| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Wildcat D, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Ski trails, Wildcat Ridge Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, October 21, 2017 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Fairly empty lot when we arrived at sunrise. Two or three dozen folks were casually milling about various parts of the Wildcat Ski base area when we finished. A mile down the road, though, Pinkham Notch looked like an absolute madhouse on our drive back, with many cars parked along Route 16. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
None (bridge at ski base, nothing but drainage ditches the whole way up) |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
N/A (ski trails). A little muddy in spots on the ski trails. Wildcat Ridge Trail was well maintained. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Lots of gorgeous dogs. All looked happy. |
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 | Bugs: |
Hardly any - I think I saw more chipmunks than bugs! |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
Ski Trails (Stray Cat, Lower Polecat, Middle Polecat, Cat Nap, Upper Polecat), Wildcat Ridge Trail
Have to watch out for a few muddy patches on the trails. Also, the dirt road in the middle of the Pole Cat trails has a lot of loose pebbles on it, and while it isn't Hancock Loop scree, you still need to watch your footing somewhat.
Didn't see another human until we reached the ski station on top. A good dozen people were crossing Wildcat Ridge by the time we got there. Saw about five people on the way down. Only took us four hours, including a long stop at the summit -- a much faster than normal pace for us. I was surprised how easy and fast it was, especially with all the somewhat steep short pitches.
Once we got off Stray Cat, we just followed the dirt road on the Pole Cat trails (although apparently this means we accidentally used the "Cat Nap" trail on the way up, because I thought you were always supposed to stay to the leftmost trail & follow the dirt road; the trails are signed when you are going *down*, but not up, so we descended "properly," at least).
Intermittently, there are absolutely breathtaking views of the Presidential Range all the way up - probably even better than the summit view in many places -- it looks like the trees are slowly creeping up on the observation platform (though there is a great two-way view at the ski station on top). All of this for relatively little effort as 4K's go, too! Very easy on the knees/legs because you are not stomping on a bunch of rocks for miles on end like most of the Whites. Mrs. Ridge Warrior really enjoyed this hike a lot. A spectacular fall hiking weekend. |
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 | Name: |
The Ridge Warrior |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2017-10-23 |
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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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