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Hiking Trail Conditions Report
Peaks
Peaks Zealand Mountain, Mt. Guyot, West Bond, Mt. Bond, Bondcliff, NH
Trails
Trails: Zealand Road, Zealand Trail, Zealand Spur, Twinway, Bondcliff Trail, West Bond Spur, Lincoln Woods Trail
Date of Hike
Date of Hike: Sunday, December 12, 2021
Parking/Access Road Notes
Parking/Access Road Notes: Left my car at LW last night, 3 there including me. 2 upon return. A whopping 5 cars at Zealand Winter lot this morning 
Surface Conditions
Surface Conditions: Ice - Black, Snow - Trace/Minimal Depth, Wet Trail, Ice - Blue, Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Wet/Slippery Rock, Ice - Breakable Crust, Snow - Unpacked Powder, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Leaves - Significant/Slippery, Snow/Ice - Postholes, Slush, Snow/Ice - Small Patches 
Recommended Equipment
Recommended Equipment: Light Traction, Traction 
Water Crossing Notes
Water Crossing Notes: ALL crossings along trails listed had no issues, even the big one above Zealand Hut (for reference, about 676 CFS per Ammo @ Bethlehem USGS gauge #01137500) 
Trail Maintenance Notes
Trail Maintenance Notes: Bondcliff trail could use some cairn work from the summit to treeline to help folks. Even after a collective ~44 Z/B's in our group, we still had to be like "no its over here!" Also at the hairpin turn, it seems very unnatural to do a 180 degree turn and hike up what's currently a river. Bondcliff Trail could also benefit from some brushing from Wilderness trail to the first crossing. (I am happy to help whomever the TM is with this if you want extra hands!) 
Dog-Related Notes
Dog-Related Notes:  
Bugs
Bugs:  
Lost and Found
Lost and Found:  
 
Comments
Comments: Hello Twin State PD - I'd like to report a robbery. A SUPERB day was had in Henry's Woods. This hike gridded out all three of us on Zealand and The Bonds, as well as soared me over the 90% mark for grid. As Pedro would say, I guess it's serious now. Truly prime speedway conditions, if you need the Bonds for December, start driving north NOW!! The trails look like early November, not mid December! We saw no one aside from a large group of boy scouts who stayed at Zealand Hut last night, all whom where extremely well prepared. Bare boot from car to Zealand Summer TH. Road is bare but from Hale Brook on it gets icy. Spikes at summer TH of Zealand to car at Lincoln Woods. The 302 side is much more stable in its conditions. The 50 degrees and rain yesterday did serious damage to the snowpack. It was hard pack sidewalk to Zealand summit proper. From Zealand to Guyot (North summit) was still pretty good conditions but you may post hole here or there. The winds where howling like Baldwin Engines that roared through these woods a century ago. I did mention it offhand to Sidehill and she smiled and said, yep, it will be fine. When we topped out at Guyot North, we where greated with a massive gust that quite literally took my breath away. We darted for the krumoltz near Twinway/Bondcliff junction and geared up. The trek to Guyot Campsite was fun. There where several rag doll moments in the wind. Truly no nonsense. Trails are a mix of supportive snow, ice, and unconsolidated snow pack. Could not help but laugh in the conditions, take a few steps, plant the poles, ride the gust, only to start making progress and get blown 5 feet upslope. Some people do drugs... ANYWAYS. Super conditions persist to West Bond which the winds had seriously ebbed and we enjoyed the summit. Same can be said to Bond. That's where the fun ends. The ridge walk is more or less blue ice from timberline to timberline. I wouldn't say full crampons would be helpful here because its super boney, but K-10's might work. Suprisingly, the winds did not howl through the col and I got out on the rock for a picture. Coming off Bondcliff was a lot of blue ice again. Hillary's Step was interesting but has a bypass now. The way out from timberline to Lincoln Woods was a lot of everything, but not for very long. Blue ice, black ice, supportive snow, frozen leaves, running water, bare ground, frozen mud. Rinse and repeat for about 8 miles. It's like being tortured by watching the DVD menu over and over again for hours.  
Name
Name: The Teal Goat, Sidehill, Poptart 
E-Mail
E-Mail: sea2thebiscuit@yahoo.com 
Date Submitted
Date Submitted: 2021-12-12 
Link
Link: https:// 
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