Zealand May?

[dreamstream]

Zealand hike mid May?

Just planning a family backpack in mid may, thinking of starting from the A Z trail, up to Zealand falls, then over to Galehead, with some time to explore the bonds and return via Ethan Brook and Wiley.

My daughter is only 6 but had no trouble last year in packing the dacs and Presidentials doing 8-10 mile days with 3-4k of elevation, Plan to tent and may stay at a hut for a night or 2. thinking ~4 days.

Any trouble in May with water crossings in that area, any recommendations?

Thanks

 

[Kevin Rooney]

In a "normal" year you could expect to find lots of snow above 3K' in the Whites in mid-May, and the streams would be up a bit, so that might affect your plans with a 6 year old. This winter - who knows for sure, but typically they'd still be alot of snow in mid-May. Usually Zealand has less snow than Galehead at that time due to differences in elevation and exposure.

 

[grouseking]

I would worry about the A-Z trail being fairly wet with spring runoff I got my feet wet in September on the A-Z trail after quite a long dry spell...and watch for Moose as they'll be out! There will proabably be lots of leftover snow up high on the Twinway from Zeacliff all the way to Galehead. It tends to stick around for a long time up there. Sounds like a banner trip to me, wish I could come!

grouseking

 

[DougPaul]

Hope you and your kid don't mind feeding the black flies...

Doug

 

[Double Bow]

Hope you and your kid don't mind feeding the black flies...

Doug

Mid-May is a bit too early for the black flies in those parts. They usually don't come out until June. Last year in mid-May we were still hiking on snow and ice. The snow line was around 3k feet. This year, maybe the snow line will be higher at that time but, I'd be willing to lay money down that the black flies will not be out in force yet.

 

[Jim lombard]

I've done the A-Z twice in spring, that area seems to hold the snow late into the year. I have to say it's one of my least favorite trails in the Whites, always seems wet, no matter what time of year. In comparison, the Avalon trail on the other side is much better.

With kids I would take the much more pleasant and scenic Zealand trail with it's many bridges and interesting ponds. If you follow to the jct with the Ethan Pond trail there are some nice camping spots about a quarter mile down the trail on the right. For me it would be much nicer to start the backpack on dry trails rather than postholing through granular snow.

 

[Mike P.]

Twinway is one of the last trails to melt out, highest wooded ridge in Whites, figure between Guyot & S. Twin it never drops below 4380. feet. F-Ridge flirts with 4,000 between Liberty & Little Haystack & Liberty & Flume. z
Twinway drops below 4060 (or Zealand wouldn't count either) but that is a short col & then Zealand is pretty high & wooded until you get to Zeacliff.

In 1996 I was 2-3 feet of snow on Memorial Day weekend. Luckily too cold to allow much postholing that weekend. We got some flurries one day.

 

[DougPaul]

Mid-May is a bit too early for the black flies in those parts. They usually don't come out until June. Last year in mid-May we were still hiking on snow and ice. The snow line was around 3k feet. This year, maybe the snow line will be higher at that time but, I'd be willing to lay money down that the black flies will not be out in force yet.

Depends. One year we had 2 black fly seasons--an early warm spell brought them out (March?) and then "winter" came back followed by a second wave. Last year winter ended with a very deep snowpack. This year? We shall see.

And they do have to travel through some lowlands near rivers and wetlands to get there.

Doug

 

[dreamstream]

Thanks, sounds like maybe it's worth coming in on the zealand trail, how is the parking there, is the road open by then, or do you need to hike the roadway in.

We did several very wet and somewhat snowy hikes the dacs last spring, no bugs but we were prepaired for them. We do lots of white water canoe camping in northern Ontario and some in Quebec so know well about black flies, gloves and head protection are essential from about the third week of May until July or even early Aug depending on how far north.

Will plan footware for some snow. Hard to find good quality hiking footware for kids though at least around here.

 

[bill bowden]

Zealand Road

Under "normal" circumstances the gated access roads in the White Mountain National Forest are open for Memorial Day weekend, but not much before.

 

[Jim lombard]

Last year right on the Friday before Memorial day, the road opened. There is plenty of parking there, the forest service fee applies. I remember a snowy spring in 1997 where it wasn't open by Memorial but that's not the norm.

 

[dreamstream]

I am thinking the week before the Memorial, so may not be able to count on the road. If the road is still closed is there parking at the gate or near by, is it still worth the extra hike along the closed road, or is it better to come in the A Z or Athalon way?

 

[Kevin Rooney]

I am thinking the week before the Memorial, so may not be able to count on the road. If the road is still closed is there parking at the gate or near by, is it still worth the extra hike along the closed road, or is it better to come in the A Z or Athalon way?

If the Zealand Road isn't open by the time of your hike, there's plenty of parking just beyond, on the left as you're traveling East. There's extra pressure on early opening of this road, as one of the nearby towns uses one of the brooks for its water supply, and as they need access to their intakes, they often plow the road early, which benefits the hiking community. OTOH - it tends to wreck the x-country skiing on the Zealand Road ...

 

[RoySwkr]

If the road is still closed is there parking at the gate or near by, is it still worth the extra hike along the closed road, or is it better to come in the A Z or Athalon way?

There is plenty of free parking in the snowmobile lot just E of the gate.

It might be farther to Zealand up the Zealand Road but it will be much easier walking up the road which is probably melted out than over the divide on A-Z with snowdrifts.

I hiked to Galehead in mid-May a couple years ago, the last bit of the GR Trail had hard packed snow in the middle which if found in January would have drawn "crampons required" notes in Trail Conditions, not that hut visitors in sneakers weren't walking on it

As KR says, there may be less snow in May this year, ask us in 2 months

 

[bryan]

i was a caretaker at zealand falls hut last spring and found that the area had some real varied conditions. last year by late may there was no snow to be found around the hut, but half way up to zeacliff you would posthole thigh deep without snowshoes. a-z holds a lot of snow late and as said it is wet, though it is a nice hike and would allow a side trip to my tom with nice views into the zealand valley and over to the presidentials. it is definitely used more by moose in the winter and spring than it is by people. sometimes the crossing of whitewall above the hut could get treacherous, but that was more so in april. the snow between zealand and and guyot was quite deep right through the end of may.
they held out on opening the dirt section of zealand road until right before memorial day weekend, but the paved section up to the sugarloaf trails was opened a couple weeks earlier cutting a mile and change off of the road walk which is generally quite easy and fast. i guess the bottom line is be ready to get wet and consider that the little ones may have issues in the soft deep snow that may be left on the ridges (some early season amc groups did last year). if it's too much, trips through the valley to thoreau falls and shoal pond are well worth it. otherwise simply enjoy one of the most beautiful areas in the whites. i loved it there.

bryan

 

[Mike P.]

If snow linhgerslate into May the Zealand Road walk will be a lot easier than coiming over A-Z, Beyond Tom, it's kind of narrow & not used much. (Making it a nice trail in summer - unless it's wet )