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Ski
Hiking Trail Conditions Report
Peaks
Peaks Mt. Garfield, NH
Trails
Trails: Gale River Road, Garfield Trail, Garfield Ridge Trail
Date of Hike
Date of Hike: Wednesday, March 23, 2022
Parking/Access Road Notes
Parking/Access Road Notes: Lot is down to bare ground, a bit muddy. 1.2 mile road walk to trailhead is a mix of bare ground (muddy on the way out) and packed styrofoamy snow/ice. 
Surface Conditions
Surface Conditions: Dry Trail, Ice - Black, Wet Trail, Ice - Blue, Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Wet/Slippery Rock, Ice - Breakable Crust, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Mud - Significant, Snow/Ice - Postholes, Slush, Snow/Ice - Small Patches 
Recommended Equipment
Recommended Equipment: Snowshoes, Light Traction 
Water Crossing Notes
Water Crossing Notes: Took the Snow Mo for the first one. 
Trail Maintenance Notes
Trail Maintenance Notes: Carried the pup across the 2nd one because she wouldn’t cross, carefully hopping the icy rocks. 
Dog-Related Notes
Dog-Related Notes: Took mine, she had fun. Just wish she’d get over barking at people! Saw one other, also having fun. Left a post-hike treat on her dad’s wiper. 
Bugs
Bugs: None. 
Lost and Found
Lost and Found: Nothing. 
 
Comments
Comments: Barebooted the road and the first 1.25 miles of the trail. First 1.75 miles of the trail is a mix of everything but mostly either bare or mushy ground with some patches of quickly deteriorating flattish monorail, with icy monorail increasing after the 2nd crossing. I took the snow-mo to avoid the first crossing (tricky with pup because I would have had to carry her while balancing myself). Put on beater spikes for the 2nd crossing which had a better selection of icy rocks than the first. Wore beaters until the switchbacks that start after the big flat rock. Wore sharp spikes from there and for the last 2.5-ish miles to the summit. That last 2.5-ish was minimal new snow over packed snow today with some blue ice patches and some deep post holes as you get near the junction with GRT.

Today temps were in 20s as elevation increased so sharp spikes were good enough for the switchbacks to the summit. The last 2/10ths was about 1/2” of new snow over packed snow. Somewhat slippery and a bit sketchy at that S-shaped scramble which had a bare minimum coating of snow over the ice. Summit was bare rock and some pretty rime ice. Beautiful, cold, bluebird day.

If temps go above freezing at elevation and/or we get the forecasted 6-8” of new snow Thursday and Friday, SNOWSHOES will be the way to go for the upper 2.5 miles of the trail to the summit.  
Name
Name: thegingerhiker 
E-Mail
E-Mail:  
Date Submitted
Date Submitted: 2022-03-23 
Link
Link: https:// 
Bookmark and Share 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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