| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Lethe, Middle Carter, South Carter, Mt. Hight, Carter Dome, Wildcat A, Wildcat B, Wildcat C, Wildcat D, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Camp Dodge Cutoff, Imp Trail, North Carter Trail, Carter-Moriah Trail, bushwhack, Nineteen Mile Brook Trail, Wildcat Ridge Trail, ski trails |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, February 4, 2017 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Spotted a car at the ski area, then parked at the Camp Dodge access road (plowed up to the gate, so room for 2-5 vehicles). Nineteen Mile Brook lot filled up. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow - Unpacked Powder, Snow - Drifts, Snow/Ice - Postholes |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Minor on Imp Trail. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Plenty of blowdowns throughout, including one on the Wildcat Ridge Trail about halfway up A peak that's been there for two years and is causing people to lose the trail. |
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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 put on snowshoes at the Camp Dodge gate and left them on all the way to the bottom of the ski area.
Camp Dodge Cutoff and lower Imp Trail had an inch or two of powder on top of a firm base. Good snowshoeing.
About an inch of overnight powder on the North Carter Trail, good snowshoeing as well.
Carter Moriah Trail was pretty well drifted from the North Carter Trail much of the way to South Carter, generally 6-12 inches of fresh powder. Snowshoes were a must first thing this morning. Shortly after reaching the ridge, we bushwhacked east to the bump I consider Mt. Lethe (generally firm snowpack, but spruce trappy) and it's quasi-open summit.
There's generally about 4 feet of snow on the ridge.
Decent snowshoeing down to Zeta Pass and up to the turn off to Mt. Hight.
The Carter Moriah Trail up to Mt. Hight had been butchered by a group of barebooters/buttsliders. Almost got taken out by one of the buttsliders coming blindly around a corner. The buttsliding luge track was very awkward to walk on. The barebooters had attempted to head toward Carter Dome from Mt. Hight, but turned back after deeply postholing for a few hundred yards. Snowshoes obviously needed.
Lots of drifts forming on the way to Carter Dome.
Fortunately we were the first ones to descend into the notch today, so the trail hadn't been beaten up by buttsliders. As a result, Flex Alps snowshoes had a good grip on the steep descent.
The ascent up to Wildcat A was tricky, as the track is narrow and not too well packed. Many have missed the turn about halfway up, so there is a footbed continuing into the woods. Did not see any evidence of this rejoining up top. The proper trail has only been snowshoed a few times and is thus not well packed, so booters are in for a rude awakening if they go this way.
The Wildcat Ridge Trail had a good snowshoe footbed all the way to D peak.
We descended via Upper Polecat->Catnap->Lower Polecat->Straycat. I found snowshoes helpful for staying on the side of the trail and not sliding around or postholing (a few of the trails are not well packed on the sides). |
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 | Name: |
rocket21, Nordic Gal |
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 | E-Mail: |
rocket21@franklinwebpublishing.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2017-02-04 |
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 | Link: |
 https://www.franklinsites.com/hikephotos |
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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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