| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Galehead , NH |
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 | Trails: |
Beaver Brook XC Ski Trail, Gale River Trail, Garfield Ridge Trail, Frost Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, December 6, 2025 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Parking lot clear of snow, but icy so watch your step if you’re running to the potty! And speaking of potties—-Beaver Brook still boasts one of the cleanest all-season pit toilets in the Whites |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Ice - Black, Wet Trail, Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Wet/Slippery Rock, Ice - Breakable Crust, Snow - Unpacked Powder, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular, Snow - Drifts, Mud - Minor/Avoidable |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Light Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Not a one of them fully bridged, although the snow-covered sections looked deceptively stable . The first major crossing was manageable with rock hopping to the right of the trail (approximately 20 feet from main trail), the second major crossing is a bit trickier, and we used trekking poles to figure out what would or wouldn’t hold us |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
There are at least 5 blowdowns that cut across the trail, but only one required navigating around |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
No doggos today, but this would be a great trail for them if you can keep them out of the water |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
Almost lost my will to live pushing through the beach sand to make the ridge, but the grid calls and it was a 4 hour drive to get there |
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|
 | Comments: |
Galehead River Trail is broken out to the summit and overlook, courtesy of 4 pairs of snowshoes out and back yesterday, so get it while the getting is good! A late start and only one car in the Beaver Brook Picnic Area meant our snowshoes (and calves 🤣) were going to get a solid workout, but ya gotta pay to play, right? Forewarned is forearmed, so we were geared up for the described trail conditions in the Whites, with snow refusing to consolidate and rocks wreaking havoc down low. We opted for our K-10s from Beaver Brook, which gave us traction in snow too deep for microspikes, but too bony for snowshoes for the XC trail, road walk, and first two miles of GRT proper. We followed a pair of bare boot tracks until we hit about 2400ft, then switched to snowshoes. It’s necessary, but not going to lie, a PITA. Just when you think you’re in the clear and making strides: CCRACKKK (on a rock) SCRAPEEE (on ANOTHER rock) trip on a snow-covered deadfall, fall in a hole, discover a water crossing the hard way. BUT it’s wicked beautiful so totally worth it. We were quite excited to run into Mark & Barb, a lovely couple we encountered just below the South Twin Junction who were the ownera of said car in the parking lot, and had donned their snowshoes a mile before the hut, which meant we now had the power of MSR LAs to add to our #TeamTubbs! Four pairs of snowshoes out and back did a great job of forming the trench, however it’s so cold the snow really wasn’t consolidating, so either a warm-up or about 5 more pairs of shoes should make the white sidewalk we’re all dreaming of. Of note, neither Garfield Trail from Gale River or Twinway to South Twin had been touched. |
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 | Name: |
islandgirl |
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 | E-Mail: |
joannhall4@aol.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2025-12-07 |
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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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