The Wildcat Mountain Vary has two White Mountain 4000 footers, referred to as the ‘A’ peak or Wildcat A, and the ‘D’ peak, or Wildcat D. There are literally about 10 peaklets in complete alongside the Wildcat Ridge Path however these two are the one ones that rely as 4000 footers.
In winter, most individuals climb up the D peak first after which comply with the Wildcat Ridge Path to the A peak, earlier than descending to Carter Notch and mountaineering out the 19 Mile Brook Path. This route requires a brief shuttle from the 19 Mile Brook Trailhead on Rt 16 to the Wildcat Ski Resort parking zone just a few miles to the south. You may as well hike the identical route in reverse and descend from the D peak.
When climbing the D peak or descending, hikers comply with a sequence of ski trails which were marked as a delegated mountaineering route by the ski resort, so hikers don’t get picked off by skiers descending the mountain. You’ll usually see this route known as the Polecat Ski Path, though it’s really a sequence of smaller path segments linked collectively. Whereas it’s signed, it’s simple to recollect the route, particularly at midnight, as a result of it follows the northernmost border of the ski resort. In different phrases, when climbing you all the time need to preserve the forest in your left and when descending, the forest ought to all the time be in your proper.
Wildcat Mountain Off-Hours Entry
Previously, you used to have the ability to climb or descend the hiker ski trails any time you wished. However beginning within the winter of 2022-2023 (this 12 months), the resort proprietor restricted using the ski trails to sure instances of the day, when the ski resort will not be in operation. The ski resort can do this as a result of they’ve a particular use allow from the US Forest Service, although the ski slopes are on public land in a Nationwide Forest
In case you’re a hiker, you’ll be able to solely use the hiker-designated ski trails earlier than 8:30 am and after 4:00 pm. It doesn’t matter which route you’re mountaineering, up or down, entry is restricted to these hours.
The upshot of all that is that you just’re more likely to hike to or from Wildcat D at midnight. Since you need to be off the ski path by 8:30 and it takes 2 to three hours to climb Wildcat D from the underside of the ski resort, you’d have to begin earlier than dawn to get off the ski slopes by 8:30 am. Equally, since you’ll be able to solely descend after 4:00, you’ll most likely hike some portion of the descent after sundown.
Mountaineering up or down Wildcat D by your self at night time could be a little spooky, however a vibrant headlamp does assist mild the way in which. However mountaineering at night time in winter will not be unusual, particularly on longer routes within the Whites, and it’s an excellent factor to get some observe doing.
Climbing up or down Wildcat D at midnight can really be fairly a deal with when the moon is vibrant or when the sky is evident and you’ll see the celebrities. The Wildcat Ski Resort doesn’t have night time snowboarding they usually don’t mild up the slopes or the chair lifts at night time, so you’ll be able to expertise the surprise of the winter sky with none mild air pollution. That, alone, is an effective purpose to climb up or come down the Wildcat ski trails at night time even should you don’t care about climbing a 4000-footer.
