Zeta Pass to Wildcat Mountain

We've been trying to outrun the rain all day. We left Zeta Pass and headed toward Mt. Hight, which is supposed to have some of the best views in the Whites. Even with the overcast weather we had today, the area was absolutely beautiful. Because of the wind and clouds and rock surface, the Trail over Mt. Hight (4,675 feet) was a little confusing, but we were able to figure it out using landmarks and our GPS tools.

Still ahead of the rain, we pushed on to Carter Dome (4,833 feet). Fortunately, this peak is not bald, so the trees provided shelter from the wind and wet clouds. We followed the Trail down the other side and stopped to have lunch at one of the vistas. The view of the notch and Wildcat Mountain was a little intimidating. We were going just about straight down and would then be climbing straight up a rockfall...steep down, steep up. I looked at Forest and, as usual, his tail was wagging wildly as if to say, "I'm ready; let's go!"

The rockfall we will have to climb on Wildcat Mountain

Down in the notch there is a hut managed by the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC). It's one of a series of huts and lodges in the White Mountains. They are available to members of the AMC for one price, and to nonmembers for another—in this case $94/$112 (granted, the money goes to maintain the Trail). That price includes breakfast and dinner, running water (cold only) and composting or waterless toilets. However, the huts are completely off the grid, so they have no heat, lighting, WiFi or electrical outlets. So, they are essentially glorified shelters with meals. No one is allowed to have a shelter of any other kind in the Whites, so thru-hikers are forced to carry larger than normal amounts of food if they can't afford the AMC prices (we are offered the member price, but that's far out of reach of most hikers who are already strapped). If there are leftovers after a meal, they are placed in a hiker box that we can access, and they do offer two work-for-stay positions per night (if work is available), but they go to the first two thru-hikers who want them; timing is everything. You can't count on either of those options being available, so you have to plan as if your only option is what you pack in. Now, water at this particular hut is blocked off for the hut, and hikers aren't allowed to camp within 200 yards of a hut. 200 yards of this particular hut puts us on the almost vertical side of Wildcat Mountain with no water. Are you starting to get the picture?

View of Carter Notch Hut (an AMC Property) before we climbed down

It's about 5:30, which is too late to be hiking up another vertical slope with rain and wind coming. We found another water source that will do and set up camp nearby. This puts us at about Mile Marker 314.5.