Hike and bushwhack an abandoned trail to a lost waterfall

One day I was looking at the most recent USGS topographic map of the Twin Mountains and saw a waterfall that was not on my radar - Hawthorne Falls. Upon googling it I found some interesting articles and trip reports to the falls via bushwhack and an abandoned trail. (I won't post any links to what I found here but they are easily searchable and I highly encourage people to do their own research before joining). On this adventure we will hike the Gale River Trail and then split off onto the part of the trail that was abandoned -after a hurricane damaged it in 1937- to find the lost falls hidden in the White Mountains near Mount Garfield. Our primary objective will be to find the falls, but if time allows we can bushwhack further up onto the Garfield Ridge Trail and summit Mount Garfield and take the Garfield Trail back to the trailhead. I am making no guarantees on finding the falls or summiting Garfield. We will work together as a team to assess risk and make a decision on an appropriate turnaround time whether we have reached our objective or not.

Due to the off-trail nature of this hike it is essential that we stick together for the entire hike; therefore, the group size is limited and experience hiking off-trail is essential. Knowing how to use a physical map and compass to navigate is highly preferred.

Here are the stats for the hike only to Hawthorne Falls. (If we decide to push onto Garfield, it will extend the hike by 3 miles and 1000 feet of elevation and the decision will be made unanimously only if we reach the falls):

Distance: 6.5 Miles
Elevation gain: 1,500 feet
Difficulty: Hard (bushwhacking is a lot slower than on-trail hiking and involves many obstacles like blowdowns, branches, fir waves and moss traps).

PLEASE NOTE: Right now the Gale River Loop Road is open. I don't expect that to change but will let participants know in the comments if it does and we can discuss accordingly what that will mean.

Trail: https://caltopo.com/m/7CFJ
Printable Map: https://caltopo.com/p/3L41 (I'll be selling these printed in color on 11x17 laser paper, maps are absolutely mandatory for this hike)

Weather: https://www.mountain-forecast.com/peaks/Mt-Garfield/forecasts/1372

There will be a gear check for this hike at the pick up location and at the trailhead if you're a non-carpooler. If you don't have the gear, you will not be allowed to join the hike.

What to bring:
PRINTED MAP (as mentioned will have 11x17 printed in color for $2)
Compass (highly recommended but as long as we have 3 compasses between the 8 of us we are good)
Waterproof hiking shoes (no sneakers)
Microspikes
Gaiters
3 layer clothing system (base, mid, shell, no cotton)
Insulated jacket (puffy - down or synthetic)
Hat
Gloves
Headlamp (days are much shorter sunset is at 4:20 PM)
3 liters of water or water treatment method
Snacks and lunch ~1000 calories.
Personal first aid kit
Hand and toe warmers (optional)
extra socks
extra clothing to change into after (mandatory in case your clothes get wet during the hike)

Expectations:
This is NOT a beginner hike. The pace will be slow for the amount of distance covered because about 2 miles will be through unpredictable off-trail terrain with many obstacles. It is expected that you will have some off-trail hiking experience. You are responsible for having a map of this hike; this is not a guided hike. You are joining like-minded enthusiasts and are responsible for your own safety and preparedness. Beyond that lets make this a memorable trip with great weather!

BEFORE SIGNING UP - Please answer these questions if I have never hiked with you before (trip posted by James C.)

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