| Organized skiing at Wildcat dates back to 1933, when depression-era government workers began clearing the Wildcat ski racing trail. Early Wildcat devotees loved the mountain's reliable snow and its steady pitch. But most of all they loved Wildcat's stunning views of Tuckerman's Ravine and Mt. Washington.
Today those views remain pretty much unspoiled and unchanging, thanks the ski area's setting deep inside a national forest. (You'll find no trailside
lodging at this mountain ... just a humble base lodge, a parking lot and some lifts.)
Of course, it's easier today to enjoy those views than it was back in the 1930s. Back then, you got to the top of the mountain by climbing. Today, a high-speed quad whisks you from base to peak in about six minutes.
Once up top, the mountain offers plenty for skiers and riders of all abilities. For those with less experience, the 2 3/4 mile
Polecat trail provides a gentle descent down the mountain's 2,100 feet of vertical. For intermediates, the Lynx and the Catapult
trails, while perhaps a touch steeper and narrower than intermediate trails at most mountains, are kept nicely groomed.
As for experts, Wildcat offers a nice selection of classic New England trails -- some groomed, others utterly natural, complete with rocks, cliffs and ice.
Novices and beginners needn't (and probably shouldn't) go to the top of the mountain. The Snowcat triple-chair provides access to a
gentle learning hill and several other novice trails. You can then graduate to the Bobcat triple, which goes halfway up the
mountain and provides access to the gentle Wild Kitten trail. The Bobcat lift also services a variety of intermediate and expert trails, including three new-for-2007 sections of glades.
No matter where you ski at Wildcat, the views are second-to-none.
Alas, sometimes those views command a price: This mountain faces West; winds can be brutal. Regulars to the mountain love to swap tales of getting caught in hurricane-force breezes during one of these "Wildcat weather" days. | 
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