Regrets...

It's three days after the Wildcat Ridge hike, and I'm still grumbling about it. I'm disappointed in both the hike and in myself. Perhaps getting this down in writing will help.

Before I continue, I need to say that this was not a bad hike. The walk up the ski slopes was relatively easy, the weather was great, the views (the Presidentials, Carter Notch) were spectacular, the Wildcat Ridge trail was challenging at times but a nice path, and I added two more 4K peaks to my list. I even met some interesting people. But it could have been so much better, and I've been focused on that rather than the good parts.

Up until 3AM the day of the hike, my plan had been to leave a bike at Wildcat, then drive to the Great Glen Outdoor Center and hike back from there, using the 19 Mile Brook Trail, Wildcat Ridge trail, and Wildcat ski trails to get back to the bike. There was another route, a purportedly quick & dirty way to get the two Wildcat 4K peaks - an out & back hike from the Wildcat Ski Area, using the ski trails to get to the Wildcat Ridge Trail - but I'd rejected it. It kind of felt like cheating...just running up, tagging the peaks, and leaving. Also, I try to avoid out & back routes if possible. Its only selling point was its simplicity and an implication that it was the shortest way to get the Wildcat 4K peaks (the "quick" part of quick & dirty).

As usual I had a sleepless night before the hike and my head was spinning with the details of the route. Where to lock up the bike, what to do with my helmet, finding my way through the Great Glen trails, crossing 19 Mile Brook, etc. Not concerns, really, just checkoffs of details. Around 3AM the quick & dirty route came to mind. Supposedly the shortest, fastest way to get the Wildcat 4K peaks, I went with it, hoping the decision would calm my mind, or at least help with doing the hike on little/no sleep. It actually didn't help much, but making a decision still felt right.

So I did the hike, had a reasonably good time, and got the two Wildcat 4K peaks. Something nagged at me though, and back home after the hike, I did some research. I found that the "quick & dirty" route I took was a mile longer than my planned route. The "quick" part had fooled me.  I'd also overlooked a far better route, leaving a bike at the Glen Ellis Falls parking area, driving to the 19 Mile Brook Trail, then hiking that trail and the Wildcat Ridge trail back to the bike.  No out & back, all on trails rather than ski slopes, and 1.5 miles shorter than what I did (not including the bike ride). I missed it because I didn't do my homework. I used to spend hours before hikes poring over maps and reading trail descriptions. This time I had the trails I'd use in mind and didn't consider other options.

Then I checked the photos I'd taken. I usually do a decent job of documenting my hikes with photos showing significant points to help tell the story. This time I mostly got screenshots of my OSM+ app showing my location on each peak. I should have gotten a shots of the Wildcat Ski Area sign at the beginning, the sign marking the designated hiking route up the ski slopes, and the cairns (or presumed summit rocks) of each of the Wildcat summits. I'll blame that on a combination of mindset and lack of sleep.

More than anything else, this hike feels like a lost opportunity. It could have been an adventure. Finding my way through the Great Glen Outdoor Center trails, crossing 19 Mile Brook at the dam, walking the rest of the 19 Mile Brook Trail, maybe visiting the hut, climbing up the Wildcat Ridge to Wildcat A, riding the bike back... Instead, it was an unremarkable walk up & down rocky dirt roads to get to an out & back trail walk. If I'm going to drive 3+ hours each way for a hike, there should be an adventure!

Lessons learned: Return to doing my homework, and work on ways to find pre-hike calm. If I'd done my research, I'd have known that the ski slope route was not the shortest, and I would have stuck with my original plan. Or perhaps I would have spotted the Glen Ellis/19 Mile Brook route, or read someone else's account of hiking it, and planned on that. Hearing someone else's positive experience goes a long way toward feeling confident about a route.

Final note: I fully intend, or at least hope, to return some day and do things the right way.  Park at Glen Ellis, bike to 19 Mile Brook, and hike the entire Wildcat Ridge back. Perhaps that will cleanse my conscience.

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