| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Garfield, Garfield Ridge - West Peak, Garfield Ridge - East Peak, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Road walk, Garfield Trail, bushwhack, Garfield Ridge Trail, bushwhacks, Gale River Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, November 5, 2022 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Busier than expected at both trailheads. Still about 15 cars at Gale River Trailhead at 6pm but no one on the trail, I assume people were taking advantage of the unseasonably warm weather to camp out at 70F. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Mud - Significant, Leaves - Significant/Slippery |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
No problems |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Trails are in good shape |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Lots of dogs coming down Garfield headed towards Galehead. |
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 | Bugs: |
Not to many, but my wife did fine a tick trying to borrow into her neck! |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
We got a late start this day. The road walk was uneventful. Mt. Garfield trail was surprisingly dry and a pleasant walk. Headed off into the woods at about 3800' at the corner at the end of the switchbacks and took the abandoned trail passed Garfield pond. They really don't want people using this old trail, as it was brushed out an ABSURD amount, for about 100 yards on both ends. Once passed the piles of debris, the trail was very lovely and only a little overgrown. Access to the north and west sides of the pond gave spectacular views, if not wet shoes. the final pass by the west side of the pond is very boggy and you will get wet. The final push away from the pond to the Garfield Ridge Trail is quite a challenge, I wonder if veering off to the right before it gets thick might be a better option.
Bumped my knee on the way up the west side of Garfield, and it's still killing me as I write this, so we shortened our plans, which was originally to hit the twins before descending. The wind on the busy summit was formidable and we didn't stay long. We had a snack part way down in the shelter of the trees, which was nice on this VERY warm day. We took our time and whacked out to both Garfield Ridge peaks and signed both registers. We didn't find any good views on West, but the views from East are very lovely and it's nice to have some privacy on such a busy day. The main view is almost identical to the one found a little further up the trail, accept it's a little wider, and from that vantage you get a good view of the Osceolas. It's a lovely view down the glacial valley of the Pemi. We took a bad route up to East, which turns out to have a well worn herd path that we were able to follow on the way out, that joins the trail east of where you would think by looking at a topo map.
We only saw one trail runner on the way down Gale River Trail, about at the view where the trail leaves the river. There was a camp setup, pretty far off trail, about 1/2 a mile from the trailhead with a group that appeared to be having a fine night, and I envied them. We made it down just before sunset. |
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 | Name: |
little bob |
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 | E-Mail: |
rcorsaro@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2022-11-07 |
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 | Link: |
 https://activities/8074317424 |
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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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