360 degree views from South Twin Mountain (NH)

Amazing 360 degree views surround hikers who make it to the summit of South Twin Mountain. The 4 mile long Gale River Trail and the Garfield Ridge Trail ascend at a fairly easy grade; the hard work comes at the end, with 1,150' of elevation gain in just 0.8 miles. Even though it was a bit hot for hiking, it was worth it. On a clear day, to the northeast, you can see as far away as Mt. Washington (unmistakable due to the smoke coming from the cog railway).

• Views east include Mt. Hale and the Stepped Mountain, as well as Mts. Tom, Field and Wiley (aka "Tom, Dick and Harry" :-)
  
• North you see North Twin Mountain, a tantalizing 1.3 miles away.
  
• South you can see Owlhead, the Bonds and the Osceolas.
• West, back the way we came, you can see Galehead and Garfield.
  

Folks in the New Hampshire chapter of the AMC are the fittest and fastest group I've hiked with all summer. We did the entire hike in a mere 8-1/2 hours (including breaks), solidly beating book time. For the first time this year, I was the slowest hiker of the bunch. My excuse? It was too hot for me; I overheat and tire easily when it's over 75 degrees. I much prefer the cooler temperatures, when I will often hike in a sleeveless shirt.

~10.8 miles; ~3,300 ft. elevation gain
Summit: South Twin Mountain = 4,902 feet
Route: Gale River Trail to Garfield Ridge Trail to the Galehead Hut (at 3,800') and then the Twinway to South Twin Mountain (back the same way). Option for summit of Mt. Galehead (only 0.4 miles away from the Hut).