| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Wildcat D, Wildcat C, Wildcat B, Wildcat A, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Ski trails, Wildcat Ridge Trail, Nineteen Mile Brook Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, February 21, 2015 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Plenty of room at both 19-Mile Brook and Wildcat Ski Area in the morning, but both lots looked to have gotten very full during the day. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow - Unpacked Powder, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular, Snow - Drifts |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
All bridged. Even the balance-beam crossing on 19-Mile Brook had a snow bridge. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
The ridge trail was in good shape, as was 19-Mile Brook. Those folks that broke trail up towards A from the Hut had a hard time finding the trail in a few spots, especially the switchback turn a short distance above the slide. The trail turns left (on the ascent) in an openish area where it is easy to go straight uphill. No blazes or other markings to make this clear. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Dogs are not allowed on the ski trails to my knowledge. Otherwise, shouldn't be any issues for winter-hardened pups. |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
Paid our $10 to go up the ski slopes after leaving a car at 19-Mile Brook. A cold start, but otherwise easy ascent up the Polecat Trails, basically stay to the left the whole way up, stay on the side of the trail and make sure skiers can see you around the corners! There was quite a log-jam of people near the top of the lift to wade through (we should have taken the shortcut into the woods before the lift area!), but things quieted down once we climbed the tower at D. A single snowshoer had gone across the ridge and was on his way back when we ran into him around C peak, thanks again for clearing out any new snow/drifts! Great views on the slopes and in various places along the ridge with blue skies for most of the morning and mild winds (~10mph gusts measured on the slopes).
Great snowshoe conditions all the way to A where the broken track ended. We broke trail down in 12+", at times thigh-deep, before meeting Sue and Doug about 1/4-mile down from the top who had been breaking most of the way up (great to see you guys again!). They reported having lost the trail at least twice on the way up, but we managed to find the correct corridor all the way down. It was easy to see how they lost it at the first turn above the slide, there's really no way to catch it on the way uphill unless you are following a GPS track. A good marker or two in this spot would really help (unless there are blazes and they were just buried but I suspect not). An easy cruise out 19-Mile Brook Trail on a well-packed route, we stuck with the snowshoes but light traction between the trailhead and the hut would have been fine.
Thanks again for a great hike Jim, and congrats on 2 more winter 4Ks! |
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 | Name: |
madmattd |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2015-02-23 |
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 | Link: |
 https://mattshikes.blogspot.com/ |
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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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