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Ski
Hiking Trail Conditions Report
Peaks
Peaks Bondcliff, Mt. Bond, West Bond, NH
Trails
Trails: Lincoln Woods Trail, Bondcliff Trail, West Bond Spur
Date of Hike
Date of Hike: Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Parking/Access Road Notes
Parking/Access Road Notes: I didn't get an early start but only 1 car was there when I arrived. There were a handful when I left although I didn't see anyone on Lincoln Woods. 
Surface Conditions
Surface Conditions: Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular 
Recommended Equipment
Recommended Equipment: Snowshoes, Light Traction 
Water Crossing Notes
Water Crossing Notes: Upper two crossings on Bondcliff Tr below Bondcliff are snowbridged. The other crossings are open but levels are low, the rocks are mostly dry and so rock stepping is easy. In snowshoes or spikes, however, it is a bit trickier trying to protect the equipment. 
Trail Maintenance Notes
Trail Maintenance Notes: There were quite a few bendovers on Bondcliff, primarily in the switchbacks. I told Pepper I would take out 10 and no more, but probably hit 20. The last few I cut and left for the college age group behind me to move as they did with a multi bendover patch. I don't know that they did so the next hikers up may need to do it. There are still a few minor ones that remain, mostly lower down after I quit. I took out the only problem one on West Bond spur, but didn't need the saw to do that. It looked like a crew came in to do some work, some of which baffled me, on Bondcliff in its lowest stretch, formerly Wilderness Trail. For trail bed see Comments.  
Dog-Related Notes
Dog-Related Notes: It was a great day for Pepper to do this hike; better than in the summer. No icing, nice temps, good pawbed and he could go off trail without pawholing. His paws did get wet in the two major stream crossings, and there are quite a few other places on the trail where there is standing water, but today that didn't matter. Tomorrow, with snow, then all of that would likely lead to icing. 
Bugs
Bugs:  
Lost and Found
Lost and Found:  
 
Comments
Comments: I used microspikes until Bondcliff but no traction would have been okay. The footbed was crusty on top and held firm for me, being the first one on the trails. From Bondcliff to where the trail enters the woods on Bond, I barebooted since most of it was bare rock with short snow/ice patches. From there snowshoes were best for traction and to avoid postholing. I ran into a group coming down Bond that had spent the night at Guyot and they had just taken off their snowshoes for the ridge. They didn't put them on right away after getting off the ridge, and as a result they postholed. I imagined some Twilight Zones plots for them, but it wasn't long before they had switched back to snowshoes. Kudos. I kept mine on for the hike out all the way to the old Wilderness trail section. So my expectation is that from there on up will be a very good snowshoe tomorrow.

The mountain forecast site for Bond, along with the Eye on the Sky mountain forecast, once again suggested today would be a good day when I went to bad last night; while NOAA's point and higher summits forecasts had blustery winds, summits in the clouds, etc. But when I woke up NOAA had changed its mind and we were ready. It turned out to be a fantastic day for this hike, lots of sun, very little wind and that was mostly on the ridge nearing where the trail enters the trees on Bond. We had a leisurely snack on Bondcliff in the warm sun, in bare hands and minimal layers. Franconia Ridge to the Twins and over to the Presidentials all were in the clouds all day but lifting a bit as the day went on, but south of them it was a mostly sunny day. Temps were relatively mild too, lower 30s down low and 20s up high. Combined with the fast and easy trails, it made for a fun hike. Thanks Pepper for taking me away from the work computers and putting me out on the trails on such a splendid day.  
Name
Name: Pepper and Me 
E-Mail
E-Mail: windriversjohn at gmail dot com 
Date Submitted
Date Submitted: 2013-01-15 
Link
Link: https:// 
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