Hiking in the White Mountains: Mount Height, Carter Dome, Wildcat A

Date of Hike: 11/22/09

Nineteen-Mile Brook Trail: 1.9 miles
Carter Dome Trail: 1.9 miles
Carter-Moriah Trail: 2.6 miles
Nineteen-Mile Brook Trail: .4 miles
Wildcat Ridge Trail: 2.8 miles
Polecat Ski Trail: 2.6 miles
Route 16: 2.5 miles
Total Miles: 14.7 (elevation gain, around 5,000)

Trip Report:
- On trail at 7:45, finished at 3pm. Weather was in low 30's to low 40's, no wind, sunny, no clouds, fantastic 75+ miles views
- All trails in good shape, very little ice on ridges, no blow-downs anywhere
- Carter-Moriah trail to Mount Height becomes very steep
- Views on Mount Height are phenomenal! You have a clear view of the northern Presidential range including up close views of Tuckerman and Huntington Ravine as well as the Great Gulf, and Madison Gulf, as well as terrific views to the north and east into Maine
- Big group of teenagers at Carter Notch Hut, they had good equipment and must have been part of a hiking club
- The buildings at Carter Notch seem to be newer, lots of improvements seem to have been made over the past few years
- Climb up to Wildcat A was excruciating, elevation gain over 1,000 feet in just .7 miles, the first .4 is up-up-up then comes very annoying switchbacks the last .3 miles
- Met a "hippie type" person on summit of A Peak, he was there with his dog, he and the dog smelled like weed!
- Caught second wind on the ridge over B, C, and A peak
- Killer views from the ski station of Washington, Adams, and Madison
- There was a trail runner there with a can of bear mace, kind of overkill
- Spent a good half-hour at summit stuffing my face with PB&J sandwiches and M&M's!
- Walk down Polecat ski trail was great, had the ravines of Washington in front of me the whole way!
- Walk back on route 16 was tiring, thought about hitching but I gutted it out, fat tourists driving by gave me the weirdest looks!
- Hiked at a quick pace, I did 5,000 feet elevation gain in 5 hours...I slept 11 hours when i got back to RI!

Pictures: Click here for all pictures

Carter Dome from Mount Height