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Ski
Hiking Trail Conditions Report
Peaks
Peaks Wildcat A, Wildcat B, Wildcat C, Wildcat D, NH
Trails
Trails: Nineteen Mile Brook Trail, Wildcat Ridge Trail
Date of Hike
Date of Hike: Saturday, December 31, 2016
Parking/Access Road Notes
Parking/Access Road Notes: We filled the lot around 9:30, so people started parking out on the road just outside the white line. I've seen such cars get ticketed in the past, but it looks like they were fine today. I prefer to park at the Great Gulf under such circumstances as the road walk is short and fast. I had to shovel out my spot before entering it, because a car must have been there when the lot was plowed. There were a few other spots that way. 
Surface Conditions
Surface Conditions: Snow - Unpacked Powder, Snow - Drifts 
Recommended Equipment
Recommended Equipment: Snowshoes 
Water Crossing Notes
Water Crossing Notes: Wood bridged. 
Trail Maintenance Notes
Trail Maintenance Notes: There was nothing substantial but I dimly recall one step over and a multi stem duckunder, the latter I think on the way up to A. I hadn't thought I would file a report so I was in space out mode. 
Dog-Related Notes
Dog-Related Notes: Pepper had fun and a surprisingly easy time given the recent snow. Despite Mushers Wax, and olive oil spray to his legs, he did ice up although nothing he isn't used to handling. His snout also iced up. The snow wasn't sticky new stuff, so I'm kind of surprised by this given that the trail was pretty well packed for him. He met one other dog today on 19 Mile Brook on the hike back. 
Bugs
Bugs:  
Lost and Found
Lost and Found:  
 
Comments
Comments: There wasn't as much snow as expected down low, maybe 6". Up on the ridge there was more maybe 8-10".It was hard to tell, there was drifting, and the trail had been partially broken the whole way. We used snowshoes start to finish; they were perfect for traction and where needed flotation. The trail up to the Wildcat Ridge intersection was fairly well packed with wet/water spots by snowshoers. We did pass 3 barebooters who must have been working pretty hard in the loose snow; I noticed my casaul stride was much longer, sometimes double theirs. Going up A it was packed down though still loose by several snowshoers, some of whom we met coming down. Over to D, we followed one snowshoe prints going that way but noticed at some point there were two snowshoe prints pointing towards A. Since we didn't see anyone it was perplexing. We ran into a group going to he hut who had come up the ski trails and from then on the trails were nicely packed for snowshoes, not hard, perfect snowshoe conditions. Over at D we were in the rare sun but could see the snow coming from the Presi peaks. We skipped going down to the ski area for the views as a result but still gave our regular yell to it: "We don't need no stinkin passes." The hike out was in a perfect snowshoe trench, and we started to run into a bunch of hikers going up A and more going to the hut for New Year's Eve. Many of the latter on 19 Mile Brook were barebooting but not postholing, as that trail has less snow and is much harder packed. We kept the snowshoes on even though we had to dance around the wet spots, because the traction was so good and having a flat trail before a rain and freeze up was a pleasing idea, although we knew that wouldn't stop others from chopping it up. But up on the ridge snowshoes easily make the most sense for individual effort and general trail conditions going forward. Thanks Pepper and Marty for a great hike and thanks to the snowshoer(s) who broke the ridge trail. Pepper in particular appreciated it greatly.  
Name
Name: Pepper and Me 
E-Mail
E-Mail:  
Date Submitted
Date Submitted: 2016-12-31 
Link
Link: https:// 
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