| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Garfield, Galehead (attempt), NH |
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 | Trails: |
Mount Garfield Trail, Garfield Ridge Trail, Gail River Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, January 31, 2026 |
|
 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Gale River Road is gated for the season. Parking lot outside the gate wasn’t plowed and a minivan had trouble getting in, needing to be shoveled and pushed out. AWD recommended. |
|
 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow - Unpacked Powder, Snow - Drifts |
|
 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes |
|
 | Water Crossing Notes: |
All bridged (snow bridges, wooden bridges) |
|
 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
A lot of blowdowns, usually snow-covered, and at times blocking the trail in a way that it wasn’t easy to find workarounds, on the Garfield Ridge Trail. Watch also for spruce traps! |
|
 | Dog-Related Notes: |
We encounter no hiking dogs, but saw a skier with two dogs exiting the trail as we parked. |
|
 | Bugs: |
No bugs (best part about winter) |
|
 | Lost and Found: |
I lost my Garmin inReach about half a mile from the Gale River Trailhead. Lat: 44.229863 Lon: -71.605281 |
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 | Comments: |
Type 2 fun was had today! We had the ambitious plan of hiking from Garfield to Galehead, less than a week out from a snowstorm and with single digit temps that were negative at times. We followed snowshoe tracks on the Garfield Ridge Trail up until a mile from the summit, from which point we broke trail, in 1-2 feet of loose snow. We passed three ice-climbers carrying overnight packs partway up the trail, after which, the snowshoe tracks were faint.
We were up for an adventure afterwards so we headed down the Garfield Ridge Trail, with the hopes of making it to Galehead. We had our work cut out for us with thigh-deep snow in some areas, blowdowns, and spruce traps. We were looking for a sufferfest and the trail did not disappoint. It was so engaging that we got to the Gale River Trail junction after sunset. We decided to skip hiking to Galehead in the dark.
We had snowshoes on from car to car.
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|
 | Name: |
Nora and Kiran |
|
 | E-Mail: |
badeep@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2026-01-31 |
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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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