| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Bondcliff, Mt. Bond, West Bond, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Lincoln Woods Trail, Bondcliff Trail, West Bond Spur |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, February 28, 2015 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Plenty of parking at Lincoln Woods |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow - Unpacked Powder, Snow - Drifts |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
A few small streams had open water but all were easily crossed |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
A few step-overs and duck-unders. Miles of branches in the face due to deep snow. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
No dogs today |
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 | Bugs: |
None |
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 | Lost and Found: |
My goggles fell off my pack somewhere on Bond or West Bond. I couldn't find them on the return trip. If they appear, please email me. |
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 | Comments: |
This was a long but beautiful trip with a Meetup group of six. It was below zero at 7am but warmed quickly in the sun. (Yes, SUN!!) We backcountry skied 4.5 miles in to the start of the Bondcliff trail, covering about 3 miles per hour. Lincoln Woods and the Wilderness Trail were well-packed and we ran into the group heading to Owl's Head. Five of us switched to snowshoes shortly into the Bondcliff Trail as the terrain became tricky to navigate on touring skis. One AT skier was able to skin up about halfway to Bondcliff. The trail was well packed all the way to Bondcliff; we saw two groups of 2 on the way down and a group of 3 backpackers heading up. Due to the snow depth there were a several annoying miles of trees in the face all the way up Bondcliff and again on the ridge. We reached Bondcliff in about 5 hours and enjoyed the sunshine and blue skies (there was just enough wind and cold that goggles were helpful). At that point most of the group decided to head back down, but two of us wanted to continue up the ridge (there was no way I was going all the way back for Bond and West Bond this winter). Luckily for us we met a group of 2 that had just packed out the ridge. It was about two hours each way to West Bond, bringing us back to Bondcliff just in time for a beautiful sunset. We met a lone backpacker who had spent the night at Guyot and said that he'd had a hard time locating the trail to the shelter. He had planned to meet friends on the Twins but had to bail because he said the trail was impassable and he couldn't even find it - FYI to anyone considering a Pemi loop or backpack (as I had been).
The snowshoe down from Bondcliff and the ski out took another four hours, making for a long day and sore feet. Skis were a welcome change of pace for the long slog out in the dark. My "Random" hiking partner Gary had neve hiked a winter 4k before - kudos to him and his sense of adventure (and for loaning me his goggles when I lost mine on the ridge). Thanks to Dan for organizing the trip and Dana, Ken, Dirk, and Gary for their company. For the two of us who went all 22 miles, it was a 14 hour day. Bonds: check!
41 down and 7 to go for my winter 48... |
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 | Name: |
Liz |
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 | E-Mail: |
lizwyman at yahoo |
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| Date Submitted: |
2015-03-01 |
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 | Link: |
 https:// |
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Disclaimer: Reports are not verified - conditions may vary. Use at own risk. Always be prepared when hiking. Observe all signs. Trail conditions reports are not substitutes for weather reports or common sense. |
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