By Marty Basch

The Polecat Trail is a sublime winter cruise on skis or snowboard. But the gentle path is not truly appreciated until ski boots are exchanged for hiking boots for a descent down 4,062-foot Wildcat Mountain after a grunt along the burly Wildcat Ridge Trail.

Looking a bit like a hand, Wildcat's hulking mass between Pinkham and Carter Notches contains five knobs lettered "A" through "E". Following the rugged Wildcat Ridge Trail, which is also the white-blazed Appalachian Trail, hikers can traverse the  mountain's alphabet with extraordinary views at times across to the Presidential Range and out to the Carters.

Best letters

The best letters are "A" and "D" because scaling them allows hikers to pick off two of the state's 48 4,000 foot peaks. A Peak stands at 4,422 feet and is home to a wondrous ledge which looks across to craggy Carter Dome and down to the Appalachian Mountain Club's Carter Notch Hut while Wildcat D is the ski area with its lifts, summit buildings,  much-appreciated picnic table and unparalleled ravine vistas.

The steep Wildcat Ridge Trail is about a  3-mile  (but forgiving at times) rocky trek with some bad boy descents into winding Wildcat col before popping up and out on Wildcat D. Figuring we would want some relief - and ibuprofen - after that gnarly ridge we opted for a roughly 9-mile excursion that utilized a benign ski trail descent and two vehicles.

The first car was left in the Wildcat parking area on Route 16 while the second was parked some three miles away at the Nineteen-Mile Brook trailhead where Jan Duprey and I began our journey alongside the rushing water of the well-buffed pathway.

Alone?

We were not alone on this hike much. It was okay. Within steps we came across the first of three teams of two United States Forest Service trail crew members. They were out trimming branches, removing blow-downs and maintaining drainage ditches. Young and fit, they worked diligently and we thanked them for their work.

In under two hours, we reached the flattish intersection at 3.6 miles with the Wildcat Ridge Trail as the wind howled through the notch forcing us to put on wind shells and hats. Up the narrow steep path we climbed which went by two slides, one with valley views out to the Percy Peaks. Soon, we were being passed by a team of six Appalachian Mountain Club trail crew members. We were dressed for autumn in June yet several young male crew members (there was one female) were bare-chested.

We watched with admiration as this team set about at a seemingly lightning pace with tools that chopped and dug. They passed us again and again, even after their lunch break, and would kindly halt their blade-wielding chops so we could pass. They referred to themselves as a professional trail crew and hiked upwards of 15 miles a day. They sleep well at night.

They work, we hike

With the pros at work, we reached the A Peak summit and that eastern ledge with a bird's eye look at Lower Carter Pond, Zeta Pass, the Mahoosucs and Berlin.

Now the really tough part came as the trail goes up and down those knobs. The cruelest is the steep hike down into the saddle before making another final push up to Wildcat D. Though the trail's a bear, there are appreciated rock steps, and plentiful log bridges across the boggy sections, no doubt handcrafted by crew's past.

With the crew now long ahead of us, we reached the ski area which was preparing for its summer operations. The wind roared and we had the summit to ourselves.

Instead of on boards, we were on soles for the trek down the novice Polecat Trail. Mount Washington, Gulf of Slides, Huntington and Tuckerman Ravines all had a smattering of snow. Mount Adams and Madison stood rigid while the view extended into Maine. We were able to hike side-by-side by white wildflowers. 

When we reached the car and looked back at the mountain we didn't just see the familiar ski trails, but also that challenging A Peak and ridge. We knew that on the mountain, trail crews were busily working away.

One Tank Away

Wildcat Mountain in Pinkham Notch is:

*334 miles from Ottawa

*94 miles from Portsmouth, NH

*359 miles from New York City