
Lost and Found:  
 
Comments
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.  
Name
Name: markC 
E-Mail
E-Mail: Haymarke7@yahoo.com 
Date Submitted
Date Submitted: 2012-12-29 
Link
Link: https:// 
Bookmark and Share 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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