Home States  Connecticut  Maine  Massachusetts  New Hampshire  New York  Rhode Island  Vermont  View All Lists  NE 4,000 Footers  NE 100 Highest  NH 4,000 Footers  NH 52 With A View  NH Belknap Range  NH Ossipee 10 Explanation of Ratings Links Ossipee Mountains Notice Search Trail Conditions Trip Log About	Galehead Mountain, South Twin Mountain, North Twin Mountain Bethlehem, NH, Franconia, NH Trailheads, measurements, times, distances, and maps are all approximate and relative to the hike(s) as shown below. The Gale River Trail Route: Gale River Trail, Garfield Ridge Trail, Frost Trail, (Galehead Mountain), Frost Trail, (Galehead Hut), Frost Trail, Twinway, (South Twin Mountain), North Twin Spur, (North Twin Mountain), North Twin Spur, (South Twin Mountain), Twinway, Frost Trail, (Galehead Hut), Frost Trail, Garfield Ridge Trail, Gale River Trail A forecasted sunny day - holy cow! A day off was in order so that I could witness this thing they call blue sky. The Gale River Trail was a bit muddy to start, likely due to weeks of rain. Though a bit high, the water crossings were nonetheless doable. Reaching the hut, I was glad to see the Twins were mostly in the clear. After reaching the summit of Galehead, I headed down to the view ledge (and then down to a ledge just below it) and enjoyed the view to the south for a bit. After passing the hut, I realized I was very low on energy - not enough sleep after an afternoon/evening hike. Nonetheless, I eventually made it to the top of South Twin and then North Twin. Back at South Twin and happy to know the last of the significant vertical climbs were behind me, I lounged in the sun and took in the views for a good half hour. The Gale River Trail seemed less muddy, yet longer, during the descent. Nonetheless, a nice rain-free day - finally! Hike Ratings Getting To Trailhead: Easy Destination: Galehead Mountain Length: Moderate Steepness: Difficult Navigation: Easy Views: Moderate Crowds: Moderate Destination: South Twin Mountain Length: Difficult Steepness: Difficult Navigation: Easy Views: Excellent Crowds: Moderate Destination: North Twin Mountain Length: Difficult Steepness: Moderate Navigation: Easy Views: Excellent Crowds: Moderate Hike Stats Date Hiked: Friday, July 10, 2009 Hike Commenced: 8:32 AM Parking Elevation: 1,610' Destination: Galehead Mountain Ascent Commenced: 8:32 AM Summit Reached: 10:51 AM Time Elapsed: 02:19 Trailhead Elevation: 1,610' Summit Elevation: 4,024' Distance: 5.1 miles Vertical Gain: 2,609' Destination: South Twin Mountain Ascent Commenced: 11:00 AM Summit Reached: 11:49 AM Time Elapsed: 00:49 Trailhead Elevation: 4,024' Summit Elevation: 4,902' Distance: 1.3 miles Vertical Gain: 1,187' Destination: North Twin Mountain Ascent Commenced: 11:54 AM Summit Reached: 12:28 PM Time Elapsed: 00:34 Trailhead Elevation: 4,902' Summit Elevation: 4,761' Distance: 1.3 miles Vertical Gain: 321' Hike Ended: 4:36 PM Hike Time Elapsed: 08:04 Hike Distance: 14.4 miles Hike Vertical Gain: 4,754' The Gale River Trail trailhead Wildflowers near the Galehead hut Looking south from near the summit of Galehead Mountain The Twinway to South Twin Mountain Looking at Mt. Washington from the South Twin Mountain summit The North Twin Spur Trail on the way to North Twin Mountain Looking Galehead, the Franconias, and Garfield from near the summit of North Twin Mountain Directions to trailhead: Take Route 3 South from US 302. Take a left for the Gale River camping/hiking area. Shortly after, bear left at the fork in the road. Continue down the road, then take a right at the hiker sign. The WMNF fee parking area is on the left. There is a Gale River Trail trailhead on the side of the parking area. Back to Galehead Mountain Profile Back to South Twin Mountain Profile Back to North Twin Mountain Profile
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