Also on this trip

Trails Used

North Twin Trail, North Twin Spur, Twinway, Frost Trail, Garfield Ridge Trail, Mount Garfield Trail

Trail Conditions

Notes

Any day that starts with a pumpkin oat bar from Maia Papaya and ends with Yaya's Pizza is going to be a good day. And so it was. Despite the incredibly full lot, the nature of this route leads to people not clustering. Unless you're a 20 something dude, then you'll be meeting several hundred of your kind at Guyot tonight. So day hikers must only get to North Twin faster than everyone else and you'll glide until Garfield. Conditions are starting to warn of edge season - cold wind at summits requiring hats, gloves and extra jackets. Small patches of ice on wet rocks, especially the lower half of the climb down from South Twin. Other than that and a few minor sections of mud, things are in good shape. And of course, huge thanks to the random truckload of people that drove me from Garfield TH to North Twin TH. That's a far more pleasant ride than road run. Also thanks to the couple from Maryland who was deathly afraid of speaking to someone asking for a ride near a trailhead. The terror in your faces was equally amusing and confusing.

Parking

All of Massachusetts was at the North Twin TH by 8am. Any spots they left open were filled by VT and Maine. Still, it wasn't that bad. You only had to park 3-4 mins walking distance to get to the trailhead.

Water Crossings

The North Twin crossing was rock hoppable without too much thinking. Everything else was easy to get across.

Also on this trip

Trails Used

Guyot Shelter spur, bondcliff trail, twinway, north twin spur, north twin trail, fire wardens trail, hale brook trail

Trail Conditions

Notes

We got sunrise from the shelter and what a sunrise it was!!! We made good time to the twins and wow was north twin trail getting more and more eroded! My soul died up the fire wardens trail but wow was it beautiful! Hale brook up towards the top Is still getting worse!

Parking

My car was still there!

Water Crossings

No issues

Wildlife

None

Also on this trip

Trails Used

North Twin Trail, North Twin Spur

Trail Conditions

Notes

37 @ the start, clear skies, beautiful morning. Fast flat 1st 1.9 miles mostly dry trail. River flowing but low, no issues crossing. Wet early in all the usual spots, gentle start, trail in great shape. It’s been awhile since I’ve gone this way and not as steep early as I remembered. It does get steep & never ending before it finally flattens out. Bright blue skis, views were incredible. Quite a few on North including two who finished their 48! Mud starts almost immediately on the Spur and continues most of the way to South. Several really unavoidable spots but rocks helped if you have long legs. Little more breezy on South but beautiful nonetheless. Lots of people on the way back to North. Hung out for a bit on the rocks enjoying some different views into both Maine & Vermont. Fast down no issues, several groups heading up. Perfect weather for my last hike of summer.

Parking

Lot was full @ 7 parked roadside before the bridge. Many in road @ 3

Water Crossings

Low levels made for easy rock hopping

Wildlife

Just the little flyers on spur

Also on this trip

Trails Used

Falling waters, Lincoln wood, Bond cliff, Twin, Garfield ridge trail

Trail Conditions

Notes

I did the alternative pemi loop in one day. Start: Falling waters trail and Little Haystack (Counter clockwise) Finish: Lafayette Bear Report Sep.12. 10:36AM When I was going up to the Mt. Bond cliff summit from Bond cliff trail (South to summit), middle size Black Bear came up from slide to the Bond Cliff trail. Fortunately, black bear just run away and was noting happened.

Also on this trip

Trails Used

Zealand Trail, Twinway, Mt. Zealand Spur, Bondcliff Trail, West Bond Spur, Bondcliff Trail, Twinway, North Twin Trail

Trail Conditions

Notes

First off, a huge thanks to Chad for the car spotting idea. This led to an stress-free day out and not having to worry if my text went through to catch a ride. Boy did it rain hard last night and this morning. We’ve been pretty spoiled this summer with weather but the mud and standing water on the trails is back. Had a great time today and this is a new way to avoid the long walk out to Lincoln Woods. All reports were that Guyot Shelter water is flowing well.

Parking

Zealand was nice and calm this morning. Coming back to get my car this afternoon made me feel like I was in a city trying to find a spot. North twin was jammed up for about a quarter mile after the bridge.

Water Crossings

Streams were flowing but manageable on Zealand Trail, Little River on North Twin Trail was rock hoppable. Water has come a bit with the rain recently but crossed without too many questionable steps.

Wildlife

Only one early on. Shocked it was out flying. Reminded me to close my mouth.

Also on this trip

Trails Used

Frost, Twinway (AT), North Twin Spur

Trail Conditions

Notes

Out & back from GH hut. Up ST was a challenge, but not as bad as I feared. Descending was definitely a lot slooower for me. Really enjoyed the trip out to NT & back, with a leisurely lunch at the NT outlook waiting out the clouds to clear to enjoy the famous views there & back at ST, which was socked in when we first arrived. Spending 2 nights at the hut really worked for us, giving us all day to travel at a comfortable & companionable pace & wait out the clouds to enjoy the views. And we made it back to the hut for dinner with hours to spare :)

Parking

out & back from GH hut (spots available yesterday at Gale River TH lot)

Water Crossings

none

Wildlife

almost none

Also on this trip

Trails Used

Gale River, Twinway, Bushwhack, North Twin Spur, North Twin

Trail Conditions

Notes

Today was a perfect day to tackle SW Twin. We went in from Gale River and out North Twin with a car spot. Here's how we attacked the bushwhack: -Attempted to follow David Darby's GPS tracks that others have noted. They're not perfect, but they're a great start. https://www.peakbagger.com/climber/ascent.aspx?aid=854365 -Avoided the first entry point that immediately puts you in thick trees and found a much more open one about .1 down the trail -Scott wore yellow tinted eye protection. Somehow it made parts of the bushwhack easier to see. -Hugged the left side of the first set of pines to avoid them. -Kept the southern drop just to our left after them -Fought through the thick stuff going down to the col -Made it to the true summit ok There is no obvious easy way to do this, but if you follow the above it will be less hard.

Parking

Road parking at Gale River TH and North Twin TH around 7am. Jam packed lots and roads in the afternoon.

Water Crossings

The big crossing 2 miles from the North Twin Trailhead was rock hoppable with a little bit of planning. Everything else is pretty dry.

Wildlife

A nice breeze kept them away

Also on this trip

Trails Used

North Twin, Twinway, Garfield Ridge, Gale River

Trail Conditions

Notes

An OTHH hike, with a smaller than typical group. Two of us started at 7am, and we didn't see anyone else on the North Twin trail until fairly high up, when we were passed easily by a sole hiker traveling light with a small back. The other two of us started later and caught up near the top of N.Twin. We made the 1.3 mile trak over to S.Twin mostly together, and along the way we encountered a number of others doing the out-and-back from S.Twin to bag North. They tagged up on North and beat us back to South, without packs, of course, and aided by being a small fraction of the age of even the youngest (ie. less old) of us. As we made our way down off South to the hut, we encountered the usual trickle of hikers coming up, mostly laden with heavier packs. Two of us dropped packs at the hut and bagged Galehead, while the other two of us took advantage of the opportunity to get a ride back to Haystack Rd by going down from S.Twin this way. The mileage would be about the same, we wouldn't have to regain N.Twin, and we wouldn't have to cross the Little River again. It was a long enough day even without Galehead, and I had been up there enough times already. Boy, does that lower couple of miles of easy walking out on the Gale River Trail go on forever at the end of a day!

Parking

There was plenty of space at the end of Haystack Road at 7am. There were more cars at the Gale River lot at 4:30pm, as expected for a lot at a trail going to one of the huts, but still there were spots open.

Water Crossings

As the generally dry period continues, with less rain overall, the rivers have been easy to cross. The Little River, two miles in, had enough water flowing to make us think carefully, but we made it easily enough, over two different routes right by the trail approach, using a few only slightly submerged rocks. Poles certainly helped, as did waterproof footwear. Other "crossings" of minor streams over the day were simple by comparison.

Wildlife

Again, no repellent applied at the start or along the hike, and bugs were not noticed.

Also on this trip

Trails Used

North Twin Trail, North Twin Spur, Twinway, Frost Trail, Garfield Ridge Trail, Gale River Trail

Trail Conditions

Notes

Huge thanks to Tammy for the car spot this morning. The North Twin trail is in great shape. There are a few muddy spots but most of the mud has firmed up and is supportive. The rocks up the steep section were dry and grippy. The usual mud pits between North and South Twin are thriving. Most of them have rocks placed to avoid the mud but check first before stepping. Don't ask me why I suggest this. The descent down to the hut was a fun playground and it was great talking with the NOBOS as they were ascending. The Frost trail is in good shape with a few muddy areas and mostly dry rocks. The trek out on Garfield Ridge and Gale River was uneventful and pretty quick given the dry conditions. It was lovely to bump into TrailDaddyRik and talk about the multitude of projects we both have going on right now. I met so many friendly hikers today and we all were so happy to be enjoying the beautiful weather. It doesn't get much better than this!

Parking

We pulled into Gale River Trailhead around 7:15am and cars were already on the road. Same with the North Twin trailhead.

Water Crossings

All were rock hoppable today. I had to use some rocks with water flowing on them to cross the Little River but those with longer legs would be able to use all dry rocks.

Wildlife

Not an issue

Also on this trip

Trails Used

North Twin Trail, North Twin Spur

Trail Conditions

Notes

The trail has had some great maintenance overall.

Parking

Parking lot was full just before 9 am, but plenty of parking available on Haystack Road.

Water Crossings

Rock Hopping required at the widest crossing. Very doable but caution as you will have to walk on top of slightly submerged rocks.

Wildlife

Bring some spray for lower trail area. Nothing at the summits.

Also on this trip

Trails Used

North Twin Trail, Fire Warden's Trail, Lend-a-Hand Trail, Twinway, Zealand Spur, North Twin Spur

Trail Conditions

Notes

Tried the Fire Warden's Loop for the very first time and found it to be a great 18-mile loop hike connecting some mountains that aren't commonly hiked together. Much thanks to SectionHiker.com for the hike description. I do have to say that starting with Hale and ending with North Twin was probably the correct choice, with the better views on the hike coming later in the day. The Fire Warden's Trail is very easy to follow, well-graded, and obviously maintained by some devoted locals. Finding the beginning of the Fire Warden's Trail wasn't hard, but I do feel like it deserves a sign at this point. The remaining trails were the usual July experience in the White Mountains. Zealand Falls Hut was busy and I was happy to see some leftover peach cobbler available for a small price.

Parking

Parking at the North Twin trailhead had overflowed onto the side of Haystack Road by the time I got there late morning, but was not far down the road. Available spots had already opened up at the trailhead too. Campsites along Haystack Road were well-populated during a warm summer weekend.

Water Crossings

There is now, as far as I can tell, only one crossing of the Little River on the North Twin Trail. It is located right where the trail begins gaining elevation up the northeast side of North Twin. Crossing was rock-hopped with moderate difficulty on this hike. The two previous crossings have been eliminated.

Wildlife

Bugs weren't too bad this hike. I did use a lemon-eucalyptus-based repellent and that helped compared to past weeks.

Trails Used

North Twin Trail

Trail Conditions

Notes

Get this one while the water level is low and the trail is dry! The first half is along the river and gently ascends 500 feet over 2 miles. The second half of the trail is a steady climb of almost 3000 feet over 2+ miles to the summit of North Twin. Its a typical 4000-footer: rocks, roots, little scrambles, some loose rocks. There are two great lookout points at the top. The first has views of the Presidential range, the second looks into the Pemi valley. I enjoyed this hike! I'll be posting a blog and video of this hike soon.

Parking

Parked at the end of Haystack Road. The road is in good condition and there was a lot of room in the lot.

Water Crossings

Easy rock hop, water level was low. I think the trail has been rerouted to avoid the first two river crossings. It still crosses smaller tributaries. I was able to rock hop the one river crossing and kept my feet dry, but some of the rocks were barely above the surface. There are a couple of smaller crossings on the ascent.

Wildlife

Some black flies are still around. I got a few bites but didn't bother with bug spray or other protection.

Also on this trip

Trails Used

North Twin Trail, Fire Warden's Trail, Lend-A-Hand Trail, Twinway, Bondcliff Trail, Lincoln Woods Trail, Osseo Trail, Franconia Ridge Trail, Garfield Ridge Trail, North Twin Spur

Trail Conditions

Notes

This extension of the conventional Pemi Loop was a hike I had planned for some time as a buildup to an endurance race, and the Lincoln Woods closure did not interfere with the route. Starting from the North Twin trailhead, this starts with Hale via the Fire Warden's Trail, makes a quick detour to Zealand Falls Hut, then heads up the Twinway to the Zeacliff outlook, Zealand, and the Bonds. The Bondcliff Trail marks the entry point to the standard Pemi Loop, which is then followed to the Osseo Trail (Lincoln Woods Trail is closed immediately south of this intersection), and across Franconia Ridge and Garfield Ridge. This is a formidable amount of climbing in the second half of the hike, and the South Twin ascent after 37.6 miles was the coup de grace. Trail conditions were excellent for the endeavor, with largely dry rocks, even on some of the typically wet sections of the Garfield Ridge Trail. The Bondcliff Trail had its typical muddy sections, but most of these could be avoided. The wettest segment of trail might have been the narrow corridor of the North Twin Spur. Most of the trails were unusually quiet for the Sunday of 4th of July weekend, but the Lincoln Woods closure and my civil twilight start had a lot to do with that. I encountered a number of friendly hikers between Zealand Falls Hut and Mt. Bond, and almost no one until miles later between Mt. Flume and Mt. Liberty. Though I was there around mid to late-afternoon, the number of hikers between Little Haystack and Mt. Lafayette was moderate rather than excessive. There were a few trail runners, all headed in the opposite direction, undoubtedly with similarly creative itineraries. Views were spectacular, and lower temperature and humidity made this endeavor much more pleasant than it would have been a few days earlier. Overall hike statistics: 44.0 miles, 14,050' gain, 18:20 elapsed time. Full details on Unnecessary Climb!

Parking

Ample parking at the end of Haystack Rd.

Water Crossings

Most significant crossing was the Little River 1.9 miles from the end of the North Twin Trail, and this could be creatively rock-hopped by headlamp. Water crossings on the Bondcliff Trail and Twinway were relatively easy rock hops.

Wildlife

Moderate presence of mosquitoes and small flies, most noticeable when stopped. One application of picaridin around mid-morning kept them away for the remainder of the day.

Trails Used

North Twin Trail

Trail Conditions

Notes

Wet spots on trail could mostly be navigated via rocks. Tree cover was welcome and the Little River was very inviting, we took a dip on the way out.

Water Crossings

Crossing at mile 2 could be done by rock-hopping or wading, which felt great on this hot day!

Wildlife

Black flies near and on summit, and they were biting.

Also on this trip

Trails Used

North Twin Trail, North Twin Spur

Trail Conditions

Notes

Have seen recent reports, mostly on AllTrails, that talks about crossing the river 3-5 times. Stay left for the first two miles from North Twin Trailhead and you only have to cross it once. Second mile from trailhead to the river is slippery in spots but nothing to be concerned about. Mud first appears after steep section heading up to North Twin and stays until getting to the col between the two peaks. Some spots are easy to navigate and some require tiptoeing on rocks. No real water on the trail with the exception of the next mile or so after the river crossing going up to North Twin from the trailhead. It was minor today and even though some of the rocks were wet in this section, it didn’t impede travel. Blue skies and Canadian wildfire smoke at the top of South Twin.

Parking

Haystack Road was being graded on my way out around 1:45pm.

Water Crossings

Major crossing two miles in looks like there are spots to rock hop above and below the normal crossing. I didn’t care to look for a spot to cross without getting wet and was able to act like I was fjording the river on The Oregon Trail and only get wet to my knees. Water felt good. Crossings on stream further up could be navigated without getting wet as it was only an inch or two of water flowing.

Wildlife

Black flies were out in full force about 3/10 mile before North Twin Peak and South Twin Peak. Not biting, just looking to get into your face.

Also on this trip

Trails Used

Gale River Trail, Garfield Ridge Trail, Frost Trail, Twinway, North Twin Spur, North Twin Trail

Trail Conditions

Notes

WOWZA what a day! Our crew was the BOMB today. Gale River trail has the usual muddy spots and still has a good bit of running water on the trail. Garfield Ridge trail was a bit drier but still had some wet rocks. The hut was open and had some kind of decadent chocolate brownie thing for sale. Highly recommended. We picked up Dave at the hut and kept him for the rest of the day. The trek up to Galehead was also wet and had some good muddy sections. The slog up to South Twin hasn't changed a bit. The rocks seemed a bit drier here. We met up with many friends along the way which was nice. The stretch between South and North Twin has some impressive mud and water. No legs or shoes escaped unscathed. The North Twin trail had less mud but still had wet rocks which required some care to descend. The trail after the water crossing was in really nice shape with far less mud. This was an outstanding day for our crew. Luke closed out another round of the 48, Caroline knocked off 3 more for her list, Dave closed out June for his over 65 grid, and I closed out June for my second grid. So much to celebrate today!

Parking

We spotted cars at the North Twin trail and drove over to Gale River Trailhead to start the hike. I was on the road at the North Twin trail, as were others from our crew. By the time we got to Gale River trail, we grabbed the last spot in the lot and others were parking on the road.

Water Crossings

All the crossings on the Gale River Trail were easily rock hopped. The large crossing on the North Twin Trail was trickier. One of our crew managed to rock hop it successfully. The rest of us waded. The water was knee deep in the shallower spots and thigh deep in the deeper areas.

Wildlife

As usual, I was attacked by bugs on all summits while the rest of the crew was unbothered. There were black flies biting but not as badly as earlier this month.

Trails Used

North Twin Trail

Trail Conditions

Notes

Mainly went out for vert and to sweat all the stress outta my body since it was a steamy day. Sat at the outlook on North and thought I have no desire, need or reason to go over to south so I didn't. Trail is pretty dry and the Little River stream crossing involves wet shoes until it recedes down some more. First time doing this as just an out and back since the first time I did North twin in Joly of 2017 (so, so long ago)

Parking

Got a vip lot spot @8am, many cars along road when returning

Water Crossings

I waded both directions - on semi-submerged rocks up and straight thru the stream on descent

Wildlife

Annoying on the summit, nonexistent below 4k'

Also on this trip

Trails Used

Gale River Trail, Garfield Ridge Trail, Frost Trail, Twinway, North Twin Spur, North Twin Trail

Trail Conditions

Notes

The only issue of interest today was that the major crossing on the North Twin Trail is still running high. Wading across barefoot in shorts was not a problem, though. Still quite muddy in spots. Glorious day!

Parking

Started early, no issues!

Water Crossings

I took off my shoes for the big crossing on the North Twin Trail. Probably could have 'hopped it if I had waterproof boots. Refreshing!

Wildlife

A few in the parking lot, but that was it, thanks to a cool breeze.

Trails Used

North Twin trail

Trail Conditions

Notes

All the water crossings were managable. The last one across the river we did manage to find a way using the rocks, but it wasn't easy

Water Crossings

We were able to find a way scross using the rocks.

Wildlife

Not yet

Also on this trip

Trails Used

Gale River Trail, Garfield Ridge Trail, Frost Trail, Twinway, North Twin Spur, North Twin Trail

Trail Conditions

Notes

Well the road is open and we were going! We did a point to point car spot which was nice. We made our way up to the hut where we dumped our bags for our short trip to Galehead. Once back, we got our bags and headed up to S Twin. Met many backpackers, pemi day loopers and day hikers today, everyone seems to be out. There was maybe a golf balls size of snow left which you would have walked right on by. We filtered some water throughout there as well. We enjoyed the quite small amount of with on S twin with some food and laughs. We headed over to N twin which is where the people started to disappear from. We met Jeff on the summit and a few black flies. Headed on down and saw the forest service doing some trailwork. Some new sections of the trail seems to have been changed from the last time we were here. Once down, we went and got our other car and done for the day!

Parking

Everyone knows the roads are open, small lot full and parking on 1 side of the road for haystack and we parked in the lot for gale river

Water Crossings

Got 1 foot wet in the n twin trail crossing

Wildlife

Only at n twin trailhead

Also on this trip

Trails Used

Gale River Trail, Garfield Ridge Trail, Frost Trail, Twinway, North Twin Spur, North Twin Trail, Haystack Road, FR 22

Trail Conditions

Notes

The Gale River Trail is in decent shape, standing water on the trail for a few hundred feet down low, with muddy sections here and there. Garfield Ridge Trail, Frost Trail, and Twinway are a little slippery in spots at the moment, with some mud, but overall not too bad 48 hours after a heavy rainfall. North Twin Spur had some easily avoidable monorail, which should be gone by next weekend. There were a few sections of standing water on the trail, and the trail is very scratchy for the first 0.25 miles descending from South Twin. North Twin Trail has a few muddy sections and a couple of spots with running water on the trail. The trail is becoming severely eroded about halfway down to just above the water crossing. From Little River to the trailhead is in nice shape. Haystack Road is looking good and should open soon. FR 22 - Corridor 11 snowmo trail, which connects Haystack Road to the uppermost dead end of Gale River Road, was 75% dry and 25% muddy. It's a very pleasant route to make a loop if you don't want to back track. Fair warning, it does contain a 450' PUD. Beautiful day out, summer temps with a nice breeze on South Twin. The dog had a blast getting extremely muddy!

Parking

Gale River Trailhead lot less than half full

Water Crossings

Gale River water crossings are rock hops. Little River was running a little high. I rock hopped most of the way across, then just walked through the water the last ten feet or so. It wasn't deep, less than a foot, and the current wasn't fast.

Wildlife

They are starting to show up, but none are biting yet.

Also on this trip

Trails Used

lincoln woods, osseo, franconia ridge, garfield ridge, frost, twinway, north twin spur, bondcliff trail, west bond spur

Trail Conditions

Equipment

Notes

This was a three day backpacking trip of the extended pemi loop from 5/7 to 5/9. I camped at garfield ridge campsite and guyot campsite. The tent platforms were all exposed and there was water flowing at each spring. I had a wide range of different conditions. I used microspikes for a few tricky sections but most of this was bare bootable. The osseo trail was melted with swampy sections above the ladders. Between liberty and flume there was still deep snow and monorail. Between liberty and haystack it was mostly melted with a few patches of snow. Lincoln and Lafayette were bare rock. Garfield ridge was mostly melted with a lot of puddles. There was some annoying monorail left between gale river trail and the hut. The twin way up to south twin was mostly melted. The north twin spur was narrow monorail that was a pain to hike across. There were puddles with a thin layer of ice over them. Between south twin and guyot it was mostly monorail with only a few melted sections. The twinway from guyot to Zealand had a lot of monorail left. The bonds had some monorail, particularly on the west bond spur. The Bondcliff trail below Bondcliff was melted with avoidable snow.

Water Crossings

The crossings on the bondcliff trail were all easy.

Also on this trip

Trails Used

Little River Rd, Herd path, Haystack Rd, North Twin Trail, North Twin Spur Trail, Twinway, Frost Trail, Gale River Trail, Gale River Loop Rd, Beaver Brook Rec. Area trail

Trail Conditions

Equipment

Notes

We started from 7 Dwarfs and barebooted until about 3600 feet where we put on microspikes. We took the spikes off briefly from the summit of South Twin to a bit down the trail. We kept the spikes on until about 3100 feet on Gale River Trail. Monorail is mostly stable but pretty pointy in places, especially on the ascent to South Twin. Little River crossing is fine just a bit upriver from the usual crossing. All other crossings were easy rock hops.

Parking

Left a car at Beaver Brook Rec. Area and another at 7 Dwarfs and left $10 at in the mailbox.

Water Crossings

All crossings were rock hops today.

Also on this trip

Trails Used

Haystack Road, North Twin Trail, Fire Wardens Trail, Lend-A-Hand Trail, Twinway, North Twin Spur, Frost Trail, Garfield Ridge Trail, Mount Garfield Trail, FR 117, Gale River Road, FR 22

Trail Conditions

Equipment

Notes

Snow starts about halfway up Mount Hale. The last half mile is over a shallow monorail, best in spikes, but can be barebooted early in the morning before it becomes slippery. I kept spikes on halfway down Lend-A-Hand Trail. Twinway starts as bare ground, then a narrow monorail forms, but rocks and roots break it up in spots. I barebooted to just past the ladder steps above Zeacliff where the snow levels gradually increased. Heading up to Guyot there is still a lot of snow, very deep with a narrow monorail forming. The two miles between Guyot and South Twin could still be snowshoed if you really wanted to, but it was fine in spikes. There were very deep week-old postholes throughout, which looked painful for whoever left them. Snow was supportive early in the morning, but I would not want to be out here on a warm afternoon, you'll probably posthole to your waist. Twinway down to the hut is a mix of rocks and monorail with some ice, rock spikes are fine. North Twin Spur, leaving South Twin for a quarter mile, is quite ridiculous at the moment. There is an extremely slippery, narrow, deep monorail with branches encroaching on the trail. The rest of the way over to North Twin is easier to deal with, not great but ok. Frost Trail still is holding a decent amount of snow with a stable monorail Garfield Ridge Trail from the hut to Mount Garfield is holding up better than I expected, the snow-covered sections are never too deep, and the monorail was stable. Plenty of bare sections along the way too, including the waterfall section, where I took my spikes off and picked my way up, easily avoiding the icy spots. Mount Garfield Trail has a stable monorail for a mile, where it peters out quickly, the rest of the trail is a mix of the usual April conditions, - sometimes wet, sometimes dry, sometimes muddy. After the water crossing, I hopped onto an old snowmobile corridor to Gale River Road, walking the road a half mile past the Gale River trailhead where I banged a right and followed the snowmobile corridor over to Haystack Road, and then back to Seven Dwarfs.

Parking

$10 at Seven Dwarfs Motel

Water Crossings

Easy rock hops at the moment

Also on this trip

Trails Used

Little River Rd, herd path, Haystack Rd, North Twin Trail, North Twin Spur, Twinway, Frost Trail, Garfield Ridge Trail, Gale River Trail, Gale River Road, Beaver Brook ski trails

Trail Conditions

Equipment

Notes

No snow up to 2900 feet on both ends of the traverse. The monorail is very narrow and crumbling in places especially between north and south. We postholed a lot as it was so easy to slide off of the narrow monorail. Exhausting day. Little River crossing was a hoot. Even with bags we all got wet feet and had to change socks and use plastic bags inside of our shoes. It was a long hike with the road walks and the miserable monorail. We met one person finishing up his 48 on North Twin. We meet two others who had intended to do the pemi loop but decided to stop at North Twin due to the monorail conditions slowing their pace. They had shorts on and one of them had 1000 cuts on his shins.

Parking

Seven Dwarfs ($10.00), and Beaver Brook ($5.00)

Water Crossings

We crossed Little River with trash bags. They did not work very well as water rushed over the top of them or small holes occurred when crossing. We still got wet. The current is strong. You need poles and thoughtful placement of your feet. The other many crossing were easier though several required that you put your feet on submerged rocks.

Wildlife

a few flying bugs

Also on this trip

Trails Used

Beaver Brook Parking, ski trail, Gale River Trail, Garfield Ridge Trail, Frost Trail, Twinway, North Twin Spur then back the same trails minus Frost Trail

Trail Conditions

Equipment

Notes

We did this hike as an in an out from Beaver Brook Parking area due to the impassable water crossing on the North Twin Trail Little River crossing (except for someone who is much younger and loves risk). Parked at Beaver Brook and took the ski trail to FS road to trailhead. Bareboots to second water crossing, then microspikes for the rest of the hike until back to the crossing. Gale River Trail was very wet requiring walked through water. After the 2nd crossing there was a monorail that improved higher up. Good narrow monorail to Galehead. No problem with Microspikes to South Twin Summit. And then the fun began - very narrow deterioating monorail to North Twin with spruce branches trying to push you off and into posthole land. On the way back the monorails were less stable but still OK. (16.5 miles, 11.5 hours, 4,700 elevation change)

Parking

Beaver Brook $5.00 fee - no other cars.

Water Crossings

First Crossing - Rock Hopping and underwater rocks, 2nd crossing upstream boulder jumping. Both crossings doable but require care and using submerged rocks.

Wildlife

None

Also on this trip

Trails Used

Little River Rd, herd path, Haystack Rd, North Twin Trail, North Twin Spur, Twinway, Frost Trail, Garfield Ridge Trail, Gale River Trail, Gale River Road, Beaver Brook ski trails

Trail Conditions

Equipment

Notes

After the warmth and rain coming this week, these conditions will change dramatically. We barebooted until 1/2 mile up North Twin. We waited for consistent snow. And then put on Hillsound spikes. The snow was very firm up to North Twin. Very little ice. Heading to South Twin in the sun, the snow was softer and a bit sticky. Heading down to Galehead, it was firm and grippy. The walk out on the Gale River trail was great. Shortly before the river crossing, we removed our spikes. Barebooted the rest of the day.

Parking

Plenty of space at Seven Dwarfs ($10.00), and Beaver Brook ($5.00)

Water Crossings

The first crossing on the North Twin Trail after the ladder was tricky. The rocks were very slippery and icy. We were barebooting, but spikes would have helped. For the main crossing of Little River, we wore trash bags. The current was strong and do not attempt this without poles. Water is knee deep in places. We crossed up stream about 20 yards. The crossings on Gale River Trail were all rock hoppable.

Wildlife

Did not see any!

Also on this trip

Trails Used

Galeh River Rd, Garfield Trail, Garfield Ridge Trail, Frost Trail, Twinway, North Twin Trail, Haystack Road

Trail Conditions

Equipment

Notes

Dropped a car a 7 dwarfs for this traverse. Garfield Trail is a highway and we barebooted to the GRT junction. Over to Galehead is way better than it was 6 weeks ago, with the snow levels now much lower.The trail can get a little hard to follow at times, however. Snow was firm and supportive, post holed a few times but no big deal. Continued firmness all the way until descending North Twin. Spikes came off about .5 from the crossing. Went up and downstream, no good spot to stay dry. Can confirm trash bags are useless, got wet anyway. Oh well we were almost done at that point.

Water Crossings

Little River is not very little. Expect to get wet here.

Also on this trip

Trails Used

Road Walk, North Twin Trail, North Twin Spur, Twin Way, Frost, Bushwhack, Garfield Ridge, Gale River, Road Walk, Ski Trails, Road walk

Trail Conditions

Notes

Short version: Crossed the water in bare feet, wore spikes on solid monorail most of the day, and enjoyed better footing conditions than expected. A big, big day that included a pole being washed away then magically catching on a rock, trying to bushwhack from Galehead to Garfield Ridge Trail, and of course, crossing the Little River in bare feet. The road walk from 7 Dwarves is dry and fast. The first two miles of North Twin trail until the big crossing has some ice, but I barebooted the whole way. Opted for bare feet and rolled up pants after 25 minutes of trying to be elegant about the crossing. The log wasn't for me, and no rock hopping options were presenting themselves. Climb up to North Twin had crunchy snow and mud that turned into a surprisingly firm monorail. Spikes went on at 2500 feet and stayed on most of the day. Monorail continued to be firm to South Twin, down to the hut and then up to Galehead, making for much faster travel than anticipated. I've heard rumors of a bushwhack from Galehead to Garfield Ridge Trail. I didn't find any clear path, but I did make it down through the pines in better shape than I thought. Gale River Trail continues to have a firm monorail and then quickly switches to a mile or so of navigable mud before being mostly dry and fast. The road walk and ski trails are in mostly good shape.

Parking

Plenty of parking at 7 Dwarves. Leave $10 on the windshield. Plenty of parking at Beaver Brook.

Water Crossings

Rolled up my pants and barefooted across the Little River water crossing. The log was too unstable for me, but I can see how others might use it. My feet warmed up real quick on the other side. All other crossings were easy enough to get across.

Also on this trip

Trails Used

Beaver Brook XC Ski Trail, Gale River Road, Gale River Trail, Garfield Ridge Trail, Frost Trail, Twinway, North Twin Trail,

Trail Conditions

Equipment

Notes

This was a day. The road walk and first 2 miles of the trail were bare ground. There is a lot of water on the trail and some serious mud. After the larger water crossing we all put on spikes but there were still areas of bare ground and rock. The ice was thick but with the warm temps we had good purchase. Up higher, the snow is packed but if you deviate from the monorail even by inches, you will posthole. By the afternoon, things were melting and softening resulting is slippery slush for our descent. All of us found and fell in spruce traps. Conditions are tedious and very typical of April. Go early and take advantage of the colder temps when you can and pack your trash bags. Huge thanks to an amazing crew to keep me company today. Gridded out all 3 of these peaks today!

Parking

Plenty of parking at the Beaver Brook picnic area. $5 to park or use the WMNF pass.

Water Crossings

Welllllll, this was planned as a traverse but the water levels increased significantly overnight do it turned into an OAB. The larger crossing of the Gale River was crossed sort of successfully by the longer legged folks in our group but did result in wet feet. The shorter legged crew members donned trash bags or waterproof boot covers (These have changed my life) and waded across with good success.

Wildlife

I saw a few flying creatures so they are starting to come back up from Hell.

Also on this trip

Trails Used

Little River Road, North Twin Trail, North Twin Spur, Twinway, Zealand Spur, Lend-A-Hand Trail, Firewardens Trail

Trail Conditions

Equipment

Notes

Bareboots from 7Dwarfs to the N. Twin TH, then micros to about half way up N. Twin, then snowshoes to S. Twin, across to Guyot, and down to Lend-A-Hand, then back to Micros. North Twin to South Twin was nicely packed, the rest of the trails were varying amounts of lumpy, churned, loose snow. Most people seem to be going with microspikes now, and the monorail is supportive but there is a few inches of snow that got rained on on top, and is now getting churned up, so a lot of lump. I was super psyched when I got to S. Twin and saw that a couple of people had broken trail to Guyot, probably yesterday or the day before. Remarkably few trees down between S. Twin and Guyot made for mostly easy navigation. You'll definitely want snowshoes for this stretch. It was much colder up above 3500' today, the snow below that level melted quite a bit and the last half mile of N. Twin trail to the TH and Haystack rd has some dirt patches exposed now. Above 3500', not a lot melted.

Parking

Parked at 7 Dwarfs. $10 in the mailbox by the office door with my make/model/plate on a napkin which I origami'd into an envelope. Met a couple just heading out who parked at the end of the road near the bridge and convinced them to move to 7Ds. They asked if I thought they'd get towed and I don't know, but it would sure suck to finish the hike to an empty spot where your car USED to be, probably with no cell service. I assume the property owner at the end of the road got salty at some point when hikers blocked his driveway or something like that...so use the Dwarfs.

Water Crossings

The new log at the main crossing is solid and made crossing a breeze.

Trails Used

Little River Road, herd path, Haystack Road, North Twin Trail Date of Hike

Trail Conditions

Equipment

Notes

Only needed north twin today so did out and back. Although one member of our crew continued on to South twin and Gail head. We ran into at least two other hikers that were also heading in that direction. There wasa gentleman who was heading to Zealand. We bare booted the road, where there is a slight dirt path emerging from the snow cover. We put on micro spikes at the start of the trail and kept them on for the entire day. For the last 1.5 to the summit snow shoes might have made things a little bit easier. Snow was not sticky yet but unconsolidated so it felt like walking in the sand. We are back to the cars by 11:30 AM so we did not encounter any melting. Congrats to everyone in the crew for getting this peak for March. I have officially gridded the twins!

Parking

Seven dwarfs motel $10

Water Crossings

A miraculous log has been dropped from the heavens to help with the crossing. We were able to cross it and spikes without problem. We noticed the water levels went up several inches by the time we crossed it on the way back. If the water stays at a reasonable level, this is the key to crossing.

Wildlife

None

Also on this trip

Trail Conditions

Equipment

Notes

Left 7 Dwarfs after 8am. Sun out 80% of the time. Mostly thin crunchy ice down low with a few inches of snow between and around the peaks. Snowshoes weren't needed but could be somewhat useful between the 2 peaks.

Water Crossings

Stream crossings were a bit rough