Hiking the 4000 Footers: Mount Garfield 9.9.2012

Via Garfield Trail

10 miles

3000 feet of elevation

Number 26 on the list!

Ambitious hikers can connect a multi mountain trip and hit Galehead, Garfield and possibly the Twins with a car spot and extra Gu packs.

We have spent a lot of time with this trusty little map

We elected to split up the peaks to avoid car spotting because, well, frankly driving up in two cars is not only  environmentally bad- it is just plain ol' boring for us. 

Owl's Head from Garfield- fun little 18 miler we hiked this summer - Side note- I LOVE bringing a baseball hat with me hiking. When we are up on these peaks the sun is always beating in from above and it is such a relief to throw on a cap!

The weather was absolutely gorgeous for us which is a great relief from the many days of hiking in high heat and humidity all summer long. The trails were already less crowded than they were this summer, because for some reason September means- stop hiking- to many groups of people. All the better for us- as the trails start to clear out of the vacationing groups from the south.

Franconia Ridgeline from Garfield- Lafyette, Lincoln, Little Haystack; Liberty and Flume in the distance

Garfield was a relatively easy hike compared to some of the other peaks we managed this summer. There were some steep stretches and long sections of rocky scrambles, but for the most part- manageable.

Owl's Head from Garfield

The views were amazing. The leaves were just starting to turn in the beginning of September when we went and you can already see the slight ting of change as you look out at Owl's Head and Lafayette.

Hiking the 4,000 Footers: Galehead 8.26.2012

Via Gale River Trail, Garfield Ridge Trail, Frost Trail

10.2 miles round trip

Number 25 on the List!

Galehead is a small mountain along the Garfield Ridge in Northern New Hampshire. Considered small at 4024 feet because Galehead's neighbors are more than 500 feet taller.

Galehead also boasts Galehead Hut, a popular pit stop and overnight for many backpackers. Typically Galehead is nabbed as part of either a multi-day trip or long day-trip. Due to our time constraints and schedule we elected to pick it up as an out and back day trip.

The intitial part of the trail to Galehead is re-routed due to recent damage from Hurricane Irene. It's very easy to follow for the most part as it sidesteps the fallen trees.

After completing so many of the longer more arduous 4000 footers this summer in intense heat and humidity  Galehead was a welcome treat. The hiking was relatively easy with some steep and rocky sections. 

View from the Hut

We caught up with a couple from Florida who just trekked across Franconia Ridge. They claimed to be a day behind schedule due to the unexpected difficulty of the trails. While they were regular gym goers and in fairly good shape- they claimed is was nothing compared to hiking these mountains. It has been a very common circumstance for us to come across hikers and backpackers that underestimated the difficulty of some of these hikes. I recently read on a website site that many people focus too much on the equipment end of hiking the White Mountains and underestimate the physical.

Adam's boots have been slowly falling apart all summer

Hitting Galehead Hut in the fall is a great time of year. The views are amazing and there are sustainability fewer hikers.

Galehead Mountain

View from Galehead Mountains; Looking down towards the Hut

View from Galehead

View from Galehead

Actual Summit

Vintage Camper of the Week

Via

I could just imagine myself now, driving the west coast with this little ruby beauty attached to my ride. Stopping at the Redwoods, camping on some beaches....

Hiking the 4,000 Footers: The Twins 8.24.2012

Via North Twin Trail and North Twin Spur

11.2 miles round trip

3700 feet of elevation gain

Numbers 23 and 24 on the list!

Our hike to the Twins in late August was breath taking and amazing. One of our last super hot and humid hikes for the winter. The trail up to the twins was steep for a long grueling stretch, but the views were completely amazing and worth it.

The mountain includes a good sized river crossing early on. We were fortunate enough to encounter low water levels, but definiately could be tricky at different times of year and depending on the rain fall.

After summitting North Twin enjoy the scenic vistas on both sides. The side trip a few hundred feet off the trail towards the "scenic vista" sign is well worth it!

Coming Down From South Twin

North Twin

The hike to South Twin is another one of those "looks so far away" types of summits. In reality it takes around 30 minutes to reach the next summit and the view is equally awe inspiring. We were so fortunate to have North Twin all to ourselves for lunch. It was amazing to look out towards Owl's Head and Lafayette- both peaks we summited earlier this summer.

Looking Towards Galehead

The Twins are an amazing set of mountains to hike. I highly recommend the trip for anyone. The views are just spectacular- some of the best we have seen this summer!

South Twin

Urban Spoke

One of my favorite things about blogging and sharing my outdoor lifestyle with everyone is learning about other like minded people! Nicole from Urban Spoke recently contacted me regarding their recent unveiling of their online store.

A quick jaunt around their site lead me to these great WTF bells- perfect Christmas present for any cyclist!

Hiking Down From Jefferson

We had another great day grabbing number 35 on the list! Coming down off of Mount Jefferson around noon. Fairly low visibility and wind speeds somewhere around 35 mph. Fun!

Mountain Girl Art

via

Think about this over the weekend....

Upcoming

I'm still working on hiking all of the White Mountain's 4,000 peaks from the 48's list. We are up to number 34 on the list and I will be posting some of my all time favorite summits. Stay tuned!

Mountain Girl Art

The Wheat Field | Katie Daisy

I love Katie Daisy's artwork- perfect for the mountain girl inside of you!

Ibex Tent Sale

Photo Source

One of my favorite things about fall- the ibex tent sale. Seriously fabulous deals on seriously fabulous clothing. Sign up for ibex's emails if you are an east coaster and mark your calendars in advance.

Hiking the WM 4,000 Footers: Field and Willey 8.23.2010

Via the Avalon Trail and A-Z Trail- Out and Back

Numbers 21 and 22 on the List!

When we started hiking the list earlier this summer I never thought we would be well into our 20s for mountains climbed. Our hiking goal of "the list" all started with a hike up Mount Tom- seemingly inconspicuous mountain nestled into Crawford Notch Region. What would have been considered an easy hike for most kicked our sorry, out of shape behinds into gear.

Mount Tom really should be hiked with Mount Field and Mount Willey in mind. Really it is a peak baggers dream, because there is the possibility of climbing all three mountains in one relatively short day.

Instead when we climbed Tom in June we didn't even think about grabbing Field and Willey. So here we were again- in much better shape and out to see Mount Tom's friends.

Compared to where we were physically in the beginning of the season we were able to hightail it up these mountains. The trail was in great shape- not too crowded, no major river crossings, and generally easy slope.