| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
South Twin Mountain, Mt. Guyot, West Bond, Mt. Bond, Bondcliff, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Twinway, Bondcliff Trail, West Bond Spur |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Wednesday, July 22, 2015 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Not much water to cross! |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
There is one peculiar blowdown right before the summit of Bond. Step on the lower branch of it and you will make the higher one easy to step over. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Make sure they have water. We saw one dog with those booties that protect their feet. And if it is even one tenth as windy as it was the day we were there, you may wish to reconsider the Bonds! |
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 | Bugs: |
Too windy for anything to land! |
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 | Lost and Found: |
My pack cover blew away, no one will ever find it! |
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 | Comments: |
I am lucky to be alive! After hearing the weather report for the day and evening, I modified our plans. We were going to stay at the Guyot Campsite, but after hearing that higher elevations would be in the 30s with windchill I thought it would be better to do the Bonds (time permitting) and get below the trees on the Bondcliff Trail. It would also mean a shorter walk back to the car. Everything was fine at first. Going up to South Twin was its usual steep self, with excellent views in all directions on top. South Twin was muddy in places, but good bog bridges. A nice woodland walk, some what steep coming down from South Twin. Guyot was as beautiful as it was two years ago this day (finished the list July 22 2013) and relatively easy to climb. Easy, but the first hint of the winds to come. Got to the campsite spur and decided to go for the Bonds and camp below. Dropped our packs to go to West Bond. Finally got to see what we were denied 2 years ago on that foggy evening. Everyone should see this at least once in their life, the effort is worth it. On to Bond, wonderful as well. Then, into the maelstrom! It was not late, even with my slow pace I estimated we would get to Bondcliff an hour before sunset. I had a slow descent in the bouldery areas, but then the trail became a little easier footwise. Unfortunately, the wind speed increased to a point where it became difficult to move. At times, it made more sense to sit and let the stronger breezes go by. It took forever! Prema got there a few minutes ahead of me and said, "Kind of windy, isn't it?" The whole situation made me so nervous I hadn't realized we were past the famous cliff. No photo that evening! At first I felt I had made a serious error in not waiting until the next day, but the better part of Thursday morning the wind was just as strong. So we headed down the trail and Prema located an appropriate spot to spend the night. |
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 | Name: |
Beckie and Prema |
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 | E-Mail: |
beckiejani@yahoo.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2015-07-24 |
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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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