| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Garfield, NH |
|
 | Trails: |
Gale River Road, Garfield Trail, Garfield Ridge Trail |
|
 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, December 1, 2018 |
|
 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Plowed parking for maybe a dozen cars at the end of Gale River Loop Road near the gate. |
|
 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Unpacked Powder, Snow - Drifts |
|
 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes |
|
 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Nothing major. |
|
 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Good shape. No blowdowns, but several trees bent across the trail by the weight of snow on them. |
|
 | Dog-Related Notes: |
|
|
 | Bugs: |
|
|
 | Lost and Found: |
|
|
|
|
|
 | Comments: |
A lot of snow fell a couple days earlier. Only three snowshoers had gone ahead of us. They had stepped in each other’s prints, but the two of us deliberately alternated our strides to pack the trail as much as possible. We passed the others about a mile in and broke trail the rest of the way to the summit, again alternating our steps as much as possible, in increasingly deep snow as we gained elevation. Two others followed us to the junction with Garfield Ridge, so Trail below that point was pretty well broken and leveled off by the time we finished. The steep section on Garfield Ridge Trail had very deep unconsolidated powder that was a real slog to get up; lots of bliss adding coming down. Probably still a bit soft, deep, and tough to climb. NB: the trai was still unconsolidated and several others came along after us without snowshoes and “rototilled†it somewhat while we were above them. I even turned my ankle once on the way down when my snowshoe angled into a posthole—grrr! We were able to do a fair job of smoothing the trail out again on our way down, but only incompletely. Use snowshoes, please. |
|
 | Name: |
Roger Turgeon |
|
 | E-Mail: |
Rturgeon54@gmail.com |
|
| Date Submitted: |
2018-12-02 |
|
 | Link: |
 https:// |
|
|
Disclaimer: Reports are not verified - conditions may vary. Use at own risk. Always be prepared when hiking. Observe all signs. Trail conditions reports are not substitutes for weather reports or common sense. |
|
