Mt. Garfield via Garfield Trail - advice needed

Two questions please:

1. Anyone know conditions of Garfield Trail?

2. Thinking of doing this on backcountry skis (brand spankin' new metal edge Fischer Europa 109 skis with Volle 3-pin bindings and Karhu Convert boots) and I have no telemark experience but should be able to pull off a snowplow as I am decent apline skier. Goodman's book mentions that this trip is of "moderate" difficulty but my AMC "Winter Trails" map rates it as "most difficult". Will I survive on BC skis?

Thanks for your advice.

David

There have been no recent trip reports on the Mt. Garfield Trail, but there has been intermittent snow for the past couple of weeks with no warm weather to melt it, so I would expect moderate cover at least. In Thornton (elevation 680 feet) we had about three inches between last night and this morning.

Of course, if someone posts actual conditions that will be better.

I am not a skier, but (with the exception of the last 0.2 miles on the Garfield Ridge Trail) it is a gentle trail.

There are quite a few telemarkers on the site who can comment more effectively on the skill level required. I will comment that most of the elevation gain trail is an old tractor road that predominately consists of fairly long straight switchbacks of moderate grades until the junction with the ridge trail. The last couple of tenths of a mile is quite steep and narrow with no significant run off space. This section would probably require a high skill level or a pair of crampons or snowshoes. There is a short section at the base of the mountain that does not look friendly for skis (eroded out and kind of bony) I have heard from more than a few skiers that they take the old trail rather than the new trail relocation at the begining as its basically an old road. The trail does get packed out later in the season with snowshoes and a 2' wide trench will tend to be established right in the middle of you route

Link to trip report

I did it on my E99's and leather boots and 3-pins no cable last year and I would definately use heavier equipment. The top is quite tight and requires a bit of aggresive skiing. Even down lower there is lots of places where you'll need or want to make turns, not just snowplow.

-dave-