Pemigewasset Wilderness Food Storage Requirement
Effective May 1st, 2026, all overnight campers in the Pemigewasset Wilderness must store all food, food containers, scented items (such as soap, lip balm, and toothpaste) and refuse in a cylindrical, hard-sided, non-pliable Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee (IGBC) certified bear resistant canister. Alternative methods, including bear hangs, for storing food and bear attractants in the Pemigewasset Wilderness will no longer be permitted as they have proven to be less effective than canisters. The only exceptions are the bear resistant food boxes located at the Thirteen Falls Tent Site.
Source: Forest Service
Feels like 25°F
Recent Precipitation
Rain: 0.25" (24h) · 1.44" (48h)
Best Hiking Window
The clearest window in the next 48 hours is Sunday morning before the secondary low arrives. Skies are expected to partially clear overnight Saturday into Sunday morning as high pressure briefly builds. Aim for an early morning start Sunday to take advantage of the dry window before convective activity and mixed precipitation develop Sunday afternoon and evening. Avoid Saturday entirely due to active snow, sleet, and dangerous wind chills.
Conditions synthesized from: NWS Higher Summits Forecast, NOAA Open-Meteo, Mount Washington Observatory, NETC Trip Reports, NOHRSC Snow Depth, Mt. Washington Avalanche Center, USGS Stream Levels, OpenWeather Air Quality.
AI-generated from public data. Always verify conditions before heading out — backcountry weather can change quickly.
Summit-level conditions by time of day at 4,500' elevation
Distance
9.7 mi
Elevation Gain
2,880 ft
Duration
5-8 hours
Trailhead
Mount Garfield Trailhead
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