The Z-Bonds Traverse is a 18.9-mile point-to-point with 3,805 ft of elevation gain.
18.9 mi • 3,805 ft gain • 9-14 hours • Zealand Trailhead
White Mountain National Forest to Temporarily Close Section of Lincoln Woods Trail for Public Health and Safety
UPDATE: Lincoln Woods Trail will close beginning June 15th through November 2026 when when restoration work commences.
Source: Forest Service
Pemigewasset Wilderness Food Storage Requirement
Effective May 1st, 2026, all overnight campers in the Pemigewasset Wilderness must store all food, food containers, scented items (such as soap, lip balm, and toothpaste) and refuse in a cylindrical, hard-sided, non-pliable Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee (IGBC) certified bear resistant canister. Alternative methods, including bear hangs, for storing food and bear attractants in the Pemigewasset Wilderness will no longer be permitted as they have proven to be less effective than canisters. The only exceptions are the bear resistant food boxes located at the Thirteen Falls Tent Site.
Source: Forest Service
Feels like 34°F
Best Hiking Window
Saturday early morning through mid-afternoon, ideally starting at or before sunrise (6:04 AM) to maximize daylight for this remote traverse
Conditions synthesized from: NWS Higher Summits Forecast, NOAA Open-Meteo, Mount Washington Observatory, NETC Trip Reports, NOHRSC Snow Depth, Mt. Washington Avalanche Center, USGS Stream Levels, OpenWeather Air Quality.
AI-generated from public data. Always verify conditions before heading out — backcountry weather can change quickly.
Summit-level conditions by time of day at 4,698' elevation
Tap a day header to expand to 3hr or hourly detail
Today Aug 29 | Tomorrow Aug 30 | Monday Aug 31 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AM | PM | night | AM | PM | night | AM | PM | night | |
| Temperature & Wind | |||||||||
| Weather | sunny | sunny | cloudy | cloudy | rain | drizzle | sunny | sunny | cloudy |
| Temp °F hi / lo | 47° 46° | 51° 47° | 54° 52° | 53° 52° | 55° 53° | 53° 50° | 51° 50° | 55° 50° | 54° 53° |
| Chill °F | 40° | 40° | — | — | — | 42° | 45° | 46° | — |
| Wind mph | 13 | 18 | 38 | 40 | 30 | 32 | 14 | 11 | 9 |
| Gust mph est. | 21 | 29 | 61 | 56 | 48 | 51 | 22 | 16 | — |
| Precipitation | |||||||||
| Precip in (rain/snow) | - | - | - | - | 0.1 | - | - | - | - |
| Freezing ft | 12,171 ft | 11,514 ft | 13,281 ft | ||||||
| Conditions | |||||||||
| Cloud cover | 2% | 2% | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% | - | 6% | 100% |
| Vis mi | 9 | clear | clear | clear | 3 | 5 | clear | clear | clear |
| UV | 5 | 7 | — | 4 | 6 | — | 5 | 7 | — |
Tap a day header to expand AM/PM/Night detail
| Elevation | Today Aug 29 | Tomorrow Aug 30 | Monday Aug 31 |
|---|---|---|---|
| lo/hi °F · wind mph & dir · chill °F | |||
| Summit 4,698 ft | 46/47° 13 | 52/53° 40 | 50/51° 14 |
| 4,100 ft | 47/48° 13 | 53/56° 38 | 52/53° 11 |
| 3,300 ft | 47/51° 15 | 57/58° 30 | 54/56° 8 |
| 2,500 ft | 49/54° 10 | 60/62° 19 | 54/61° 7 |
| Trailhead 2,000 ft | 50/56° 9 | 61/64° 15 | 54/63° 6 |
4 more days of forecast — plan around the weather window, not just tomorrow.
Full hourly summit forecasts: Mount Bond weather · West Bond weather · Bondcliff weather · Mount Zealand weather
The Z-Bonds Traverse is a 18.9-mile point-to-point in New Hampshire's White Mountains, starting at Zealand Trailhead and finishing at Lincoln Woods Trailhead. It climbs about 3,805 ft — an average of 201 ft per mile — which works out to roughly 9-14 hours at AMC book time. It summits 4 named peaks, topping out on Mount Bond at 4,698 ft: Mount Bond (4,698 ft), West Bond (4,540 ft), Bondcliff (4,265 ft), Mount Zealand (4,260 ft). HikerNerd rates it Very Difficult on effort alone — check the current conditions above before committing, since weather above treeline changes the day far more than the numbers do.
Distance
18.9 mi
Elevation Gain
3,805 ft
Duration
9-14 hours
Trailhead
Zealand Trailhead
The Z-Bonds Traverse is 18.9 miles point to point, starting at Zealand Trailhead. At AMC book time — half the distance in hours plus 30 minutes per 1,000 ft of climbing — that works out to roughly 9-14 hours. Most parties take longer than book time on rough or above-treeline terrain, in winter, or with a heavy pack.
The Z-Bonds Traverse climbs about 3,805 ft over 18.9 miles — an average of roughly 201 ft of gain per mile. That figure is cumulative ascent across the whole point-to-point, not the difference between the trailhead and the high point.
HikerNerd rates the Z-Bonds Traverse Very Difficult, scored with the Shenandoah difficulty formula — √(elevation gain × 2 × distance) — applied to its 18.9 miles and 3,805 ft of gain. The score measures physical effort only. Above-treeline exposure, water crossings, and winter conditions can make a moderate-rated route the hardest day of your year, so check current conditions before committing.
The Z-Bonds Traverse summits 4 named peaks: Mount Bond, West Bond, Bondcliff, Mount Zealand.
The Z-Bonds Traverse starts at Zealand Trailhead and finishes at Lincoln Woods Trailhead, so it needs a car spot or shuttle. Check the trail alerts on this page before you drive — trailhead access and parking in the White Mountains change with closures and construction.
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