February 21, 2022
Peaks: Garfield
Start/End: Gale River Road
Miles: 11.9
Elevation gain: 3330′
It was a beautiful day, in the 40s in the valley, and I knew the trail conditions would be just about perfect. So I headed to the trailhead around 3:30pm, put on my spikes, and headed out. The road walk was quick moving, and at the start of the trail, there was bare ground and ice for ~0.5mi before it became packed snow. The water crossings on the trail were manageable, with solid ice on top of rocks offering decent footing. I made the summit perhaps 30 minutes after sunset, with just a hint of color still on the horizon. Once I descended the summit cone, I strapped everything down on my pack and decided to jog the rest of the 5.5mi back to my car. I made the round trip in only 3:40. It was a fun descent with smooth trail and warm conditions – a great way to close out the weekend.
Transcending Mountains 