Mount Zealand

Trail: North Twin Trail, Fire Warden's Trail, Lend-a-Hand Trail, Twinway, Zealand Spur, North Twin Spur

Conditions: Dry Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable

“Tried the Fire Warden's Loop for the very first time and found it to be a great 18-mile loop hike connecting some mountains that aren't commonly hiked together. Much thanks to SectionHiker.com for the hike description. I do have to say that starting with Hale and ending with North Twin was probably the correct choice, with the better views on the hike coming later in the day. The Fire Warden's Trail is very easy to follow, well-graded, and obviously maintained by some devoted locals. Finding the beginning of the Fire Warden's Trail wasn't hard, but I do feel like it deserves a sign at this point. The remaining trails were the usual July experience in the White Mountains. Zealand Falls Hut was busy and I was happy to see some leftover peach cobbler available for a small price.”

Trail: North Twin Trail, Fire Warden's Trail, Lend-A-Hand Trail, Twinway, Zealand Spur, Bondcliff Trail, West Bond Spur, Lincoln Woods Trail, Osseo Trail, Franconia Ridge Trail, Garfield Ridge Trail, North Twin Spur

Conditions: Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable

“This extension of the conventional Pemi Loop was a hike I had planned for some time as a buildup to an endurance race, and the Lincoln Woods closure did not interfere with the route. Starting from the North Twin trailhead, this starts with Hale via the Fire Warden's Trail, makes a quick detour to Zealand Falls Hut, then heads up the Twinway to the Zeacliff outlook, Zealand, and the Bonds. The Bondcliff Trail marks the entry point to the standard Pemi Loop, which is then followed to the Osseo Trail (Lincoln Woods Trail is closed immediately south of this intersection), and across Franconia Ridge and Garfield Ridge. This is a formidable amount of climbing in the second half of the hike, and the South Twin ascent after 37.6 miles was the coup de grace. Trail conditions were excellent for the endeavor, with largely dry rocks, even on some of the typically wet sections of the Garfield Ridge Trail. The Bondcliff Trail had its typical muddy sections, but most of these could be avoided. The wettest segment of trail might have been the narrow corridor of the North Twin Spur. Most of the trails were unusually quiet for the Sunday of 4th of July weekend, but the Lincoln Woods closure and my civil twilight start had a lot to do with that. I encountered a number of friendly hikers between Zealand Falls Hut and Mt. Bond, and almost no one until miles later between Mt. Flume and Mt. Liberty. Though I was there around mid to late-afternoon, the number of hikers between Little Haystack and Mt. Lafayette was moderate rather than excessive. There were a few trail runners, all headed in the opposite direction, undoubtedly with similarly creative itineraries. Views were spectacular, and lower temperature and humidity made this endeavor much more pleasant than it would have been a few days earlier. Overall hike statistics: 44.0 miles, 14,050' gain, 18:20 elapsed time. Full details on Unnecessary Climb!”

Trail: Zealand Trail, Ethan Pond Trail, Zeacliff Trail, Twinway, Zealand Spur

Conditions: Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable

“Nice hike to Zealand going up Zeacliff Trail. Zealand Notch is a very nice place that's often missed by peak baggers. Make sure to check out Zeacliff because you won't find any views on Zealand”