| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Garfield, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Garfield Trail, Garfield Ridge Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, November 19, 2023 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Gale River loop road was still open as of 12pm on Sunday. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Ice - Blue, Snow/Ice - Small Patches |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Light Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
I have recently received a lot of questions on social media about water crossings, so let me elaborate about this one, as it can be a show-stopper but doesn’t have to be.
Today all three crossings were rock hops for me.
When I want to avoid the crossings, this is what I do. About 15’ before the first crossing is a herd path to your left. Follow it SSE, roughly parallel to the brook that you just avoided crossing, approximately 600’, until you reach a “road.” (You can see the road on Gaia; I don’t know if you can see it on AllFails. It’s conceptually a road but hasn’t been used as one in a long time, except possibly by snowmobiles). Turn right on the road, descend to the brook, cross it on a snowmobile bridge, and ascend up to the Mt Garfield Trail. This plan get you around the first two water crossings. To continue on toward Mt Garfield, turn left here on the Mt Garfield Trail. To get around the third water crossing continue straight across the Mt Garfield Trail and cross another brook on another snowmobile bridge. Then turn left and bushwhack along the brook until you meet the Mt Garfield Trail again (about 250’).
The bushwhack that gets you around the first two crossings gets used a lot more than the one around the third crossing, so in the winter it can be easy to follow the first bushwhack!! |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Thank you to whoever recently cleaned the drainages! As noted in the amazing Eric H’s report on Friday, there are some easy stepovers before the water crossings, and then he and his magical saw took care of at least one that would have been a pain the neck (well, in the shins) this winter. Other than that, it’s looking good! |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
I hiked out and back; there were no views, but I didn’t care. I hiked this, today, because I wanted to see fresh snow on the last 0.4 miles before the Garfield Ridge Trail junction. I was not disappointed; the fresh snow was amazing! Everyone that I saw had light traction; I wore mine from the third switchback up to the summit, and back down to that same point. A lot of people took theirs off a little higher up. You will definitely want it for at least some of this hike, as there is significant ice already. |
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 | Name: |
Bikecamphikegirl |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2023-11-19 |
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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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