Wildcats in winter

I'm planning on bagging the Wildcats this weekend. I've done them twice in the summer via the standard Wildcat Ridge/Nineteen Mile Brook route. From poking around the bulletin board and trail conditions, it looks like in the winter a lot of people just take the Polecat ski trail to Wildcat D, cross the ridge over to A and then head back and down the slopes. Does that sound about right? How does the ski resort feel about snowshoes/hikers heading up one side of the trail?

Also, in reading accident reports in Appalachia, it notes a slide that while short can be tricky in the winter. Even though I've done it twice and generally have a good memory for trail features, I can't place this at all. Where is it exactly and how sketchy is it? I'm going to be solo so I can't set a rope up, unless I knew some sort of knot that might work in those circumstances.

Any advice appreciated! Thanks!

Keith,

I believe the slide is on the section between Carter Notch and A peak. It's not particularly remarkable in the summertime.

What day do you think you might do it? I'm scheduled to do Mooselauke on Saturday with the NH AMC. If I'm still feeling frisky after that, I'll head up to Hiker's Paradise for the night and look around on Sunday morning for someone to tag along with. I was thinking maybe Washington, but the Wildcats would be good too.

Slide

The slide is definitly between Carter Notch and Wildcat A. I did it early this year (before winter but with snow cover) and it wasn't a problem with traction. We used stabilicers but I would think snowshoes would cross just fine. It is very short, probably less than 10 steps.

Oldmanwinter said:

The slide is definitly between Carter Notch and Wildcat A. I did it early this year (before winter but with snow cover) and it wasn't a problem with traction. We used stabilicers but I would think snowshoes would cross just fine. It is very short, probably less than 10 steps.

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Yup, agreed. Ive done it in winter twice and honestly....people seem to make it worse than it really is. Be warned, however, that the section from Carter Notch up to A is probably poorly broken out. I did it with McRat a couple of weeks ago and we had to break the trail. Its steep, the trail is narrow (and thus you get a lot of soft spots and spruce traps). The ski area, has always been pretty consderate about letting hikers on the ski trails. Just keep to the side, yield to the skiers, and you should be good to go.

Brian

the slide is about a quarter mile up from the nineteen mile brook trail. if it was hardpacked or icy it could be dangerous as a slip would be a long one (i believe someone had a bad accident there and fractured their leg a couple winters ago). it is a short crossing at an uphill angle. my assumption is that with all the snow the crossing should be easy and at it's worst crampons and caution should suffice. a nice view to the north there if it's a clear day.

bryan

The slide low down on the way up Wildcat A from Carter Notch was a snap on February 24th, what with the deep snow (there is also a dynamite log for a handrail now are the lower end). The route up Wildcat A from CN is usually badly bareboot postholed. The reason many hike out and back from the ski area is avoidance of a walk or hitchhike about 2.5 miles back up the highway. But, that 2.5 miles even if you do not get a ride is really easy compared to retracing the 2.2 miles on the ridge. The amount of vertical up and down on the ridge is really deceptive when looking at the topo map (compare to Garfield Ridge Trail). We broke out the ridge on the 24th, but probably lots of recent snow drifting given the high winds the past week.

Does anyone go up from the Glen Ellis end of the trail in winter? I haven't, but from summer experience it looks like it would be challenging.

Mike P. and I did these last February. We went in via Nineteen Mile Brook and out via Polecat Ski Trail. Crossing the slide on Wildcat A was a snap. I wondered what all the fuss was about. Decending the Polecat was long and boring. It's an easy grade so it's not tough on the knees but it's winding. We did the roadwalk back to the car and while going that far in plastic boots on bare pavement was a bit tough on the feet, it wasn't THAT bad.

I would do this route again. Doing the Polecat as an out-and-back would be way too boring and it just wouldn't feel like real hiking to me. I need to be on a hiking trail, not dodging beginning skiers.

BTW, people seldom go up from Glen Ellis in winter due to the fact that it's longer and the ledges when icy can be very hazardous.

climbingbassist said:

Does anyone go up from the Glen Ellis end of the trail in winter? I haven't, but from summer experience it looks like it would be challenging.

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Poison Ivy and I did that route this winter. There were a few sections early on that were somewhat challenging, but nothing too difficult.

I did this hike via 19 mile Brook, wildcat ridge A -E then down the Polecat last winter, in much icier conditions than we have now. I took an ice axe ( I was also solo) and wore crampons, but the slide area was not a problem. I would guess with the recent snowpack the trail over the slide area is better with a more defined track. You may need/want crampons. I kept the axe out for that stretch but did not need it. I too was concerned after the leg fracture a couple of years ago, but as I remember that incident involved a broken crampon and a pretty inexperienced winter hiker.

Wildcat does not mind if you hike. I ski there all the time and it is pretty common to see hikers or uphill skiiers. Obviously, stay well off to the side if the ski area is open. I would suggest the Polecat Trail, to the far right from the summit. Long but pretty wide and not steep.

Have fun!

climbingbassist said:

Does anyone go up from the Glen Ellis end of the trail in winter?

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I have done this a couple times, there is one particularly tricky spot where the trail crosses the top of an overhanging boulder but it's easy to just bushwhack up to the R and rejoin the trail above. Glen Ellis may not be plowed but there are plowed pulloffs with no fees either. And the river crossing was easy both times, if it isn't you haven't gone far and can go back. This route is however tedious like the rest of the ridge and obviously the ski trails are easier.

The slide going up A peak from the hut is of course an avalanche chute and should not be crossed by those unable to judge avalanche danger. I'm surprised the trail hasn't been relocated considering the heavy use by relative novices.

Thanks for the advice, all! I ended up deciding that the 2.8 miles down Rt. 16 at the end was worth avoiding the doubling back along the ridge. So I started up 19 Mile Brook and then caught Wildcat Ridge. Piece of cake until Wildcat A (although someone had missed the left turn and a bunch of people had followed them - fortunately I'd looked at my map as it looked suspicious). From Wildcat A to D was hell because I forgot my snowshoes and the ridge had seen too much sun. I broke through about every other step, sometimes to my knee and sometimes to my waist. It took three hours (plus a lot of swearing and grunting). That'll learn me! From there, an easy drop down the Polecat to the lodge in 45 minutes. And two guys I'd been hiking with (who were smart enough to bring snowshoes) gave me a ride to the car after all that.