| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Wildcat D, Wildcat C, Wildcat B, Wildcat A, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Ski trails, Wildcat Ridge Trail, Nineteen Mile Brook Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Thursday, April 10, 2025 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Ice - Black, Snow - Trace/Minimal Depth, Ice - Blue, Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular, Snow - Drifts, Mud - Minor/Avoidable |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Light Traction, Traction, Ice Axe |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
No problem |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
Treacherous! I've done Wildcats 24 times and this was by far the most difficult conditions for the section down from Wildcat A to 19 mile brook. Much of it is a dangerous steep side hill with hard ice underneath. Maybe 4 people had been through since the most recent snow and that helped us see where the ice was worst and where they had some foot holds. They had a minimum of 6 long serious slips down the side hill and had obvious signs of struggling in many other places. None of them had worn snowshoes and that is a good thing. It would have been impossible with snowshoes and the foot prints helped provide some (minimal) support. We used Hillsound Pros but it was extremely slow and required very careful footing. I would have been much happier with full crampons and an ice axe. All of this applies to the section from Wildcat A to 19 mile brook. The rest of the ridge was normal or maybe even better than normal April conditions. There are the usual 2 or 3 serious ice flows along the ridge that were tricky even with Hillsound Pros. And many area with minor ice but we had decent traction on those. The ski slopes were great. Some were bare ground but much was groomed hard packed snow. We barebooted all the way to the top of the ski lift then put on Hillsound Pros for the ridge. 19 mile brook was easy. We barebooted the bottom 1.5 miles but rock spikes might have been a better choice. If I were doing this hike again anytime soon I would do out & back from the ski slopes using the bushwhack to avoid reclimbing Wildcat D. That way you can avoid the extremely dangerous side hill coming off of Wildcat A. One more warning: As you come down the steep part of Wildcat D we were careful to avoid butt sliding but it would be easy to start butt sliding, whether intententionally or accidentally. But be careful... there are two blowdowns at the bottom before there would be any place to stop and they are right at neck level for anyone butt sliding. |
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 | Name: |
Rick Simmons |
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 | E-Mail: |
RickNH1@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2025-04-10 |
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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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