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| Paloma and I at the Trail Head |
This past weekend we decided to hike Mt. Garfield. I had been reading that this was a pretty mild hike with great views from the summit - sounded perfect for a brisk fall day. My parents picked up Paloma and I at around 6:30AM and we set off for the trail-head, arriving at 8:45AM. My Uncle Ken and Aunt Martha decided to join us, so we met up with them at the parking lot. The weather was quite chilly, approximately 45 degrees at the base. As we were getting our gear together we could see our breath, though the clear skies and shining sun gave promise that it would warm up. I put on my new Icebreaker Merino Wool shirt as a base-layer so I knew I was going to be just fine.
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| Dad crossing the Gale River |
The Mt. Garfield trail-head begins from a small parking area about a mile down a gravel road off of Route 302. It is nice to be removed that far from the main road as it was nearly perfectly silent in the woods. There were a few other cars in the parking lot but nothing compared to some of the lots we drove by back in Franconia Notch. We started up the Mt. Garfield trail at 8:58AM. The trail started climbing right from the lot along a forested ridge, following alongside the Gale River. The trail at this point was in pretty good shape, though the piles of fallen leaves required you to be a bit careful on some sections, as hidden rocks and roots could easily trip you up.
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| The crew at the junction |
The trail then took a left and we began hiking along an old fire-road. This was nice because the trail was pretty wide and maintained a pretty moderate grade for the next few miles. We spent the majority of the hike up talking and joking, so the miles went by fairly quickly. We passed only a few other hikers along the way which was a nice change from the droves of people hiking on the Kinsmans the week prior. The absence of noise from cars, other people, and wind made the trail especially peaceful. While the Mt. Garfield trail doesn't offer many views while hiking up, the red, orange, and yellow leaves made it quite beautiful. A bit further up we came into a primarily birch tree covered section of the trail which offered a stark contrast to the colorful other trees that we had just hiked through. Come to find out, this particular section is actually called the "Burnt Knoll" as it was once completely burnt out, and the birch trees grew back in.
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| Paloma at the Summit |
We reached the junction with the Garfield Ridge Trail shortly thereafter. At this point, Ken and Martha decided to head back down, as they were in a rush to get back to let their dog outside. After a few snacks we said our goodbyes, and Paloma, my parents and I continued the hike up to the summit, .2 miles ahead. From the junction to the summit is the only remotely challenging portion of the trail. It was actually quite steep in a few sections. Though being only .2 miles, it didn't really challenge us too much. Before you knew it we emerged from the trees to the beautiful summit of Mt. Garfield at 11:40AM. The summit is primarily bare, with an old fire tower foundation at the very top. I of course decided to climb around in the foundation and sat on one of the old walls. The views were incredible - you could see in every direction. It was interesting to look over at the backside of the Franconia Ridge Mountains (Lafayette, Lincoln, etc.).
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| Summit of Mt. Garfield |
We sat down on a rock outcrop to have lunch and take some more photos. I explored around the summit and came across another American Flag tribute to a fallen NH soldier, the second one I have encountered. I really like what this guy is doing. We finished up lunch, took a few more photos, and began to head back down at 12:08PM. We knew from the start that the descent was going to be a quick one, and we welcomed this since Paloma had plans in Boston that she needed to get back for. Given that the grades on the trail were moderate, the hike down felt extremely fast. We arrived back at the parking lot at 2:17PM and headed back to our place.
All in all this was a great hike. I definitely recommend this for anyone looking to get in some decent mileage but not be killed by difficult terrain. While there was nothing too significant about the trail, it was still quite beautiful. The summit is one of the best I have been on which more than makes up for the "boring" trail. It was nice to hike with Ken and Martha as this was the first time I have done so - I would like to hike with them again in the future!
Hike Stats
Trails: Mt. Garfield Trail
Total Time (Including Breaks): 5:20
Distance: 10 Miles
Elevation Gain: 3000'
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