West Bond

Trail: Zealand Trail, Twinway, Zealand Spur, Bondcliff Trail, West Bond Spur

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

“What a great day for this hike starting from Galehead Hut. Mostly sunny, comfortable temps and great views all around. Trails are in good shape mostly dry but there are intermittent avoidable goopy spots here and there. It was great to chat with many of the hikers on the trail including Andy who finished his 48 over 75 years old on Bondcliff. It was a long day but a lot of fun with great company including special guest hiker (now team member) Sadie who we met at the shelter and got her 20th with these five peaks. Hiker of the day was Kwi-Hui who finished her 48 over 70 years old on Zealand. Congratulations Trail Mother.”

Trail: Zealand Trail, Twinway, Zealand Spur, Bondcliff Trail, West Bond Spur

Conditions: Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable

“This was a last minute pivot to get these on a good weather day for G2. The trails were nice and dry and the rocks were grippy which helped me make good time all the way to Bondcliff. I saw a handful of happy hikers making their way from overnights at Guyot. The slog back up Bond was very sloggy as the sun was out and it was HOT. Once I made it back to that summit I cooled off and was able to cruise on back to Guyot. It was nice to meet Chris and Jeff in person - thank you for stopping to introduce yourselves. :) I met a few NOBOS on my journey back to the hut. The rain started while I was on the Twinway headed back and was a pretty strong downpour. I didn't even bother with a rain jacket because it felt so nice to get cooled off. The rain turned the trail into a stream with a lot of standing water and wet rocks. The descent down the hut was slower due to the pouring rain. Once I got to the hut the rain had pretty much stopped and much of Zealand trail looked dry. Maybe the rain was just over me? That would be about right. So glad to have gotten these done on a mostly lovely weather day. It was well worth the 1:30am wakeup. I forgot how much I really do love starting super early for a nice long day.”

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!”