Savouring the Wildcats | Appalachian Trail 2024 Thru-Hike Day: 121

Pinkham Notch Visitor Center we are here at pink Notch when I did the high point we did Tuckerman Ravine Trail probably up to the hermit Lake shelters and Washington Lake of the clouds and then down somewhere there's the at and then it comes out over here as well to the Great go Wilderness and then we'll be going at the wild cat witch Trail see you sometime Pam Notch Pinkham Notch Visitor Center there's the hiker sign so the ATS their side of this road appalation tra at those High Peaks up there I actually see a tower from Washington I [Music] believe well there we go L pond5 Wildcat Ridge one and Carter Notch Hut is only 5.8 that is the last Hut of the White Mountains the eight Huts that the White Mountain supports we have a Boardwalk so we are here we followed the Lost Pond trail to the Wildcat Ridge Trail and go up and there's Wildcat Ridge Wildcat mountain and the Carter Notch Hut beautiful day here and beautiful sky there's a reason I wanted to hike out today instead of taking a rest day because it's supposed to be is absolutely beautiful weather so I don't know how far we're hiking today we'll see what the terain brings and I'll check the app as I make some progress today the easy Trail lasted a while there's a l Pond Trail 8 hello there friendly neighborhood white Blaze can you believe Maine is only 37 M ahead from here nice little Pond walk here before we get to the Wildcat Ridge Trail we're going to go go find that lost Pond as this is after all the Lost Pond Trail good morning and welcome to the appalation trail we are stick to Eagle and we are heading Northbound from Springer Mountain Georgia to mount katad in Maine today is day 121 on the Appalachian Trail it's a beautiful day we started hiking about 8:30 it is 58° very pleasant we'll see how steep the mountain is on the Wildcat Ridge Trail we need to shed layers today but right now we are very comfortable we're definitely going to get to the Carter Hut which is a little less than 6 miles away and we'll see depending on terrain how much farther we get than that if any but for now we're not worrying about it too much we're just hiking North ankles feeling pretty good still a little bit stiff but can't complain let's keep on hiking [Music] Northbound I did have the option of staying for a zero today in Goram at the barn hostel but I elected not to because of the beautiful weather today I want to take advantage of it this morning and get a start on the Wildcat Ridge well I found the Lost Pond I don't know how many how so many people keep losing it it's pretty easy to find it's lost pond at and out there there are Towers up there I didn't I wouldn't think that to be Mount Washington because I think it'd be taller but it might be this terrain be like fun already I'm not too worried about it I'm not I'm not in any rush today no need to rush just enjoy what the trail has to offer us a nice sunny day like today and go where it tells us to there's plenty of time to reach Kad and it's not going anywhere we have a full month it's the last day of August today it's flat but it's certainly been a rugged one so far but we're pretty well white blazed out here if you ask me what the most challenging part of the at so far is I would say The Descent coming off of Madison yesterday here's the Lost Pond Trail turns into the Wildcat Ridge and the rest goes back down to the road and up either side we've come one mile in the past 45 minutes or so and the Wildcat Ridge Trail is here ation Trail R 16 is 0.1 down that Hill time to do some climbing up Wildcat Ridge I know that this might be fun here we go I will just say that I'm glad my knees had a chance to recover send scarfield cuz you need good knees to do rocks like this when you're going up climbs like this you want to keep your body weight towards the hill so you're kind of scrambling like reaching a hand to grab onto the next rock as you kind of are going all fours up a steep hill that keeps you from leaning backwards and possibly falling over and there's our Hill some people say this is the hardest climb on the at it's not that hard it's just slow and Technical definitely not as hard as the Kinsman were Kinsman were something else think there's a view up here there is Mount Franklin over there and clear day Mount Washington Eisenhower and Monroe are behind Mount Franklin not visible from our current dangle beautiful view and a beautiful day you get to continue to go up that in a moment yeah this is going to be nice and fun I'm going to enjoy today we're going to enjoy today together and if we only cover the miles to Carter Notch Hut today the last Hut in the White Mountains that's okay I'm happy with a 5 Six Mile day in the whites no needing to cover 10 20 miles each day out here terrain gets so much more difficult when you hit the white so just make forward progress no need to rush enjoy the views take my time relax and enjoy the view I might sit up in a ledge some somewhere and eat a snack and just enjoy The View for a few minutes take my shoes off and let my feet air out cuz that's always good to do especially when I'm walking in all these rocks and it's a hard hard day's work so it's put the hard day and don't be upset with low mileage it again nice little view of pink and Notch down there I wish I had a video of me trying to get up that I took three tries trying to get up that first uh that first rock face there before the steps started so I came up on that that rock face first cuz I couldn't get up on that first step and then I used the steps upwards but that was that was some challenge even for the climbing director I had to fold my poles in and uh put them around my wrist while I was all fours on that one you know what I don't mind if I sit here for a while watch some cars go by and enjoy this View of Franklin and Washington take my shoes off and stay a while started getting a little chilly up at that Viewpoint so let's continue on up the hill there's our friendly neighborhood white Blaze you know what the whites do humble you for sure but I've come to the philosophy now that uh you could complain about every uphill like this or you could just expect the be a low mileage day yet again and enjoy the rock scramble as long as these rocks are dry I can have fun cuz I don't have any expectations for past Carter Hut today I'm fine with staying there so I can enjoy it and know that I have plenty of time to reach Carter so no stress it's a win just keep on hiking North if I do 5 six miles like I said earlier I'm happy it allows you to enjoy these scrambles rather than being annoyed at every uphill that I've come to expect the whites so lower your expectations and you'll be able to enjoy the trail on the whites quite a bit more and for the record I've done 800 ft of elevation gain in the past 4/10 of a mile so do the math that's that's pretty steep that would be a great shelter from a storm wind and rain right in there another view Franklin Washington and now we're high enough to be able to see Madison also there's Pinkham Notch right down there so you can Envision me traveling the route from that Peak Madison up and over that hump and down across the Wilderness until reach the auto road which is on the other side of that nearest ledge and then down the hill to the lodge off in the distance those are just Short Hills none of the 4,000 footer Peaks here we have Pinkham Notch the road below Washington beautiful does that look steep I just came from that road up this climb we are now at 2825 ft and Wildcat D is just over 4,000 so we have another 1,200 gain in a mile and a half I'll keep on going got a little rest bite walk to recover a bit here that was probably the most technical and challenging climb of the at yet maybe maybe South Kinsman beats it up by a little bit not no surprise that they're both in the whites though do not do that climb in wet weather I could not imagine that in wet weather it was hard work for me as it was and I'm thinking it was the hardest because South Kinsman really only had one big spot where I was doubting myself and couldn't get up for a few tries this had a few of them so I think this tops it off as a challenge in climb in the at the most one most challenging there we go this is a beautiful expanse looking South here amazing the wind's picking up a little [Music] bit I'm pretty sure we're going up there that might be wild cat D maybe little room for a stealth say some Roots but it would do better than the site that I found by Edwin's Cole beautiful cave in there a natural Shelter From the wind and rain and storms that we may face up here yeah looking deeper in it's completely walled up out there it might not be completely shut off from rain but it's something looks like a northern version of the guillotine that's a southern Landmark there's one way to get up of some of these and that's to throw your poles aside up the hill a little bit and pull yourself up let's keep going at it wild cat Mountain this part is a piece of cake right this is wild it keeps on going I promised you it's not the same rock pile I keep on showing you over and over again it's a different one but we just keep on going slow and steady wins the race up into the sunshine keep on going higher higher but look at Mount Washington and Madison Tucker men Ravine goes up the mountain there these climbs are super interesting like where do you get footing on this rock have to go hands and feet these are the views that we're talking about when we come up here and appreciate and make it worth all our water while so beautiful well if that isn't a beautiful little stealth site you never know when one my crop up I happen to be very glad that when I'm doing things like a through hike I only have to go up once I don't have to go back down the same way I conquered that mountain well I'm out at the top yet but I don't have to go back down the same way I'm just walking in One Direction and that to me is a blessing in Virginia I would have been showing you all these and telling you how Wild The Climb was but I don't show these anymore as much because they're not as wild anymore I expect them some of the hikers though look like cats the way you can climb on them and keep moving pretty quickly I'm not one of them I move slow cuz I don't want to injure myself more than I already have I'm taking care care to check my footing on every single step it was so worth coming up here today though with all these gorgeous views this is the top of Wildcat e we are very very near to Wildcat D which will be 4,000 footer number 15 for me and here we are here's the chair leftt and get that's wild cat d right there just a little a little bit higher than e cool Wild capat Mountain find a beautiful spot to sit down by the ski lift I can look it out in Mount Washington and eat some trail mix remember to eat on the trail this time at Wild Car Ridge Trail now let's go Summit Wildcat D that lunch break was really really nice I sat in the Sun out of the wind looked at Washington it's out there and you know what I won't remember if I rush through all these views and spots but I will I will remember when I stop and take a moment to take it all in like I just did do 12:00 tip today is to create memories you may create memory by just hiking the whole at as fast as you can sure but I like to create memories within the memory and remember all these moments that cherish later on that's also why I started creating all these video blogs to be able to cherish the memory and all the things I went through on this journey so create memories whatever way you can your own adventure your own family whatever just create memories that you can cherish for a lifetime and here is the Wildcat D Summit W go up here check out the surround view here more of the same views of Mount Washington there is where we've been Franklin presidential diverse Washington behind that is Adams Jefferson Jefferson's first you can see Madison pretty well there and then over that way are the Carters and the rest of the Wildcats we have reached the top of Wildcat D which is number 15 of the 4,000 Footers 48 New Hampshire 4,000 Footers yay for 15 let's keep hiking northbound one last epic view of Washington here just appreciate before I leave that is just an epic view of the Washington Ravines a few waterfalls I believe gorgeous there is Wildcat a right there and the Carters Beyond that's where we're headed wild cat a is about 400 and some feet taller than wild cat D we're heading up wild cat C right now after descending about 3 or 400 ft into the saddle look at those anyone know what those are called they're probably some type of mushroom or fungi or both but I've been seeing them all over the place look at that sight cool really good s sight on some furs with still have about 200 ft of elevation to reach the top of Wildcat sea and then 200 more after that to reach b and a the only one that counts for the 4,000 ft Club is a because C and B are too close to a and not prominent enough to be considered a separate Peak just cleans up this rock good grip when it's dry this is why you don't really want to climb these types of mountains when it's wet if it's like a rainy wet day I might elect just for safety and comfort to just stay in the tent a little extra or whatever wherever I'm at might be worth it ah there we go can see Jefferson now Jefferson has appeared looking back there's wild cat D where we just were and then behind that we have Mount Franklin Mount Washington Mount Adams Mount Jefferson's actually hidden and there's Mount Madison so Mount Jefferson's behind Mount Washington in there and mount Eisenhower is behind Mount Franklin there when we just summoned Wildcat sea over there I just checked cuz I was like H I'm starting to head down so we're going to go down a tiny little bit like a 100 ft and then Wildcat B and then right up to Wildcat a which is the tallest of the wild cats so let's keep checking it's also hard to believe that after the Carters after the Carters are done the whites are done and then it's like Maine that's like what the whites have required a lot of extra time than I predicted they were not what I was expecting so much more rugged than I ever thought they were so it will feel even better to have conquered the whites the big and looming whites that injured me that weakened me when I was on the whites uh Kinsman Etc I just totally was caught off guard by them and to think I'm finally about to have hiked a whole appalation Trail in the whites oh yeah another reason why I'm considering staying at cter tonight is that I just feel tired like I've been pushing it I've been working hard today and even if I don't use all the sunlight hours one I won't be caught without a campsite at dark which I don't want to be and two I need to rest my body cuz this is a lot more work than it typically goes through so it'll be good to get a good night's rest I would feel like it would be a successful day knowing that I conquered the wild casts today so thrilled that we did the Wild casts today instead of taking a zero to rest because we got those amazing views from the Wildcats of Washington in the presidential range that we may not have we waed today cuz tomorrow might not be as nice if I don't have if we don't have the views from Carter tomorrow I can be okay with that because of the views we had from Wildcat today I do think it's good to rest especially since I was considering zeroing today anyway and it's already been A Hard Day's Work I don't need to push myself I don't want to Reiner my ankle anything like that welcome to Wildcat B that's wild cat a straight ahead of us right there and then through the trees is Carter Dome another reason to stay at Carter tonight is that there were a lot of hikers that passed me today so if it went on it's already 3:15 I don't know what time I'll get to the Hut but if I went on past that my guess is that a lot of those stealth sites might be taken so I don't want to take that chance and not be able to find anything before dark and settle for not a great sight I think that maybe a trend going forward is stopping earlier than I otherwise would have uh if I'm unsure of what's ahead because of the larger number of hikers that are out here uh through hikers and non-hk too for the whites main might be a little bit of a different story when I get back to the regular Lantos instead of the random stealth sites in the whites here little path to a good stealth site in trees over there on Wildcat a I think it might be really close to the Top O there's a view over there H son even says view before the view I see a slightly higher point on the mountain to Summit it completely we do need to go right here there's the rock pile right there so this is the highest point on wild cat a summit now we'll go check out the view the mountain directly in front of us here is Carter Dome Carter Hut is that green roof way down by the lake over there you can see it from here the trail goes down there then up to Carter Dome and then over to mount height which is behind Carter doome we can't quite see that and then it goes over to South Carter which is over there then after South Carter we have middle Carter which is behind South Carter you cannot see it because it's shorter and then Mariah Mount Mariah is poking out between the mountains where we go next and then after that is Main in the distance this is Wildcat a summit number 15 of the 48 4,000 Footers in New Hampshire welcome to Wildcat a more great views as we start descending down Wildcat there wooding in yard Carter Notch Hut approaching I think if I can get a work for day at Carter Notch Hut then I will take advantage of that it's about 4:00 now so it's pretty good timing for that if I can't then I think I will just have a few baked goods from my ticket that gazelle made me at mispa and then proceed on to one of the first stealth sites that I see 19 M Brook Trail Carter memorial trail at goes down there Carter not Hut it's also3 there and then there a trail and it goes that way to the road at first I was like I didn't think the Carter Hut was3 off the at that doesn't seem right and it isn't I just had to read the sign and see that the at actually goes down here too the winds are definitely picking up again definitely want to steal a glance at that weather report whether or not I can get work for stay cool little Mountain Pond here beautiful so here's our sign 3.7 a ping La is via the 19 M Brook Trail not the wild cat Ridge Trail that I took it's more like six or so card not up point1 we'll go check that out here's where the at continues Carter Drome 1.2 Zeta pass 2.6 imp shelter 7.2 imp might be a nice spot for tomorrow it's 4:30 3 hours of daylight left so Daya pass depending on the terrain would be the farthest that I could get if I was going the 1 M hour Pace I typically do in the whites Beauty beds open yeah that one's going to be a cter notch Hut I got a little Bak good from there one of the oldest not the oldest Hut and the last Hut in the um White Mountains of the eight so the kitchen and dining room is down here and then the bunk houses and restrooms are up the hill over here all right now I get to wait about two hours it's just about 5:00 putting on some warm clothes I'll probably put on my winter hat cuz it's getting chilly out here but I'm going to hang out and wait I did secure a Workforce day here so instead of going to Camp who knows where um so I probably could find a spot I'll be um staying here uh in the dining room and doing whatever work they have for me uh so looking forward to that and then get to do Carter tomorrow I think it's a good call cuz my body can use the rest after the wild cats I'm happy with that so we are on an at Journey it's been a beautiful day doing the wild cats and two more High Peaks Wildcat d and a uh so it puts us at 16 or 15 I forget uh New Hampshire 4,000 Footers if You' like to follow along for some more at content please be sure to subscribe and you can also follow along for some live content on my Instagram account @ sck The Eagle for now always remember to embrace the journey and happy trails apparently Zeta pass is a no camping zone now too which was my other camping option for sure uh not knowing whether St sits were by there so good thing I'm staying here and I feel happy with that decision good night yall do you guys remember where these jellly ranches were from they were still in my bear can I'll give you one guess pause the video and guess okay they are from frizzle's Mom from the Frizzle hostel area and she gave us all a bunch of Jolly rounds to take I still have some I'm going to have one right now [Music]