| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
South Twin and Galehead, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Beaver Brook x-crountry ski area, Gale River Trail, Frost Trail, Twinway |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Wednesday, March 18, 2026 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Beaver Brook- only car, should have been a warning to us. The only other hiker on the trail, did the whole road walk. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Trace/Minimal Depth, Wet Trail, Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow/Ice - Monorail (Stable), Snow/Ice - Postholes |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Water levels are still high with a strong flow. The first small brook, that is usually not an issue, is flooded, crossed via a downed pine upstream.
The crossing options on the major crossing were few, so trash bags went on with crampons and we walked across, not for the faint of heart. On the way back, we met the only other hiker on the trail and he mentioned he set-up a small birch trunk downstream, (100 yds). We used it on the way back because we didn’t want to deal with bags and crampon in the dwindling daylight. It was a a very thin trunk.
A lot of easy hop-overs on the tributaries, except for one that required a bushwack up stream to find the narrowest cross over. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Couple of down trees that had established walk around. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
None |
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 | Bugs: |
None |
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 | Lost and Found: |
Lost - black neck gaiter, probably flowing the river. |
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|
 | Comments: |
There is no snow or ice on beaver Brook, but some standing water, the road walk is completely dry. Rotting monorail til river crossing, the monorail is icy with thin snow covering. Crampons went on for the river crossing and stayed on until the return trip. At elevation the trail is a posthole frozen mess, wearing snowshoes could easily cause a turned ankle. Ours went for a ride. Someone during the warmed weather was determined to hike this trail, the post holes from the snowshoes must have been 12 To 18” deep, and required constant vigilance to avoid.
The snow pack to S. Twin is so frozen that you could wander off the trail and not leave a print.
Beautiful day, but long due to water crossing and avoiding small craters on the trail.
Additional note- the k10 were champs on the trail, but the buckle is a problem in cold weather if snow or any moisture makes contact. It’s extremely difficult both to buckle and unbuckle them, throw in very cold temps and your fingers become useless appendages.
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|
 | Name: |
TicTacMan & Patches |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2026-03-19 |
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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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