Peak Reviews
5.0 (1 review)
mike
Jan 17, 2026
Hiked on August 1, 1965
Hiked it when I was 17 with friend Gibby McIlvain after taking buses up from Washington DC and spending a night at the AMC Carter Notch Hut. Remember the smell of pine trees.
4,422 ft | Carter | 0 routes
Feels like -21°F
Below freezing at all elevations
~2.2°F drop per 1,000ft
Best Hiking Window
Monday offers slightly reduced winds compared to Sunday night, with clearer skies and mostly sunny conditions — but temperatures will remain below zero with wind chills still severe. Only highly experienced winter mountaineers with full arctic gear should consider Monday, and only with an early morning start to maximize the available daylight. Tuesday brings moderating temperatures (upper teens) but winds increase again with hurricane-force gusts possible by early Tuesday morning, followed by snow Tuesday evening. The best reasonable window for most hikers is Tuesday mid-morning after the wind chill warning expires and temperatures climb above zero, though conditions should be reassessed as Tuesday approaches.
Trail: Imp Trail, North Carter Trail, Carter Moriah Trail, Carter Dome Trail, Nineteen Mile Brook Trail, Wildcat Ridge Trail, ski trails
Conditions: Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow - Unpacked Powder, Snow - Drifts
“Walked the road and snowshoes went on at camp dodge. They stayed in the entire day and were absolutely the right traction choice. We started up around 6 AM. The Carters were nicely broken out with a few drifts but managed to follow the trail. We didn’t see anyone else until Carter Dome. We’re happy to see several groups coming up from the hut. Their work made this section a breeze. Ended up on our butts a few times but not for lack of trying. Lots of people at the hut. Then we made our way to the wildcats which were an even nicer condition. If you need these peaks for March, go get them while they’re hot. Gridded all five peaks today.”
Trail: 19 Mile Brook Trail, Wildcat Ridge Trail, polecat ski trail
Conditions: Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular
“Started on 19 MB about 11:15. All trails are in great shape- packed. Timing was perfect as we arrived at the ski area at 3:45, so only waited 15 mins to descend on Polecat. Much lower winds than forecasted!”
Trail: Nineteen Mile Brook Trail, Wildcat Ridge Trail
Conditions: Snow - Trace/Minimal Depth, Ice - Blue, Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular
“Out and back from 19 mile brook trailhead. Trail was super hard packed for fast pace, I had snowshoes from the car so didn’t change until I came back down off the ridge at the hut sign. From there and across ridge I’d def recommend snowshoes. Used microspikes back from that point and still hard packed. Light wind so only needed a base layer and light vest all day even on summits! Surprisily quiet as I didn’t see anyone until going back down not too far from the Carter/wildcat split”
No routes available for this peak.
Highest of the Wildcat peaks with ski area on slopes. Great views of Tuckerman Ravine and Mount Washington.
Elevation
4,422 ft
Range
Carter
Rank
#20 of 48
Difficulty
Moderate
Coordinates
44.2590, -71.2015
mike
Hiked it when I was 17 with friend Gibby McIlvain after taking buses up from Washington DC and spending a night at the AMC Carter Notch Hut. Remember the smell of pine trees.