By Marty Basch

From the ledges once housing a a fire tower that had an eight-year run in the 1940s, sublime Franconia Ridge and jagged Mount Lafayette appear majestic in the western sky.

Gaze to the east for the noble Bonds and Twin Range. The northern landscape sweeps from New Hampshire into Vermont near the Canadian border with low-lying hills, valleys and towns. While in the south there is nothing. Thousands of acres of blessed nothing but the lofty Pemigewasset Wilderness and nature's landmarks like the mass of Owl's Head and an Osceola slide.

A concrete foundation is all that remains of the fire tower built in 1940 by the hard-working Civilian Conservation Corps that hauled the necessary materials up an old tractor road.

That relatively gentle pathway is now part of the forgiving Garfield Trail leading to the rocky and splendid cone summit of 4,500-foot Mount Garfield in the White Mountain National Forest.

Hey 17

Seventeenth in height of New Hampshire's 48 four thousand foot peaks, Garfield easily towers over a lion's share of its brethren in terms of scenery and ease of hiking. It is, like its namesake President James Garfield assassinated in 1881, simply presidential.

Though no trail to any of the Granite State's major peaks is undemanding, the combination of the Garfield Trail and Garfield Ridge Trail  (also the white-blazed Appalachian Trail) in a 10-mile up and down hike arguably requires some of the least amount of effort needed to scale such a mountain. Still, it's a darn long day trip with some 3,000 feet in elevation gain and there are a handful rocks to scramble up before the summit is reached.

The trailhead is somewhat remote compared to a city street, located off the dirt Gale River Loop Road reached from the pavement of Route 3 northeast of Franconia Notch. Since there is a bridge out on the road, enter it near the junction with Trudeau Road in the no man's land between Franconia and Bethlehem.

Gale River Loop Road is an excellent neighborhood for primitive camping in the national forest. There are several forest roads between Franconia and Crawford Notches where the outdoor set can pitch tents in designated sites for free. They are first come, first serve, but don't have water or bathroom facilities.

For those who want to camp higher at 3,900 feet, the Appalachian Mountain Club hosts the spring-fed Garfield Ridge Campsite below the summit on the AT while the  Galehead Hut is another overnight option.

Glorious

A clear day is the best day for a Garfield visit and though there were clouds in the sky recently they did not interfere with the mountain's alpine gallery. Easy-going weathered logging roads and that former CCC byway are the main ways up the mountain initially through undulating mounds under pleasant hemlocks. Multiple yet mellow crossings of Thompson and Spruce Brooks near a snowmobile trail provided a little diversion from the ramble that does increase in difficulty at times, but also has several well-placed switchbacks along the way through birch and conifer and up a roller coaster ridge called Burnt Knoll from a 1902 fire (limited views also are welcome after an abundance of forest cover).

The intersection with the Garfield Ridge Trail means the top is nearly  reached. Of course, it's the hardest part of the hike but it's only after about a quarter mile of steep and rocky terrain before busting out on the glorious ledges.

Not alone

Though it's best to scout out the various viewpoints from the ledges, one of the finest was found with back against the old fire tower foundation. There was just an endless sea of mountains rippling out to the horizon with Franconia Ridge and Lafayette clearly making formidable impressions. There were others climbing the mountain too. One hiker set up his tripod to snap away while his partner waited and the two communicated in what sounded like an Eastern European language. A group of female hikers took a longer than anticipated lunch stop to admire the mountains. A former New Hampshire congressman who has climbed all of the state's four thousand foot peaks and then some made his way to the top with his hiking crew and dog.

All got seats for Garfield's incredible mountaintop arena.