Bondcliff!! I made it!! 7/14/12

After making it to Owls Head last October, I figured it would be a "cinch" to make it to Bondcliff. Well maybe not a cinch, but doable. My original trip plan was to make the loop around Owls Head mtn, stop at Thirteen Falls for an extended lunch, then head out on the Franconia Brook trail. But it was too nice of a day to pass up a 4000 footer! Yes it was hazy and very warm, but to heck with that, lets do Bondcliff!!

So off we went, hitting the trail at 8am. Here is a picture none of you have ever seen before.



The Lincoln Woods trail went quickly enough. Temps were still relatively cool, but the humidity was high, so the sweat poured like wine.
Good lord, that is a long way from here....


Within the hour, we made it to the Wilderness Boundary, and after a short break, were off on the new section of the Bondcliff Tr (old Wilderness trail). This section also went rather quickly. There were a couple of blowdowns that were probably due to the severe thunderstorm that hit the area back on the 4th of July, but they were easily traversed. And now, onto the old school section of the Bondcliff tr.

Small wildlife was abundant Saturday. First there was half of a snake, who was quite shy.


And there were about 30 diff toads...easily the most toads I had ever seen. Camo to the max!


So on the trail went....on, and on, and on, and on. I tend to hike thinking of small benchmarks along the
way, like all the stream crossings. That definitely helped to pass the time. Thankfully, there were not that
many steep spots...just two, that I can think of. After the third crossing, there was a stiff climb on several sets of steps, and then the scramble just below the summit. But yea, it was long.

Another benchmark for me...the small opening before the 4th crossing.


I wouldn't say that the trail was....boring, but there definitely wasn't a lot to look at, nature wise, besides herd paths. History wise, you could see what were probably old woods roads, possibly related to logging. What else could it be, right?

Allright, fast forward to the one scramble. I knew this was the beginning of the end of the climb, so I was ecstatic. Piece of cake to climb...


And then, as Emeril says..."BAM!" One hell of a view...


From this angle, West Bond looks intimidating and near impossible to climb.


Proof number 1


Proof number 2...wasnt nearly as scary as I thought it would be. The lighter wind prob helped...


I'm an eastern Pemi guy by heart, because my first major hike in that area was to Shoal Pond, so I always love the view of it...


Hancocks


back in a min with a few more pics

a few more...

measuring wind speed


this slide looks quite fresh...Irene??


Looking down from the classic cliff


looks like a very difficult climb down


One more shot!


Ok, now it was time for the 9+ mile walk back to the car...something I was absolutely dreading. I had already gone through 5 liters of water, with one liter to spare. I knew I could refilter down on Black Brook, so I wasn't too concerned about running out. When we got back to the 2nd crossing, I "steripen'd" 3 liters to get me out of there.

When hiking on fumes, its interesting what happens when you see the light at the end of the tunnel. Justin was going to cook dinner when we got back to the old junc. of the Wilderness trail. When we got there, I nearly collapsed. I was tired, but fine walking down to that point, but when I made it, it was like my body almost shut down. Adrenalin is one heck of a drug.

We stopped there for a good 30-40 min while we ate some dinner, and attempted to refuel. I wasn't looking forward to the nearly 5 mile walk out, but at least it was mainly flat. Mosquitoes were pretty tame all day, and I didn't even have to spray the bug dope, but the horse flies were a different story. They just don't leave you alone....and when they bite...OUCH!

By 8pm, we made it back to the wilderness boundary. A nice view up to Flume from the bridge...



After 10-15 min break, we headed out on the Lincoln woods trail back to the car. Once again, adrenalin was my friend. We took one break at the area where you get a nice view of the Bonds along the river, and then were off again. We stepped onto the pavement at 9:25...not bad considering we took some breaks along the way and were absolutely tired. On the other hand, it took us about 35 min to actually leave. When I got back to the car, I could do nothing but sit down and cover myself in water in order to cool me off. After tossing everything in the car, and changing my clothes, it was time to head home.

Things were ok, till we reached Plymouth, where I suddenly started breaking into a cold sweat and had awful stomach pains. Within seconds, I was tossin' my cookies all over poor Justin's car. I'll have to reimburse him somehow. I'm starting to feel better today, since I can actually eat. I guess it could have been heat exhaustion, I really don't know. Meds I take deplete my salt level anyways, so I have a feeling that was a large part of how I felt. But I'm fine today, well actually I feel how I normally feel the day after a hike...it just took an extra 24 hours I guess.

So take a lesson from me...don't hike 18 miles on a hot day unless you know you can take it!

http://grouseking.smugmug.com/New-H...cliff/24199436_vvZNJs#!i=1968391667&k=sGhp7Lq

Ooh, btw, that was 37/48. Gettin' there!

Rough finish to an otherwise great hike. I was not feeling great after a run on Mansfield that same day - I figured it was the combination of high heat and moderate ozone/particulate levels ( which seems to affect some people more than others). What an immense difference in air quality from what we had the last week!

I like to check this page before heading out on hazy days, just so I know to take it a little easier on days with crappy air quality:

http://www.hazecam.net/

( there is a cam for the Mt. Washington area)

Glad you made it!

I turned around (i.e. stopped and took a nap) on a hike Saturday because I was about to toss some cookies as well. The temperature (and air quality) was awful this weekend!

Nice pics and cool route!

Awesome! such a beautiful place...nice pics

Congratulations! Extra congratulations for surviving the heat!

I spent a fair bit of time in my 20s and 30s working outside in extreme heat -- munching on salty crackers helped tremendously (in addition to chugging the fluids). The crackers calmed my stomach and helped replenished the salt I lost from sweating. Maybe that might help in the future?

Great pictures and nice TR!

Congratulations! Great photos!

Phil, your trip reports and photos are terrific, regardless of what hike you do. This one was especially nice.

Congratulations on doing this hike. It's a slog, regardless of when it's done! But the rewards are worth every bit of effort, as I'm sure you'd agree!

grouseking said:

...
I wouldn't say that the trail was....boring
...

Click to expand...

Ok, well, I'll say it for you. The trail IS boring. Sure there are a few interesting things along the
way, but for the most part it's monotonous. But then you hit the summit area, and as you said, "Bam".

I've taken a few people on a few different trips to Bondcliff, and I told them all ahead of time you're
gonna curse me for the first 8.9 miles, but you'll take it back when you get above the little rock scramble.

I love your last photo, "One more shot". About recycling in your friend's car, just tell him it was his cooking.
Awesome job on the hike, especially on such a tough weather day.

sustenance

This experience reminds me of the day I got heat exhaustion on Mt Gilman while patrolling Skyland Trail in July 2006.
Like so many outdoors problems, it starts with what we decide to take with us. how we eat and drink,etc.
My $.02 is: I gotta make sure to eat little but often, start the Gatorade early enough in the day, stop and have a meal about every 5 hours. Hiking on fumes is a great way to get clumsy and get hurt at a time and in a place where I really don't want to do that.
Lots of water isn't good, either. Must keep some electrolytes in me, avoid cramps etc.
Many of my friends who hike have suffered from pushing themselves in warm/humid conditions, also people who post here, also many who require SAR and make the newspapers.
I have no point to make here beyond this: we have to learn our own limits and adjust our behavior if we want to get home again. On the same day as Grouseking's hike I was a mile up White Arrow Trail on Mt Monadnock building a 10' rock turnpike in a newly ditched mudhole by the Ampitheater with two very good men helping me, part of Monadnock Trails Week. We were out only 5 hrs with 1.5 hrs commute from Halfway House. I ate well and drank much and we had a big spruce tree shading the site, thank God. The workday was short, hike not too far, but as it was we were getting kinda tired from the humidity.
As it turned out, careful as I was, I had some heat exhaustion for two days thereafter. Sunday was easy, descend from AMC Cardigan Lodge to Welton Falls Road and blaze from there back to Lodge. Least physically stressful job in trailwork. Plenty of water for cooling off in Fowler River, and I did. Monday was still brutally humid and I almost passed out driving to work, Gatorade and air-conditioning notwithstanding...

We have to respect our limits, friends... I hope to see you all on the trails for many years yet.

Yours ay, Creag nan drochaid

Where is Proof Number 2

Where is the picture you titles "Proof number 2" taken? I assume you need someone to take this for you (i.e., can't use your camera timer to take the pic).