| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Flume, Liberty, Lincoln, Lafayette, Garfield, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Lincoln Woods, Osseo, Franconia Ridge, Garfield Ridge, Franconia Brook |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, November 15, 2025 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Snow - Trace/Minimal Depth, Wet Trail, Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow - Unpacked Powder, Snow - Drifts, Snow/Ice - Small Patches |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Light Traction, Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Water crossings on Franconia Brook were pretty tricky, especially in the dark. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Lots of blowdown on Franconia Brook between 13 Falls and the GRT. |
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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. Intent was to do a Pemi, but realistically we expected to bail out with getting to Garfield as a nice goal. We did make it that far, but it was trying. The only sections that truly warranted snowshoes were the final mile or so up Flume to Little Haystack, and maybe the descent off Lafayette. We did not carry snowshoes (I mean...there was only 3-4" on the Tripyramids the day before), and trudged through consistent shin to knee deep snow. There were crotch deep drifts on top Flume. Ledges before Little Haystack were pretty tricky, full crampons could be helpful here. A pair flew past us right at the ledges, saying they started at Lincoln Woods and planned to do a Pemi Loop. The ridge had a good bootpack, microspikes were the best choice here. Absolutely incredible partial undercast today. The decent off Lafayette was a nice thin windblown cover and at times knee deep drifts. We managed pretty well here. No tracks from the pair that passed us, so they must have bailed. The Garfield Ridge Trail had not enough snow to warrant snowshoes, but enough that micro spiking was difficult as you couldn't really tell where there were rocks and where they were not. Good pack to the junction with the Garfield trail. One set of tracks headed over to Galehead, maybe 6-8" of snow here. Descent to 13 Falls was a disaster, with consistent running water on the the trail, and occasionally difficult to follow. Microspikes came off maybe halfway from 13 Falls to the junction before the suspension bridge. Couple really tricky water crossings on this stretch. All told this took us 16 hours. In the moment, we regretting not bringing snowshoes, but in hindsight, for a 26 mile day, best to leave them behind if you're only going to use them for 5 miles or so. If you're doing normal hiker things, bring them. |
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 | Name: |
jeffb.23 |
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 | E-Mail: |
jcburtt at gmail |
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| Date Submitted: |
2025-11-16 |
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 | Link: |
 https://www.strava.com/activities/16470942428 |
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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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