| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Wildcat A, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Nineteen Mile Brook Trail, Wildcat Ridge Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Monday, December 5, 2022 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Plenty of parking on Route 16 lot free of snow or ice. There were a handful of cars around on arrival. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Ice - Black, Snow - Trace/Minimal Depth, Wet Trail, Ice - Blue, Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Wet/Slippery Rock, Ice - Breakable Crust, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Light Traction, Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
The only 'unbridged" crossing is about 1/4 mile from 19MB Jct with Carter Dome Trail. It is really a broken bridge down to one beam and water was low so i stepped to the left on flattish rocks that were not very submerged and didn't seem icy. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
A delimbed blowdown overhead at about 3 miles in on 19MB and easy to walk under. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Did not see any dogs. The Wildcat Ridge Trail could be problematic due to flat ice and icy rocks depending on what the dog is used to. |
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 | Bugs: |
Yep, one on the way out visible due to headlamp. I will get you my pretty! |
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 | Lost and Found: |
None |
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 | Comments: |
Wore light duty spikes from start at Nineteen Mile Brook Trail until almost to junction with Carter Dome Trail then switched to Hillsound Trail Crampons. Would be okay to bareboot to that point but there was some scattered black ice and gray ice that blended into the rocks. The Hillsbounds took a beating since ice was intermittent. There were packed leaves and shallow mud but they did not seem slippery and nothing close to boot sucking mud so I did not check those boxes off. There was an inch or two of running water in sections but nothing to soak the feet. I did wear SealSkinz socks over a ski sock just in case it was overly wet. At around 3 miles in ice picked up until a bit before the junction with Wildcat Ridge Trail where there was frozen crunchy granular snow which was wonderful. WRT was interspersed packed snow and ice such that it was fairly easy to navigate. The final steep switchbacks about a quarter mile from Wildcat A had a mix of granular snow with ice and then ice flows but there was some soft snow running across the tops of most of the flows. The flows could be avoided. The summit cairn in the wooded spur was visible indicating just how little snow there is even at elevation. I returned the way I came and conditions were no worse on the descent. Down low there did not seem to have been much melting given it was near 40 degrees
I saw about 8 hikers today but it appears they were all out for the Carters and Hight. I cannot picture the rain upcoming and then the freezing temps helping these trails in any way. |
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 | Name: |
4K |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2022-12-05 |
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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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