Bondcliff. Only Bondcliff. 01/25/09

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Who is your favorite Three Stooge?


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    30

rocket21

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Bondcliff. Only Bondcliff. 01/24/09

Bondcliff, NH via Lincoln Woods - 01/24/09

Meant as a postscript to this great trip report, to the tune of Trio's Da Da Da.

The Three Stooges Attempt the Bonds

Arriving at Lincoln Woods at 5:30, I saw some Views stickers and thus parked adjacent to those vehicles. While I had heard some folks might be heading across the Bonds via Zealand, I wasn't expecting to see anyone at this location nor at this time. Donna was suiting up for a cross country ski and Steve-O was already on his way down the trail.

And now, your early morning photos of the absolutely amazingly Lincoln Woods and Wilderness Trails:
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6:19 AM, 6:34 AM, and 6:54 AM

After an exciting solo snowshoe along those fervid trails, I arrived at the Bondcliff Trail. Shortly thereafter, I stumbled across Steve-O. I asked him to dance for the camera, to which he replied, "I'm doing the elevator dance." "Elevator dance?" "Yeah, there's no steps to it."
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"I lost my balance" "Oh, ya lost your balance, eh?" "Yeah" "Well go find it!"
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Eventually, I reached the alpine zone. After gearing up, and having some Gu (Brighto, brighto, it makes old bodies new!), I ascended up 'scramble:'
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Hearing the winds over the horizon, I pondered why I was going to ascend this. As hikers, "we're not ordinary people... we're morons!"
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While the winds weren't too bad up to Bondcliff, the gusts were quite powerful on the ridge. I even let out a few 'woo woo woo woos' after some particularly puissant gusts.
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Basically, a big gust would whip up from the Pemi, then wrap around and come back from the other side, carrying snow.

I made it to just about the low point between the peaks before turning back. What'll the world do without me? What'll I do without myself? I'm too young to die... too young and too handsome... uuunnnggghhh! Well, I'm too young.

Back at the treeline, I waited up for Steve O and Donna. Once they showed up, Donna asked, "what's yer watch say," to which I replied, "tick-tick-tick-tick-tick." She then slapped me across my face.

After gearing up, we were ready to give it a go. Steve-O, once bundled up, said "I'm as pretty as a picture," to which Donna replied, "yeah, of an ape!"
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This was the easy part in terms of winds. Nonetheless, Steve-O said, "Hey Moe! I think we made da wrong toin!"
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After reaching the highpoint, we decided to give the ridge a shot. If one of the Three Stooges was to become uncomfortable, we'd all quit (rather than replace said person with Shemp or Joe Besser). After a few dozen feet, a particularly powerful gust knocked Donna over, which was enough for me to declare, "our genius ain't appreciated around here... let's scram!"

Steve-O shouted, "hey, what's the big idea?" and Donna replied, "every time you think, you weaken the nation!"

Back in the trees, we soon met DaveBear (not pictured) (Donna asked about my ice axe, "What's that thing for," to which I replied, "just in case we meet a bear." "Yeah? Meet my bare hand").


Not long after, we bumped into another group of VFTTers. When someone asked about the conditions on the ridge, I replied "Completely illogical, preponderantly impracticable, and moreover - it stinks"
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And then, (not pictured), we met up with another pair of VFTTers (""I am an artist!" "I am an artist too!" "Oh, a pair of drawers!").

After having some lunch ("if I'm going to work like a horse, I'm gonna eat like one!"), we called it a day.

"If at first you don't succeed, keep on suckin' til ya do suck seed!"

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Last edited:
Hey, porcupine!

Now you're talkin' stuff I can relate to.

I like the one where they're in Scotland. You know, the one where they're in kilts.

You could have used a line from that one: "The wind howls across the moors like a lost soul." "NNNyyAAAHHH!!!!

Emil Sitka was underrated and under appreciated, but I gotta' go with Shemp, the true genius behind the Stooges.

KDT
 
Far out! And nice Stooges material. I especially liked the "bare hand" one.

What would you say was the prime motivator in getting you off the ridge: inability to stand or travel? exposed skin? too cold? What was it?

Thanks for the great info!
 
What would you say was the prime motivator in getting you off the ridge: inability to stand or travel? exposed skin? too cold? What was it?

When I solo'ed it, my concern was getting to Bond and West Bond without being able to get back (the wind would have been blowing directly at me coming off Bond back toward Bondcliff), as well as the possibility that the weather could get worse (tried to place a call for an updated forecast from Bondcliff, but couldn't connect). The winds knocked me over twice, and the gusts pushed me off trail quite a few times, but had I really wanted to, I probably could have used my ice axe to form a tripod and get across and up. Since getting there is only 50% of the equation, it wasn't worth the risk.

It was an hour or so later when the three of us tried it (strength in numbers) and a big gust knocked over Donna fairly quickly. Simply not worth it.

While the ambient temperature was likely below zero up there, the winds weren't particularly cold (except of course when the snow was blowing in our faces from the other side of the ridge), and the sunshine out of the winds was actually somewhat warm (I basked in the sun for a few minutes solo behind Bondcliff while attempting to make said phone call).
 
Nice pics and Tr Rocket, fun bumping into you on the trail after reading so many of your TR's!

Hope to meet again on the trails!
 
That's the wackiest trip report I've ever read!
It was a tough vote for me, as i am a fan of all stooges.
Except for that guy Joe. What's his deal? I'd like to throw him a couple red squares.
Fun hike/ski.
It would of been silly for us to think about doing that ridge twice. very good call. Way to remote to mess around.
 
Nice to meet you on the trail Jeremy! Had fun reading your trip report too. Donna was in a pleasant mood when we were hiking along, must have needed to warm her hands up on someone!:p Awesome blue sky shots coming up that last slope!;)
 
Fun trip report, and I really liked the photo of the buried "Hillary Step" ("where are the holds?") just below treeline. One of my favorite Stooges skits that came to mind when reading your TR was the one where Curly (#1), Moe, and Larry were ice men delivering up a long set of steps to a high-society house, only to discover that most of the large ice block in their tongs had melted by the time they got to the door; "NNNyyAAAHHH!!!! is right!
 
Wow, Curly is running away with the poll - 60% of the votes! Woof!
 
Now this is what I call a Trip report!... It's tremendous... it's colossal... it's even mediocre!!! Just kidding of course. Thank's for sharing. I thought I was the only one referencing the Stooges most of the day while hiking.
 
When I see that picture of Steve-O with face mask and goggles, all I can think of is :
"I can't see I can't see"
"Whats the matter kid? "
"I got my eyes closed"

Great trip report!!!!
 
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