| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Zealand Mountain, Mt. Guyot, West Bond, Mt. Bond, Bondcliff, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Zealand Road, Zealand Trail, Twinway, Bondcliff Trail, West Bond Spur, Wilderness Trail, Lincoln Woods Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, April 26, 2026 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Zealand was ~25% full at 630. I assume most folks have taken off for warmer weather. LW was less than this upon finish |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Snow - Trace/Minimal Depth, Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Ice - Breakable Crust, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Snow/Ice - Monorail (Stable), Snow - Wet/Sticky, Mud - Significant, Snow/Ice - Monorail (Unstable), Snow - Spring Snow, Snow/Ice - Small Patches |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Light Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
No issues with crossing above Z hut. All four seasonal crossings of Black Brook are flowing, but easily hoppable |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
A few minor blowdowns throughout. Nothing that one lone sawyer couldn't take out on their own with minimal effort |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
I had been needing a new snowbasket and whattaya know, there was one in the cairn on West... trail magic! |
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 | Comments: |
A FINE day in the forest. I relinquished my crown and let Pretzel borrow it for her "Queen for a day" hike. Zealand Road is snow free, but still soft enough that I do not think it will open this week, especially with substantial rain and potential snow forecasted later in the week. Of note, Zealand Hut's pump is down and you cannot get water, you have to filter from the river. Take that into consideration if you're like me and went light for the first 6 miles. Snowshoes would be more of a safety hazard given the current trail corridors and threads. However it is spring, and things change from the morning to the evening. So use your judgement. Our group maybe added a handful of postholes, total, over the 23.25 miles. It's firm. Snow enters probably around 3200 on this side, which traditionally has a lot more snow than the LW side. We donned spikes for efficiency much earlier than Chris' report, mainly out of efficiency. These stayed on until Guyot I believe, despite the first part of the ridge being bare. Probably somewhere around 3500. Firm monorail to start giving way to all snow with a shallow rail beginning to form. Where to step is quite evident, regardless. Muskrat's Zealand spur sign is there, which the odd little shape is actually the tallus slope as viewed from the Twins! Definitely the "jackpot" zone of snow between Zealand and Guyot, we are talking feet here, ~4'+ still judging by tree wells and knowing the corridor is about 8' tall and getting branches at my waist. Firm trails to here, though as the krumoltz got smaller, around noon, about an inch of corn snow atop. Spikes off at helipad, back on as we entered treeline on the other side of Guyot. Firm trail/rail intermixes from here, to West Bond, to Bond. West Bond rail was not as consistent or firm as what was encountered thus far - likely due to full late April sun. Spikes off at timberline, and back on just below Hillary's Step. Ridge to cliffs completely bare. Zero wind let me sit out on the photo rock. While mostly firm, the rail from Hillary's to about 3275 is rotting rapidly and unstable. How long it will continue to be viable remains to be seen. Spikes off here, and rest of day was just the death march out. Of note also, I did wear trail runners and only got damp feet on the way out - due to no longer caring about self preservation. So that should be an indicator of current trails. Congrats to Pretzel on making April, Zealand, and the Bonds all red! |
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 | Name: |
The Teal Goat, Pretzel, Capt. Chris and herd |
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 | E-Mail: |
sea2thebiscuit@yahoo.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2026-04-27 |
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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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