BIGEarl
Well-known member
January 8, 2011: Bonds Traverse plus Zealand
Trails: Zealand Road, Zealand Trail, Twinway, Bondcliff Trail, West Bond Spur, Wilderness Trail
Summits: Zealand Mountain, Mount Guyot, West Bond, Mt. Bond, Bondcliff
Hikers: Trail Trotter (Sue), Brian, Greg, Jim, and me
We started the day at Lincoln Woods – early. The sky was completely clear with a billion stars all around, and I had an Eagles tune playing in my head. Sue and I were waiting for Brian and Greg. The plan was to leave our vehicle at Lincoln Woods and pile into his and head to the winter lot on Route 302 in Twin Mountain where we planned to meet Jim. From there we would do a north-south traverse. This hike is a good one under nearly any conditions but we had a clear sky which created some extra excitement to start the day. A set of headlights appeared. We were ready to jump into action and move our things from the truck to Brian’s car. False alarm – it was the local Police. I really appreciate the way they regularly patrol the Lincoln Woods area. I’m very comfortable leaving a vehicle there. Soon, another set of lights – here we go!
We moved our things and took off for Twin Mountain. At the winter lot on Route 302 we found Jim patiently waiting and ready to hike. We wasted little time getting our things together, our headlights out and on, and set off for Lincoln Woods. We had clear sky, calm wind, and the official temperature at the local National Weather Service site was -2 degrees – tough to beat these conditions.
First, we had a 3.5 mile road walk along Zealand Road. In winter, Zealand Road becomes multi-use; currently, the first mile is plowed for access to a logging operation, much of the middle mile is a snowmobile trail, and the remainder is a hiking trail providing access to Zealand Trail. We were able to bareboot our way along Zealand Road. The others were moving faster than me but that’s no big surprise. I did my best to keep up and we all re-grouped at the summer trailhead for Zealand Trail. From there we continued to bareboot the hike all of the way to Zealand Falls Hut. The trail is in pretty good shape. It’s solid from the re-freeze but there is no ice to worry about. The traction is good and nothing extra was needed even for the final climb to the hut.
At the hut we stopped for a quick break. Since I was really getting my butt kicked I took on some fuel hoping it would help. Actually, the challenging pace was something I needed. We were in the process of hiking a faster Bonds Traverse than any of the others I have hiked. With winter conditions – not bad!
Before setting off from the Zealand Falls Hut there was a short discussion on footwear. The trail was in great shape and we didn’t want to damage it. Out came the snowshoes and we stayed with them until our departure from Mt. Bond. The trail from the hut is solid with very little ice and the traction was great. We were able to easily work our way to the ridge at Zeacliff arriving there roughly an hour under book time. Considering I was part of the group, it was a terrific time.
Here, Jim decided to call it a hike and u-turned back out. Brian, Greg, Sue, and I continued (in that order) to Zealand Mountain. The trail continued to be well tracked out as we made our way along Zealand Ridge. The steep pitches along the way were easy to climb on snowshoes. The general lack of ice is a big surprise considering the thaw and re-freeze over the past week. We reached the Zealand spur trail, made the turn, and walked the short ~.1 mile to the viewless high point. We got the usual summit pictures, took on some fuel, and continued on our way.
Back on Twinway the trail leading to Bondcliff Trail was not broken out. There was anywhere between two and six inches of snow over the packed trail. Brian took the lead and broke out the trail leaving Zealand and headed for the treeline near Guyot. In the col Greg took over and led on the initial climb to the treeline. Eventually Sue was out front, breaking the trail and setting a pace I couldn’t stay with. Sue stayed out front to West Bond. As we cleared the summit of Guyot we met another hiker headed to the Garfield Tentsite for the night before completing a Pemi-loop. A short distance after the Guyot summit we were back in the spruce and hiking on great trail conditions. Soon we reached the West Bond Spur, made the turn, and headed for the summit of West Bond.
To this point we have been hiking for over seven hours and have only one checkmark for our efforts. Now that we’re in The Bonds things will happen fast. It’s a fairly short .5 mile to the W. Bond summit from Bondcliff Trail. The trail was not broken out but we’re still looking at between two and six inches of snow over the packed trail. From the rocky summit clearing we had pretty great views in all directions.
Some folks seem to think clear sky and unlimited sun is required for great views and they are reluctant to hike The Bonds without a weather forecast making that prediction. We had overcast sky with high clouds, and great views. The interesting part is the effect these conditions have on pictures, especially in winter. Color becomes black and white.
From W. Bond we could see others were on Bond, but they appeared to be leaving as we were leaving W. Bond. We retraced our steps back to Bondcliff Trail, made the turn, and continued to Mt. Bond. From the W. Bond spur junction, again it’s a short .5 mile to the summit. Along the way we were treated to more outstanding views as clearing moved through the area, and then some low clouds, then some high clouds, etc. We never met the others that were visible on Bond from W. Bond. They must have headed south toward Bondcliff.
We reached Bond with cameras in hand and started getting terrific shots in all directions. Approaching Bond, Brian let out a Hoot and announced Washington was in the clear. We were able to enjoy views to the Presidentials while on Bond. Overall, I’d say we were treated very well as we passed through The Bonds. Next and last target for the day was Bondcliff.
We set off for our short 1.2 mile walk from Bond to Bondcliff. Soon after leaving the summit area of Mt. Bond we heard a double boom and then the sound of a jet, or jets. Military aircraft were training in the area and evidently one was having some fun with the throttle and broke the sound barrier in the process.
After leaving the scrub that is just off the summit of Bond we found the trail more rocks than snow. Eventually, we all decided to retire the snowshoes and change to MicroSpikes. As it turned out, this was the final change for the day. A light snow shower started and we were on a winter hike to Bondcliff. The open area is really windblown leaving very little snow or ice. There was just enough to make light traction very helpful.
With the cloud cover, snow shower, and late hour in the afternoon, we were losing daylight. We got our summit pictures and made our way off Bondcliff and back into the tree cover for our nine-mile exit walk. To this point there had been very little ice on the trail. On exiting Bondcliff there is usually a large ice bulge that gets bypassed with a bushwhack to the east. There is no ice bulge. We were able to simply climb down the section of ledge that lands us on the trail below.
Soon after clearing the ledge we stopped to pull out the headlights. We had ~4 miles of Bondcliff Trail and 4.7 miles of Wilderness trail to enjoy in darkness. We were able to hike a comfortable pace down from Bondcliff. Now is the best time to hike Bondcliff Trail. This section of trail is a huge mud pit during spring, summer, and fall but now everything is frozen. We generally cruised all of the way down to Wilderness Trail passing a couple campers setting up their camp for the night.
At the Wilderness Trail Sue pulled out a snack, I had a drink; we groaned and set off for Lincoln Woods. There’s nothing quite like finishing a 23+ mile day on an old logging railroad bed. Straight and flat isn’t bad for tired feet, I guess. We finished our exit walk along Wilderness Trail and stepped into the lot at Lincoln Woods completing a winter Bonds Traverse in book time – I never expected to do that!
Thanks Brian for having us along on the hike. It was a great day hiking The Bonds. Thanks also to Jim and Greg. I hope to hike again with you guys sometime soon. As always, thanks Sue for a terrific day in the mountains.
Pictures will follow.
Trails: Zealand Road, Zealand Trail, Twinway, Bondcliff Trail, West Bond Spur, Wilderness Trail
Summits: Zealand Mountain, Mount Guyot, West Bond, Mt. Bond, Bondcliff
Hikers: Trail Trotter (Sue), Brian, Greg, Jim, and me
We started the day at Lincoln Woods – early. The sky was completely clear with a billion stars all around, and I had an Eagles tune playing in my head. Sue and I were waiting for Brian and Greg. The plan was to leave our vehicle at Lincoln Woods and pile into his and head to the winter lot on Route 302 in Twin Mountain where we planned to meet Jim. From there we would do a north-south traverse. This hike is a good one under nearly any conditions but we had a clear sky which created some extra excitement to start the day. A set of headlights appeared. We were ready to jump into action and move our things from the truck to Brian’s car. False alarm – it was the local Police. I really appreciate the way they regularly patrol the Lincoln Woods area. I’m very comfortable leaving a vehicle there. Soon, another set of lights – here we go!
We moved our things and took off for Twin Mountain. At the winter lot on Route 302 we found Jim patiently waiting and ready to hike. We wasted little time getting our things together, our headlights out and on, and set off for Lincoln Woods. We had clear sky, calm wind, and the official temperature at the local National Weather Service site was -2 degrees – tough to beat these conditions.
First, we had a 3.5 mile road walk along Zealand Road. In winter, Zealand Road becomes multi-use; currently, the first mile is plowed for access to a logging operation, much of the middle mile is a snowmobile trail, and the remainder is a hiking trail providing access to Zealand Trail. We were able to bareboot our way along Zealand Road. The others were moving faster than me but that’s no big surprise. I did my best to keep up and we all re-grouped at the summer trailhead for Zealand Trail. From there we continued to bareboot the hike all of the way to Zealand Falls Hut. The trail is in pretty good shape. It’s solid from the re-freeze but there is no ice to worry about. The traction is good and nothing extra was needed even for the final climb to the hut.
At the hut we stopped for a quick break. Since I was really getting my butt kicked I took on some fuel hoping it would help. Actually, the challenging pace was something I needed. We were in the process of hiking a faster Bonds Traverse than any of the others I have hiked. With winter conditions – not bad!
Before setting off from the Zealand Falls Hut there was a short discussion on footwear. The trail was in great shape and we didn’t want to damage it. Out came the snowshoes and we stayed with them until our departure from Mt. Bond. The trail from the hut is solid with very little ice and the traction was great. We were able to easily work our way to the ridge at Zeacliff arriving there roughly an hour under book time. Considering I was part of the group, it was a terrific time.
Here, Jim decided to call it a hike and u-turned back out. Brian, Greg, Sue, and I continued (in that order) to Zealand Mountain. The trail continued to be well tracked out as we made our way along Zealand Ridge. The steep pitches along the way were easy to climb on snowshoes. The general lack of ice is a big surprise considering the thaw and re-freeze over the past week. We reached the Zealand spur trail, made the turn, and walked the short ~.1 mile to the viewless high point. We got the usual summit pictures, took on some fuel, and continued on our way.
Back on Twinway the trail leading to Bondcliff Trail was not broken out. There was anywhere between two and six inches of snow over the packed trail. Brian took the lead and broke out the trail leaving Zealand and headed for the treeline near Guyot. In the col Greg took over and led on the initial climb to the treeline. Eventually Sue was out front, breaking the trail and setting a pace I couldn’t stay with. Sue stayed out front to West Bond. As we cleared the summit of Guyot we met another hiker headed to the Garfield Tentsite for the night before completing a Pemi-loop. A short distance after the Guyot summit we were back in the spruce and hiking on great trail conditions. Soon we reached the West Bond Spur, made the turn, and headed for the summit of West Bond.
To this point we have been hiking for over seven hours and have only one checkmark for our efforts. Now that we’re in The Bonds things will happen fast. It’s a fairly short .5 mile to the W. Bond summit from Bondcliff Trail. The trail was not broken out but we’re still looking at between two and six inches of snow over the packed trail. From the rocky summit clearing we had pretty great views in all directions.
Some folks seem to think clear sky and unlimited sun is required for great views and they are reluctant to hike The Bonds without a weather forecast making that prediction. We had overcast sky with high clouds, and great views. The interesting part is the effect these conditions have on pictures, especially in winter. Color becomes black and white.
From W. Bond we could see others were on Bond, but they appeared to be leaving as we were leaving W. Bond. We retraced our steps back to Bondcliff Trail, made the turn, and continued to Mt. Bond. From the W. Bond spur junction, again it’s a short .5 mile to the summit. Along the way we were treated to more outstanding views as clearing moved through the area, and then some low clouds, then some high clouds, etc. We never met the others that were visible on Bond from W. Bond. They must have headed south toward Bondcliff.
We reached Bond with cameras in hand and started getting terrific shots in all directions. Approaching Bond, Brian let out a Hoot and announced Washington was in the clear. We were able to enjoy views to the Presidentials while on Bond. Overall, I’d say we were treated very well as we passed through The Bonds. Next and last target for the day was Bondcliff.
We set off for our short 1.2 mile walk from Bond to Bondcliff. Soon after leaving the summit area of Mt. Bond we heard a double boom and then the sound of a jet, or jets. Military aircraft were training in the area and evidently one was having some fun with the throttle and broke the sound barrier in the process.
After leaving the scrub that is just off the summit of Bond we found the trail more rocks than snow. Eventually, we all decided to retire the snowshoes and change to MicroSpikes. As it turned out, this was the final change for the day. A light snow shower started and we were on a winter hike to Bondcliff. The open area is really windblown leaving very little snow or ice. There was just enough to make light traction very helpful.
With the cloud cover, snow shower, and late hour in the afternoon, we were losing daylight. We got our summit pictures and made our way off Bondcliff and back into the tree cover for our nine-mile exit walk. To this point there had been very little ice on the trail. On exiting Bondcliff there is usually a large ice bulge that gets bypassed with a bushwhack to the east. There is no ice bulge. We were able to simply climb down the section of ledge that lands us on the trail below.
Soon after clearing the ledge we stopped to pull out the headlights. We had ~4 miles of Bondcliff Trail and 4.7 miles of Wilderness trail to enjoy in darkness. We were able to hike a comfortable pace down from Bondcliff. Now is the best time to hike Bondcliff Trail. This section of trail is a huge mud pit during spring, summer, and fall but now everything is frozen. We generally cruised all of the way down to Wilderness Trail passing a couple campers setting up their camp for the night.
At the Wilderness Trail Sue pulled out a snack, I had a drink; we groaned and set off for Lincoln Woods. There’s nothing quite like finishing a 23+ mile day on an old logging railroad bed. Straight and flat isn’t bad for tired feet, I guess. We finished our exit walk along Wilderness Trail and stepped into the lot at Lincoln Woods completing a winter Bonds Traverse in book time – I never expected to do that!
Thanks Brian for having us along on the hike. It was a great day hiking The Bonds. Thanks also to Jim and Greg. I hope to hike again with you guys sometime soon. As always, thanks Sue for a terrific day in the mountains.
Pictures will follow.
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