Wildcat D from Pinkham Notch

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Joined
Jan 15, 2013
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Location
Vernon, Conn.
I spent the first three days of 2015 bagging peaks for the Winter NH4K list. This report is for Wildcat D, from Pinkham Notch, on Saturday the Third.

I started out an hour later than the previous days, at 7:30, and it was already light enough that I didn't need my headlamp, although the sun still hadn't risen. Unlike the previous days' hikes, I was redlining this time. I'd been on Wildcat D twice before, but both times from Carter Notch.

I put on snowshoes at first, but quickly switched to microspikes, which I wore the rest of the hike. This hike was all on the Appalachian Trail. It first follows Lost Pond Trail, which is fairly flat, and passes Long Pond, and then turns onto Wildcat Ridge Trail.

Wildcat Ridge Trail goes pretty much straight up for a while. Then there's a somewhat flat section and then it goes straight up again, until it starts pudding over the peaks on the ridge.

There were a couple of somewhat scary sections on the trail, but my microspikes were holding firm in the packed snow, so I wasn't really worried. Unlike the previous two days, it was clear, and I had excellent views across the valley to the Presidential Range, from Glen Boulder Spur and Boott Spur across Washington and its ravines, with Adams and Madison off to my right. (Jefferson was mostly hidden by Nelson Crag.)

When the trail gets to the ridge it goes over Wildcat H, Wildcat G, Wildcat F, and Wildcat E before it arrives at the top of the ski lift. In the col between F and E the trail forked, with neither fork going up E. A little exploring revealed that the right fork was the correct one, turning uphill soon and crossing E.

After the ski area it's a short steep climb to the viewing platform on Wildcat D.

On the way back I stepped into the hut by the ski area, but it appeared to be just a place for the workers to hang out. On the way down I met about eight people coming up.

Even though this was the toughest hike of the trip per mile, it was also the shortest, and I finished up with a lot of daylight left.

Here are the pictures.

Wildcat D was 35 out of 48 for me in the Winter NH4K list.

--

Cumulus

NE111: 115/115 (67/67, 46/46, 2/2); Cat35: 33/39; WNH4K: 35/48; NEFF: 43/50
LT NB 2009

"I don't much care where [I get to] --" said Alice, "-- so long as I get somewhere," ...
"Oh, you're sure to do that," said the Cat, "if you only walk long enough."
- Lewis Carroll
 
Cumulus, Amazing! The Wilcat Ridge Trail deserves a lot of respect....glad you had good traction. Great pictures.
 
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