| 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, February 23, 2012 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Gale River Road closed. Parked at the first turn off for the Gale River Loop, walked in the mile to the trail head. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Ice - Black, Snow - Unpacked Powder |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
All bridge well. |
|
 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
One blowdown before the first water crossing |
|
 | Dog-Related Notes: |
SummitPug did just fine, although he had to jump through a couple of drifts. |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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|
 | Comments: |
The walk in on Gale River Loop Rd was easy with very well packed snow. The start of the trail had no snow but was well glazed with black ice. Traction was essential through this area. After about 1 mile the snow was deep enough to actually switch back to bare boots. Well packed snow all the way to the switchbacks on the Garfield Trail were some fresh powder started to accumulate.
As we approached the ridge trail there were two areas of deep drifting. At this point I should have switched to snow shoes, but stubbornly stuck with Micro Spikes. The snow got a bit deeper as we turned onto the Garfield Ridge Trail up to the summit. The trail was not freshly broken out in either direction. The climb up to the top was quite challenging. The summit was pretty much snow free with ice on the rocks. The spikes were needed to get to the base of the old fire tower. The wind was wicked on the summit so we just snapped a few photos and headed back down.
The decent was uneventful, and a lot of the snow had melted during the day. |
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 | Name: |
SummitPug and I |
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 | E-Mail: |
hokie01@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2012-02-23 |
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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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