BIGEarl
Well-known member
July 12, 2009: TTGGLL Traverse
Trails: North Twin Trail, North Twin Spur, Twinway, Frost Trail, Garfield Ridge Trail, Franconia Ridge Trail, Falling Waters Trail
Summits: North Twin, South Twin, Galehead, Garfield, Lafayette, Lincoln
Hikers: Trail Trotter (Sue) and me.
Sue and I hiked this route last year and really enjoyed the day – except for when we were forced to take cover in a strong storm. We decided a re-run would be a good idea with hopefully better conditions. The forecast for the day was a good one. Sue told me when she planned to be passing through Nashua and I was on the highway a few minutes earlier. We agreed to meet at a usual fuel stop along the way. We spotted her car at the trailhead for the Falling Waters Trail and then went to the end of Haystack Road and the trailhead for the North Twin Trail – the start of our hike.
The overnight rain storms had passed but there was still an overcast sky. We set off with very wet conditions on the North Twin Trail, including lots of mud which was generally the normal condition for the day. Immediately I was aware of the Little River. It was running quite a bit above the last time through and I knew we would skip the first two crossings and have some fun with the third. We reached the third crossing and continued upstream. The crossings get easier above the island. We worked our way into the stream, selected a string of rocks for a rock-hop crossing and headed for the other side. We both arrived with dry feet. That’s a good start. There’s no need to head back downstream to the usual crossing location to get on trail. From the crossing point it is an easy and short bushwhack straight up the slope to the trail. The North Twin Trail then climbs 2400 feet in the next 2.4 miles to the summit of N. Twin – our first target for the day. Along the way we climbed into the clouds at approximately 4200 feet. There will be no views from N. Twin today. We got a couple summit pictures and set off for South Twin via the N. Twin Spur.
The hike to South Twin is a short one but wet and muddy. The brush has really closed in on this trail. We came through a section of approximately .25 miles that had been cut back and the trail was really open. I hoped more of this trail would be brushed out in a similar way. On the way to S. Twin we came upon a large brown dog and then its owner. The fellow was standing in the trail with a pair of lopping sheers. He was doing the work of opening the trail. He had a big job and was doing it well. We visited for a few minutes and were soon on our way. Still in the clouds we passed over the summit of S. Twin, got the usual summit shots, and took the Twinway for the Galehead Hut. When we were preparing to leave the summit area a long string of guests from the Galehead Hut started arriving.
We worked our way down to the Galehead Hut. Along the way there were times when the clouds were breaking and interesting views to Garfield were available. I got a few very nice pictures in this section. The trail was quite wet but the footing was good and we had no problems with the descent from S. Twin. We reached the hut and decided to visit Galehead Mountain before stopping for a lunch break. After a short break we set off on the Frost Trail for the quick up and down of Galehead. The sky was still generally overcast but the clouds were lifting and we enjoyed some nice views from the outlook. On the hike back down Sue took a fall and injured her leg. All week she had been beating up her left leg but this time it was her right – nice to spread the damage around. We returned to the hut, had some lunch, topped off the water supply, and Sue tended to her beat-up leg. Soon, we were hiking the Garfield Ridge Trail for Mount Garfield.
The Garfield Ridge Trail was is pretty good shape considering the amount of water everywhere. The mud pits were all easy to pass – with poles. Near the Gale River Trail junction we met Pokey (Althea), her hiking partner Bob, and their canine friend hiking to Galehead Mountain. We stopped for a brief visit and were soon on our way. The hiker traffic was light most of the way to Mount Garfield. Just before reaching the Franconia Brook Trail junction we started to see quite an increase. Everybody was commenting about climbing a waterfall on Garfield. They were also warning us of the dangerous conditions. Needless to say, both Sue and I were getting excited – this sounded like fun! I knew the section of trail these people were discussing (a couple hundred feel of trail below the Garfield Ridge Campsite) since there is generally water flowing on the trail. Evidently all of the recent rain had significantly increased the flow. We arrived at “the waterfall”, looked things over, and climbed it. Probably a descent would be difficult but the climb was very easy and without a problem.
We made a quick stop at the campsite to top-off the water and finished the climb to the summit. We had the place to ourselves. After a few pictures it was time to either add a couple layers due to the wind or to set off for Lafayette. We hit the trail for Lafayette. The Garfield Ridge Trail west of Mount Garfield is the best part of the trail. The trail itself is in great shape, there are fewer PUDs, and I find the scenery much more enjoyable. The bad part is the amount of elevation loss (1200 feet) and then gain (2050 feet) on the way to Lafayette. The best part is after the junction with the Skookumchuck Trail; from here on we’re above the treeline until we start down on the Falling Waters Trail. We continued to meet eastbound hikers all of the way to the summit of North Lafayette but the frequency dropped off. We were still dealing with gray overcast conditions but the views were terrific. Above the treeline we both pulled out a jacket to counter the wind and made the final climb to Lafayette.
On Lafayette we stopped to enjoy the great 360 degree views. Before the hike Sue commented on how great it is to have the hike end on “view” peaks since most hikes get the rewards out of the way early. We had a treat waiting for us late in the hike. Even though North Twin and South Twin were clouded in we forgot all of that with the stop on Lafayette. We still had to make our way over Lincoln and on to Little Haystack for our exit. It was getting into the evening hours and we needed to keep moving. Before reaching Lafayette Sue had become quiet and I was a little concerned that she was upset about something. She assured me everything was okay. Perhaps she was a little tired – we had a tough week. On Lafayette, Sue got her second wind (she commented there can be more than one second wind with her - scary). Like a shot we were headed down the ridge over Truman to Lincoln. I stopped a few times for pictures along the way but Sue was always ready to run. We hit Lincoln and noticed the summit of Lafayette was now clouded over. Our timing was good. We got the summit pictures and set off for Little Haystack, the Falling Waters Trail, and our exit.
We were able to get roughly thirty minutes into the Falling Waters Trail, well past the Shining Rock Spur, before the headlights were on. From there it was a quiet hike. What a rough trail this is. In winter, I really enjoy the Falling Waters Trail. But now – there are places I’d rather be. We worked through the switchbacks finally reaching the stream crossing at the top of the falls. From here life took a turn for the worse. A year ago Sue and I completed this hike and found the section of the Falling Waters Trail in the vicinity of the falls to be very poorly marked and many of the blazes that do exist are in terrible shape. Night hiking was a real test. Well, nothing has changed. There is a sign further out on the trail that states the trail is maintained by the AMC. Dear AMC – buy some paint – and use it! Trail finding cost us at least an hour. I know, hikers shouldn’t be in the woods after dark.
Finally out, we quickly packed our things into the waiting car and headed for Haystack Road to retrieve the Earlmobile. After a quick change of footwear we said our goodbyes and set off south for home.
Thanks Sue, for sharing your vacation with me. We came up a few peaks short but still had a terrific week of hiking.
Pictures will follow.
I’ve posted some pictures from the hike. There are also a couple videos of the Garfield Ridge Trail waterfall.
BIGEarl's Pictures
Straight to the slideshow
Trails: North Twin Trail, North Twin Spur, Twinway, Frost Trail, Garfield Ridge Trail, Franconia Ridge Trail, Falling Waters Trail
Summits: North Twin, South Twin, Galehead, Garfield, Lafayette, Lincoln
Hikers: Trail Trotter (Sue) and me.
Sue and I hiked this route last year and really enjoyed the day – except for when we were forced to take cover in a strong storm. We decided a re-run would be a good idea with hopefully better conditions. The forecast for the day was a good one. Sue told me when she planned to be passing through Nashua and I was on the highway a few minutes earlier. We agreed to meet at a usual fuel stop along the way. We spotted her car at the trailhead for the Falling Waters Trail and then went to the end of Haystack Road and the trailhead for the North Twin Trail – the start of our hike.
The overnight rain storms had passed but there was still an overcast sky. We set off with very wet conditions on the North Twin Trail, including lots of mud which was generally the normal condition for the day. Immediately I was aware of the Little River. It was running quite a bit above the last time through and I knew we would skip the first two crossings and have some fun with the third. We reached the third crossing and continued upstream. The crossings get easier above the island. We worked our way into the stream, selected a string of rocks for a rock-hop crossing and headed for the other side. We both arrived with dry feet. That’s a good start. There’s no need to head back downstream to the usual crossing location to get on trail. From the crossing point it is an easy and short bushwhack straight up the slope to the trail. The North Twin Trail then climbs 2400 feet in the next 2.4 miles to the summit of N. Twin – our first target for the day. Along the way we climbed into the clouds at approximately 4200 feet. There will be no views from N. Twin today. We got a couple summit pictures and set off for South Twin via the N. Twin Spur.
The hike to South Twin is a short one but wet and muddy. The brush has really closed in on this trail. We came through a section of approximately .25 miles that had been cut back and the trail was really open. I hoped more of this trail would be brushed out in a similar way. On the way to S. Twin we came upon a large brown dog and then its owner. The fellow was standing in the trail with a pair of lopping sheers. He was doing the work of opening the trail. He had a big job and was doing it well. We visited for a few minutes and were soon on our way. Still in the clouds we passed over the summit of S. Twin, got the usual summit shots, and took the Twinway for the Galehead Hut. When we were preparing to leave the summit area a long string of guests from the Galehead Hut started arriving.
We worked our way down to the Galehead Hut. Along the way there were times when the clouds were breaking and interesting views to Garfield were available. I got a few very nice pictures in this section. The trail was quite wet but the footing was good and we had no problems with the descent from S. Twin. We reached the hut and decided to visit Galehead Mountain before stopping for a lunch break. After a short break we set off on the Frost Trail for the quick up and down of Galehead. The sky was still generally overcast but the clouds were lifting and we enjoyed some nice views from the outlook. On the hike back down Sue took a fall and injured her leg. All week she had been beating up her left leg but this time it was her right – nice to spread the damage around. We returned to the hut, had some lunch, topped off the water supply, and Sue tended to her beat-up leg. Soon, we were hiking the Garfield Ridge Trail for Mount Garfield.
The Garfield Ridge Trail was is pretty good shape considering the amount of water everywhere. The mud pits were all easy to pass – with poles. Near the Gale River Trail junction we met Pokey (Althea), her hiking partner Bob, and their canine friend hiking to Galehead Mountain. We stopped for a brief visit and were soon on our way. The hiker traffic was light most of the way to Mount Garfield. Just before reaching the Franconia Brook Trail junction we started to see quite an increase. Everybody was commenting about climbing a waterfall on Garfield. They were also warning us of the dangerous conditions. Needless to say, both Sue and I were getting excited – this sounded like fun! I knew the section of trail these people were discussing (a couple hundred feel of trail below the Garfield Ridge Campsite) since there is generally water flowing on the trail. Evidently all of the recent rain had significantly increased the flow. We arrived at “the waterfall”, looked things over, and climbed it. Probably a descent would be difficult but the climb was very easy and without a problem.
We made a quick stop at the campsite to top-off the water and finished the climb to the summit. We had the place to ourselves. After a few pictures it was time to either add a couple layers due to the wind or to set off for Lafayette. We hit the trail for Lafayette. The Garfield Ridge Trail west of Mount Garfield is the best part of the trail. The trail itself is in great shape, there are fewer PUDs, and I find the scenery much more enjoyable. The bad part is the amount of elevation loss (1200 feet) and then gain (2050 feet) on the way to Lafayette. The best part is after the junction with the Skookumchuck Trail; from here on we’re above the treeline until we start down on the Falling Waters Trail. We continued to meet eastbound hikers all of the way to the summit of North Lafayette but the frequency dropped off. We were still dealing with gray overcast conditions but the views were terrific. Above the treeline we both pulled out a jacket to counter the wind and made the final climb to Lafayette.
On Lafayette we stopped to enjoy the great 360 degree views. Before the hike Sue commented on how great it is to have the hike end on “view” peaks since most hikes get the rewards out of the way early. We had a treat waiting for us late in the hike. Even though North Twin and South Twin were clouded in we forgot all of that with the stop on Lafayette. We still had to make our way over Lincoln and on to Little Haystack for our exit. It was getting into the evening hours and we needed to keep moving. Before reaching Lafayette Sue had become quiet and I was a little concerned that she was upset about something. She assured me everything was okay. Perhaps she was a little tired – we had a tough week. On Lafayette, Sue got her second wind (she commented there can be more than one second wind with her - scary). Like a shot we were headed down the ridge over Truman to Lincoln. I stopped a few times for pictures along the way but Sue was always ready to run. We hit Lincoln and noticed the summit of Lafayette was now clouded over. Our timing was good. We got the summit pictures and set off for Little Haystack, the Falling Waters Trail, and our exit.
We were able to get roughly thirty minutes into the Falling Waters Trail, well past the Shining Rock Spur, before the headlights were on. From there it was a quiet hike. What a rough trail this is. In winter, I really enjoy the Falling Waters Trail. But now – there are places I’d rather be. We worked through the switchbacks finally reaching the stream crossing at the top of the falls. From here life took a turn for the worse. A year ago Sue and I completed this hike and found the section of the Falling Waters Trail in the vicinity of the falls to be very poorly marked and many of the blazes that do exist are in terrible shape. Night hiking was a real test. Well, nothing has changed. There is a sign further out on the trail that states the trail is maintained by the AMC. Dear AMC – buy some paint – and use it! Trail finding cost us at least an hour. I know, hikers shouldn’t be in the woods after dark.
Finally out, we quickly packed our things into the waiting car and headed for Haystack Road to retrieve the Earlmobile. After a quick change of footwear we said our goodbyes and set off south for home.
Thanks Sue, for sharing your vacation with me. We came up a few peaks short but still had a terrific week of hiking.
Pictures will follow.
I’ve posted some pictures from the hike. There are also a couple videos of the Garfield Ridge Trail waterfall.
BIGEarl's Pictures
Straight to the slideshow
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