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Ski
Hiking Trail Conditions Report
Peaks
Peaks Zealand Mountain, Mt. Guyot, West Bond, Mt. Bond, Bondcliff, NH
Trails
Trails: Zealand Road, Zealand Trail, Twinway, Zealand Spur, Bondcliff Trail, West Bond Spur, Lincoln Woods Trail
Date of Hike
Date of Hike: Saturday, March 18, 2017
Parking/Access Road Notes
Parking/Access Road Notes: Parking for Zealand Road on north side of 302 had plenty; Lincoln Woods Parking lot had plenty 
Surface Conditions
Surface Conditions: Ice - Black, Ice - Breakable Crust, Snow - Unpacked Powder, Snow - Drifts, Snow - Spring Snow 
Recommended Equipment
Recommended Equipment: Snowshoes, Light Traction 
Water Crossing Notes
Water Crossing Notes: All bridged today but melting. 
Trail Maintenance Notes
Trail Maintenance Notes: Lots of leaners and blowdowns on Twinway, West Bond Spur, Bondcliff, and even Lincoln Woods Trail 
Dog-Related Notes
Dog-Related Notes: Didn't see any. 
Bugs
Bugs:  
Lost and Found
Lost and Found:  
 
Comments
Comments: No better way to finish a SSW48 than with a 20+ mile snowshoe hike over the Bonds through lots of unbroken snow. Fitting for this winter!

Started early at 302 (-6F) and made it to the hut while there was still some hot water (thank you!). Met Luke there who gave me some good intel: he had broken trail to Guyot (South Guyot, actually) yesterday. Thanks, Luke. Happy exploring the Whites!

Twinway to Zealand was fairly well broken, thanks to those ahead. The ladders are ramps. Zeacliff is still spectacular, as are many of the views up there!

Bondcliff Trail toward South Twin wasn't broken out when I got there, but I heard some folks were headed that way later in the day.

At South Guyot, I broke the trail out to the West Bond Spur junction, then headed west on the spur. I can't say I set the best trail, but it'll get you there. Others broke it out behind me and undoubtedly improved upon my winding improvisations. And a big "Thanks!" to Randall who found, carried, and returned one of my water bottles which had been purloined by a tree near the Guyot Campsite spur (incidentally, that spur was also unbroken but I met two guys later in the day who were planning to camp there).

Upon returning to the Bondcliff Trail, I broke trail up to Mount Bond. I didn't find the snow as hard to break as that which fell in those two big February storms, especially up high. You could often "float" on top of it without breaking through...much.

Set a nice trail down to Bondcliff, where one can and probably should switch to spikes for the rocky bits. I was bullheaded and stayed in my snowshoes.

To my dismay, no one had come up from Lincoln Woods yet, so I broke trail down Bondcliff. The Hillary Step is a ramp (easy). The sidehill, on the other hand, stinks! There's ice under the 4" of new snow and it kept trying to usher me downhill.

Finally, about 1.5 miles down, I ran into two guys coming up (who seemed to be as glad to see me as I them). Unfortunately, about a minute after leaving those two, I came across a group of three skiers who decided to bareboot up. They were nice enough, but the rest of the trail was a real mess, the more so since the sun was turning the snow into schlop! It wasn't entirely their fault either as there were different bare boot tracks below.

I'm guessing the flat sections of Bondcliff and Lincoln Woods will really set up tonight. Indeed, Lincoln Woods already was, so I did the final 2.9 in boots.  
Name
Name: icegulch 
E-Mail
E-Mail: icegulch [ at ] gmail 
Date Submitted
Date Submitted: 2017-03-18 
Link
Link: https://www.dropbox.com/sc/9ii3s85w5qmhaa9/AADUZ8_cYhRPwccK0Own-PCra 
Bookmark and Share 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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