| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Middle Carter, South Carter, 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, Carter Dome Trail, Wildcat Ridge Trail, ski trails |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Wednesday, May 22, 2019 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
I spotted a bike near Wildcat Ski Area and parked the car at Great Gulf Trailhead (USFS fee lot) since it is closer to Camp Dodge than 19 Mile Brook Trailhead. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Snow/Ice - Monorail (Stable), Snow/Ice - Monorail (Unstable), Snow/Ice - Postholes |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Light Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Unclogged a few water bars on Imp and North Carter Trails. NCT needs some brushing out. There seem to be some new blowdowns from the latest wind events, enough that Zeta Pass was a little tricky to navigate coming from the north. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Kind of challenging conditions for a dog, I think. |
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 | Bugs: |
Not yet |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
Snow/monorail did not begin until about 3500 feet on North Carter Trail. From that point until the top of Wildcat D, there was snow cover about 90 percent of the time, guessing anywhere from 2-4 feet. Longest snow-free section was descending C-M into Carter Notch starting at around 4000 feet down, interspersed with monorail. TONS of deep snow on Carter Dome in particular, even the open area leading to the summit. From Wildcat Col to D was deeply postholed, and the monorail was getting pretty unstable--that was probably the most challenging section today.
Poles, spikes, high gaiters, patience, and a genuine love of being in the mountains are key to a good time right now. :) Except for a couple of comical posthole-rolling falls, I was able to stay mostly on top of the monorail. Being on the lighter side is very helpful, too: the heavier you and your gear are, the more you're going to sink. Having said that, I had a wonderful time on a beautiful day and relished the added challenge! |
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 | Name: |
Snowflea |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2019-05-22 |
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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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