Recap
An awesome fall hike, this time hitting the peaks of Wildcat Mountain (there are 5 of them, though only 2 count towards the list). This one was almost over before it began, since the very first thing we needed to do was cross Glen Ellis Brook which had fast, high, freezing cold water. Jumping from icy rock to icy rock is a recipe for disaster, but thankfully we all stayed dry.
After the brook crossing, we started a 2 mile walk straight up the side of the ridge to the summit of Wildcat D. The day was pretty cold, but it was amazingly clear, which gave us some incredible views on the way up and from the summit. Here you see a view of Mt. Washington where you can see Tuckerman’s and Huntington Ravines.
Wildcat you may know is a ski mountain. So it was cool to get to the top of D peak and see the lifts waiting for the winter. We were able to use the old lift house as a wind-stop for lunch, which was another stroke of luck.
After the summit of Wildcat D, it was a relatively easy walk across the ridge to the summit of A peak, the highest of all the Wildcat peaks.
Overall, a great fall hike!
Route
- Wildcat Ridge Trail from NH 16 to summit of Wildcat D - 2.2 miles
- Wildcat Ridge Trail from summit of Wildcat D to summit of Wildcat A - 2.0 miles
- Wildcat Ridge Trail from summit of Wildcat A to summit of Wildcat D - 2.0 miles
- Wildcat Ridge Trail from summit of Wildcat D to NH 16 - 2.2 miles
Total distance: 8.4 miles
Pictures
Full gallery here.
