| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Garfield, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Gale River Road, Garfield Trail, Garfield Ridge Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Thursday, April 25, 2019 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Lots of parking at lot next to highway. The Gail River Loop Rd. is still closed. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Snow - Trace/Minimal Depth, Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Snow/Ice - Monorail (Stable), Mud - Significant, Leaves - Significant/Slippery, Snow/Ice - Small Patches |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Light Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Easily crossed but required planning |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
The trail is in good shape but there are a few large blowdowns that are easily negotiated |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
What a day! This hike began and ended with fantastic weather & conditions but higher elevation was another story. The road walk was easy as the road is dry and hard. No snow was seen until 2600' and it was patchy from 2600' until about 3200'. I must have put on & taken off my spikes a zillion times, beginning at about 2800'! There is a long stretch of snowless trail at about 3000' elevation. In hindsight, it would have been better to switch to snowshoes after that stretch but I didn't until much higher up. As I got higher, the monorail was consistent & narrow. Surprisingly, it was mostly stable and potholing was not an issue. There are postholes from previous days that are now hard and provided some footing at times. I switched to snowshoes within a half mile of the junction and left them on until I descended to 3000'. Garfield Ridge Trail to the summit was actually easier to go up than Garfield Trail because the monorail was a bit wider. It was challenging on the descent. The weather was not cooperative at the top as I hiked into a cloud with light rain & wet snow showers. The summit was socked in. :( There was a trace of snow on the last half mile of Garfield Trail, so I'm assuming that it snowed lightly last night. |
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 | Name: |
Elizabeth |
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 | E-Mail: |
ewberry1@aol.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2019-04-25 |
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 | Link: |
 https:// |
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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. |
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