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Hiking Trail Conditions Report
Peaks
Peaks Mt. Garfield, South Twin Mountain, Mt. Guyot, West Bond, Mt. Bond, Bondcliff, NH
Trails
Trails: Franconia Brook Trail, Garfield Ridge Trail, Twinway, Bondcliff Trail, West Bond Spur, Lincoln Woods Trail
Date of Hike
Date of Hike: Friday, October 15, 2021
Parking/Access Road Notes
Parking/Access Road Notes: Parked at Lincoln Woods. Large paved lot off NH 112. This lot is plowed in winter. Toilets closed. 4 porta potties near ranger station. This is a fee lot ($5 per day) unless you have a recreation pass. Hiker sign in register outside of ranger station. 
Surface Conditions
Surface Conditions: Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Leaves - Significant/Slippery 
Recommended Equipment
Recommended Equipment:  
Water Crossing Notes
Water Crossing Notes: All were rock hoppable.  
Trail Maintenance Notes
Trail Maintenance Notes:  
Dog-Related Notes
Dog-Related Notes: Dogs may not like the “waterfall” climb just before the Garfield campsite, but they should be fine. Many flowing water points for them. Rough trail. 
Bugs
Bugs: Yes. Surprisingly. Some black flies and other flying insects down low. No mosquitos. 
Lost and Found
Lost and Found:  
 
Comments
Comments: Route:
Lincoln Woods > Franconia Brook Trail > Garfield Ridge trail out & back to Garfield > Garfield Ridge Trail > Twinway > Bondcliff > West Bond Spur > Bondcliff > Lincoln Woods > end.

Lincoln Woods: flat, fast, wide, and popular. Lovely leaf blanket that is super fun to rustle through.

Franconia Brook: not blazed. Wider trail corridor that narrows with elevation gain. Able to discern the trail easily despite the sudden dump of leaves. Met lovely Nick who had bushwhacked and camped at Redrock pond. So jealous! Thanks for sharing your route, insight and photos! This trail is awesome. Mellow grades with numerous things to look at along the way. Muddy. Some mud lakes that require thought to negotiate. My tracing soul was fed.

Garfield Ridge: it is what it is. Some standard white AT blazes, sometimes not marked. Trail is easy to follow. NOT easy to walk. Very Rocky. Very rooty. Very wetty rocky and rooty. That darn waterfall climb before the Garfield campsite always makes me shudder. But, there are plenty of good handholds for both the ascent and descent. Very beat down footbed. Like concrete. Water flowing fine at the point below the campsite.

Twinway: mostly blazed in white. Trail simple to follow- basically if you’re on something soft and mossy you are most decidedly off trail. Galehead hut open for the last weekend. Filled 3 liters of water anticipating the need to dry camp somewhere below alpine off South Twin summit as there was no way I was going to make it to Guyot before dark. Man was that load HEAVY going up 1100 feet in 0.8 miles… Located super awesome stealth campsite. Camped in total silence.

Bondcliff: not blazed until faded blue blazes appear for a short distance down in the valley (near the old railroad bed). Supplemental large carins above tree line. Very helpful in today’s reduced visibility. Footbed simple to follow. If you’re feet aren’t screaming from the rock beating, you’re off trail. Many off trail campsites starting a mile below the summit cone. Normally I want to bang my sweat and salt covered forehead into the nearest evergreen while walking down this seemingly never ending trail. However today’s lushly leaf covered path lent for a fun foray. Kinda felt like jumping into leaf piles. I was tempted to build a leaf pile on trail…

West Bond Spur: not blazed. Simple to follow trail. Great point where I dropped pack and scampered (flailing moose style ‘cause I was finally free of that heavy fall pack) to the viewless summit. Summit marked with large carin.

Other notes:
Water flowing at Guyot campsite. Bear boxes still present at time of this writing. Take the Franconia Brook. This trail is worth it.  
Name
Name: Remington34 
E-Mail
E-Mail:  
Date Submitted
Date Submitted: 2021-10-15 
Link
Link: https:// 
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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