| 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: |
Saturday, December 13, 2025 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
I can’t really tell if the winter lot is plowed or not—snow is only about an inch deep at the gate, so hard to tell if it was plowed or just packed down. All cars can get in though. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Trace/Minimal Depth, Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Light Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
All 3 are bridged…but the ice bridges are not exactly robust yet. One broke on me as I was ascending. Fortunately, the water is about an inch deep. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
No issues |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
None today |
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 | Bugs: |
Also none today |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
Spikes and snowshoes were both helpful today. I started with snowshoes from the parking lot and soon found that to be a bad idea. The road only has an inch or two of snow. Where it’s been packed down (mostly by snowmobiles), it’s only a half an inch to an inch deep. The spikes on my snowshoes hit the dirt below with every step, so I switched to spikes. Once on the actual trail, the snow is trace/quite bony for much longer than I expected. I didn’t put on snowshoes until after the final water crossing, and even there I was regularly hitting rock underneath. The trail doesn’t really fill in properly until somewhere around 3,500’. From that point on, the rock issue is gone. Given the bony nature down low, the trail is in fairly good shape. Someone postholed it a bit from about 3,500’ to the Garfield Ridge Trail, but then the postholes disappear. The steep section is still quite soft and loose; snowshoes are the only choice. No need to even contemplate full crampons; just plan for spikes on the lower part and snowshoes on the upper. More snow will help too!! Minimal views at the top but still a great day out there. Quite a few others out too. |
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 | Name: |
IanB |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2025-12-13 |
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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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