A ZBonds Traverse is without doubt one of the harder hikes you are able to do in winter within the White Mountains. It’s even longer than a Presidential Traverse and far more distant. It requires mountain climbing throughout the breadth of the Pemigewasset Wilderness for 23.3 miles from Rt 302 close to Twin Mountain, NH to the Lincoln Woods Trailhead outdoors of Lincoln, NH. It’s difficult by the actual fact the forest service street to the northern trailhead is gated shut, so you need to stroll it, which provides about 3 miles to the size of the route. In all, you may anticipate to spend 12-14 hours mountain climbing from one finish to a different except you need to break path in deep snow, which makes the hike far more time-consuming.
The route plan:
- Zealand Rd – 3.5 miles
- Zealand Trail – 2.5 miles
- Twinway 4.4: miles
- Zeland Mtn Spur – 0.2 miles
- Bondcliff Trail: 8.7 miles
- West Bond Spur:1.0 mile
- Lincoln Woods Trail: 2.9 miles
The route climbs 4 mountains on the Appalachian Mountain Club’s 4000-footer listing:
- Zealand Mountain – 4264′
- West Bond – 4518′
- Mt Bond – 4696′
- Bondcliff – 4263′
My common mountain climbing companions weren’t obtainable for this hike, so I attached with a crew that I’d by no means met in individual earlier than. There was a climate window that was too good to go up, with low wind and little snow cowl. I wanted all 4 peaks for December on the White Mountain 4000 Footer Grid peak listing and I used to be psyched to hike them early within the month. The Grid requires mountain climbing all 48 4 thousand footers in every month of the 12 months for a complete of 576 summits. It takes most individuals a number of years to complete the 12 full rounds of the 4 thousand footers required to complete.
This was a particular hike as a result of it was the final hike that one of many hikers, Jamie Brunt, wanted to finish his Grid. He’d been engaged on the height listing for 11 years and he was psyched that he’d end on Bondcliff, which is without doubt one of the most picturesque peaks within the White Mountains. You couldn’t ask for a greater day too, with beautiful climate and wonderful path circumstances.
This was additionally a particular hike for me. One of my “big” targets for this 12 months was to achieve 500 summits on the street to the 576 summits required to complete the Grid. Bagging these 4 peaks would convey my rely to 498/576, placing me only one or two hikes from reaching that objective with a number of weeks left within the 12 months. Of course, mountain climbing means extra to me than simply filling in an inventory. I like these mountains and being a member of the closely-knit White Mountains mountain climbing neighborhood.
The day of the hike I awoke at 3:00 am so I may meet the group at 5:00 on the Zealand Lot on Rt 302, close to the Mt Washington auto street. It often takes me about 75 minutes to get out the door for a winter hike within the morning. I ate, drank loads of espresso, boiled 3 liters of consuming water for the hike so it wouldn’t freeze in the course of the day, and packed the meals I hadn’t packed the night time earlier than. The key to those lengthy winter hikes is to eat and drink very often to maintain up your vitality stage.
The most harmful a part of these winter hikes is driving to the trailhead at the hours of darkness after which residence at the hours of darkness afterward. I hate driving within the National Forest at night time as a result of there are such a lot of animals crossing the street. I’ve had a number of shut calls up to now with moose, deer, and bears and most of my buddies have too.
Jamie arrived, coming from the trailhead on the finish of the hike with the entire different hikers in our crew: Alex, Molly, Donna, and Jeremy. I couldn’t see any of their faces or what they actually seemed like standing at the hours of darkness, regardless of our headlamps.
We crossed the freeway and began up Zealand Road, passing the closed gate. The street was coated with a light-weight coating of snow however there wasn’t any ice and we have been in a position to naked boot it. Give it a month and it is going to be coated in ice, rotten snow, and snowmobile tracks which might be a lot more durable to stroll on.
It was 3.5 miles to the conventional 3-season trailhead. The women took off and the boys tried to maintain up. I knew this was going to be a quick group and the miles glided by rapidly within the mild of our headlamps.
We got here to the three-season trailhead after an hour and had a brief break earlier than heading up the Zealand Trail to the Zealand Hut, an AMC cabin staffed by a caretaker which is open in winter. The charges are decreased if you wish to sleep there, however the cabin is unheated so you might want to haul in a heavy sleeping bag, pad, and meals if you wish to spend the night time. I stayed there earlier than on a winter Bonds Traverse in 2014 and I don’t assume it’s actually price it. It doesn’t prevent that a lot time the subsequent day and you need to haul heavier gear all day in consequence.
Jamie and I naked booted for some time longer till the path grew to become too icy to proceed. Everyone else has placed on microspikes again on the three-season trailhead. We made it to the hut in after one other hour and took a brief break to calm down on the porch. The caretaker got here outdoors and chatted with us for some time after which we took off, managing the stream crossing on the backside of the Twinway Trail with ease.
The first mile of the Twinway just isn’t my pal. It climbs straight up 1000 ft in a mile. I couldn’t sustain with the tempo of the remainder of the group however I used to be solely jiffy behind them. This part might be the toughest a part of a Bond Traverse however it was over quickly sufficient. We met on the Zeacliff viewpoint which overlooks the jap half of Pemigewasset Wilderness, Mt Carrigan, Mt Hancock, Mt Washington, and Mt Jefferson. It’s a fabulous viewpoint, nicely price a cease.
We set off towards Zealand Mountain and I fell off the group’s quick tempo once more. We have been mountain climbing in about 4″ of unconsolidated powder. I caught up with everybody on the Zealand summit signal and instructed Jamie I wasn’t feeling so scorching. The group was actually supportive they usually inspired me to proceed, particularly since we have been practically midway by way of the route. They slowed down a bit and I used to be in a position to regain my composure. I believe the all-out dash as much as that time had worn me out. Even although I hike loads, I’m in a unique age group, and I’m not the pace demon I used to be 20 years in the past.
We left Zealand Mtn and climbed into the col between Zealand and Guyot, climbing by way of barely deeper powder. It was simple going although after which we broke above treeline at Guyot, which is a 4000-footer within the heart of the Pemigewasset, though it’s not on the White Mountain 4000-footer listing. Guyot is my favourite peak within the Whites. It’s named after the one who drew the primary map of the Whites, Albert Guyot, pronounced with a tough “G”, Gee-oh.
There was nearly no wind. The solar was out as we turned onto the Bondcliff Trail, reaching the summit cairn on Guyot earlier than descending again into the krumholz on the south aspect. We handed the spur path to the Guyot campsite and climbed a brief distance to the West Bond Spur, the place we dropped our packs to hike out to the summit, a half mile away. We nonetheless hadn’t seen anybody all day.
West Bond was a simple climb and we have been quickly again on the Bondcliff Trail, climbing to Mt Bond, the best peak within the group. Jamie was now at 575 peaks and the anticipation was rising. Molly had introduced some small cordial bottles to share with the group and gave Jamie his favourite, a Jameson’s.
Jamie led the way in which down the lengthy ridge that runs from Mt Bond right down to Bondcliff and we adopted shut behind. While it’s gradual, you do need to climb up the again aspect of Bondcliff to get to the well-known viewpoint overlooking the Hellgate. This is a rocky ledge with an incredible view of Owlshead Mountain, Garfield, and the whole end-to-end size of Franconia ridge. Thousands of individuals have stood right here for a summit picture.
Molly and Donna caught up with us and raced forward of Jamie to arrange for his celebration. They’d purchased get together favors and glowing white wine to have a good time Jamie’s end. It was good enjoyable. We blew tiny plastic horns and posed for quite a few pictures. Even although these have been Jamie’s good buddies, I felt very welcomed by them and joined within the celebration.
Jamie was consuming all of it up, however I can’t think about what he was considering. Imagine engaged on peak listing for 11 years and at last ending it. It have to be an incredible sense of accomplishment.
We have been quickly again at it, starting the lengthy 9 mile stroll to the Lincoln Woods Trailhead and the final 6 miles within the flats glided by quick. We’d discarded the spikes and have been again in naked boots once more. There was little or no snow on this aspect of the mountains. so we have been in a position to end rapidly regardless of the darkish. When we lastly arrived on the Lincoln Woods Trailhead, I used to be amazed on the quantity of people that got here out to greet us. Jamie is a very fashionable man!
After a number of items of pizza provided by Jamie’s spouse, we ran the reverse shuttle and I drove again residence at the hours of darkness. I used to be drained however exhilarated to be a part of such an outpouring of friendship in Jamie’s honor. One of as of late, I hope to complete the Grid too.
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