| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Garfield, Mt. Lafayette, NH |
|
 | Trails: |
Skookumchuck Trail, Garfield Ridge Trail |
|
 | Date of Hike: |
Friday, October 29, 2021 |
|
 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Plenty of parking at Skookumchuck trailhead at 7:00 AM and 1:30 PM. |
|
 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Leaves - Significant/Slippery |
|
 | Recommended Equipment: |
|
|
 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Easy rock hops on the Skookumchuck Trail; nothing of note on this section of the Garfield Ridge Trail. |
|
 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Skookumchuck Trail in excellent shape; well-defined footway, conveniently-placed rocks, and just a couple of blowdowns which were easy step-overs or duck-unders. Garfield Ridge Trail had a number of bog bridges / randomly-placed logs in wet areas which were past their prime, but all things considered, was also in pretty good shape. |
|
 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Skookumchuck Trail over to Lafayette would probably be fine; over to Garfield involves several tricky scrambles. |
|
 | Bugs: |
None. |
|
 | Lost and Found: |
|
|
|
|
|
 | Comments: |
First time up the Skookumchuck Trail- it was quite pleasant and scenic, with a forgiving and well-discerned footway (despite all of the leaves), nice views of Skookumchuck Brook, and easy to moderate grades most of the way up to the Garfield Ridge Trail. Skies were clear, it wasn't too cold, and views were spectacular from the ridgeline. Headed over to Mt. Garfield first, where I finally encountered other hikers (about 6-7 at the summit). Because one dose of suffering on the Garfield Ridge Trail isn't enough, I headed back across for the strenuous climb to Mt. Lafayette before returning down the Skookumchuck Trail. Though there were occasional patches of mud, it was mostly avoidable. The boulders below treeline were mostly dry, making the sharp ascents and descents on the Garfield Ridge Trail much easier, and the open slabs above treeline were mercifully dry as well. I had microspikes with me just in case, but never considered using them- there were very minor patches of glare ice above 4,000', mainly from frozen runoff on the rocks. 95% of the leaves have dropped, but there were still a few trees bursting with yellow at lower elevations. 15.6 miles, 5,800' gain. Detailed route description to follow this weekend on Unnecessary Climb! |
|
 | Name: |
Jason |
|
 | E-Mail: |
kurlando7@hotmail.com |
|
| Date Submitted: |
2021-10-29 |
|
 | Link: |
 https://unnecessaryclimb.wordpress.com |
|
|
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. |
|
