| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Wildcat A, Wildcat B, Wildcat C, Wildcat D, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Nineteen Mile Brook Trail, Wildcat Ridge Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Wednesday, December 18, 2024 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Icy but easy to pull in and out of. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Wet Trail, Ice - Blue, Ice - Breakable Crust, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Snow/Ice - Postholes |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Light Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Our group of 3 cleared about a dozen small to medium blowdowns from the beginning of wildcat ridge to the summit of A, mainly focusing on ones the couldn’t be walked around easily. There are still a few large ones and groupings that will take significant time to clear. Our group cleared about another 2 dozen or so on the ridge from A to D. Once again focusing on ones that could not be stepped over or around easily. There are a couple spots, mainly just before B and between B and C where there are large group of large trees blown over in clusters. These will take significant time and recourses to clear, we were able to work around them in a somewhat manageable manner. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
Our group of 3 set out from the trailhead at 6:30, only one other car when we left and it was still there when we returned. 19 mile remains the same as my last report, a mixed bag of running water, bare rock, snow, ice, and some mud. Wildcat ridge was much better this time around, we were able to ascend with just spikes as the trail was compacted and frozen. It looks as though some one else had cleared some of the blow downs and regarding the rest see above. The ridge between A and D is tough going. There is a base of compacted snow but it is not very supportive. I opted for snowshoes the others remained in spikes, either choice wasn’t very helpful, we were all postholing pretty deep especially when we walked off trail to avoid blow downs. On top of the trail was tons of ice balls that had fallen from the trees, it was like walking on marbles. Regarding blow downs see above information. We did what we could to help clear some of the trail but there is still plenty to be done, we were mainly focusing on stuff that couldn’t not easily be stepped over or around, of the 2 dozen or so we removed there are probably another 30-40 manageable ones with 5-10 large multi-tree blow downs that are a tangled mess and will take a while to clear. We made it across the ridge in just over 2 hours, this is when we did most of the sawing, we were able to shave 30 mins off on our return as we only cleared a couple extra as we were all starting to feel fatigued. From A to the parking lot goes pretty quick. |
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 | Name: |
George S |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2024-12-18 |
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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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