| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Wildcat D, Wildcat C, Wildcat B, Wildcat A, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Ski trails, bushwhack, Wildcat Ridge Trail, Nineteen Mile Brook Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, March 9, 2024 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
We dropped a car at 19MB trailhead and drove the other one to the Wildcat ski area. There was lots of parking at 6 AM, and the lot was almost full just after 11 AM when we returned. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Trace/Minimal Depth, Wet Trail, Ice - Blue, Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Ice - Breakable Crust, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Snow/Ice - Monorail (Stable), Snow/Ice - Monorail (Unstable), Snow/Ice - Postholes, Slush, Snow/Ice - Small Patches |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Light Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
There are drainages on tbe 19MB trail that are currently water crossings and you have to really think about the rock hopping to stay dry. The second (upper) crossing on 19MB (just above the Carter Dome Trail junction) that previously had logs as a bridge now has no spanning logs and just one partial log (still firmly attached to its supports) with water pouring over it. Waterproof boots for the win. The first (lower) water crossing crossing on 19MB (just above the Carter Dome Trail junction) is now down to a single spanning log which is firmly attached to all of its supports. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
There is a complicated blowdown requiring a walk-around between A and B. Everything else on this route has been dealt with - thank you! |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
We saw a few today; they were happy! |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
Nothing lost, and nothing found today. |
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 | Comments: |
We hiked the Wildcats as a traverse with a car spot. We wore snowshoes and went up the ski trails before the Wildcats opened. Per the website, they open at 8:30 on weekends. We ducked into the woods and out of the wind just below the D summit, using the bushwhack. The wind was pretty terrible and this helped a lot. After tagging D, we swapped snowshoes for light traction, and stayed in that until returning to the car at the 19 mile Brook trailhead. The ridge itself has stabl monorail, noting that it’s really cold today compared with yesterday. It’s also overcast. Both of these things helped. The descent off of A was not as problematic as in the past, as steps have been kicked into the really steep part. 19 mile Brook Trail from the wildcat Ridge Junction down to the Carter Dome junction is intermittent stable and unstable monorail with sections of running water on the trail and sections of open rock. I wish I had brought my rock spikes! 19 Mile Brook Trail from the Carter Dome junction down to the dam is mostly bare rock. We kept our spikes on and stepped gingerly. Below the dam, to the trailhead, there’s a bit more ice and snow cover. We saw only two groups of hikers up on the ridge; we did see a large number of hikers heading up 19 Mile Brook to stay at the Hut tonight. This included a team of three with hockey sticks, who are hoping to play hockey on the pond if it’s still frozen. Pretty neat! It was a good day to tag the Wildcats, given the recent trail conditions. |
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 | Name: |
Bikecamphikegirl |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2024-03-09 |
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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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