| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Bondcliff, Mt. Bond, West Bond, Mt. Guyot, NH |
|
 | Trails: |
Lincoln Woods Trail, Bondcliff Trail, West Bond Spur, Twinway |
|
 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, February 15, 2025 |
|
 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
|
|
 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Trace/Minimal Depth, Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow - Unpacked Powder, Snow - Drifts |
|
 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Light Traction |
|
 | Water Crossing Notes: |
|
|
 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
|
|
 | Dog-Related Notes: |
|
|
 | Bugs: |
|
|
 | Lost and Found: |
|
|
|
|
|
 | Comments: |
3 of us on this trip. The trail from LW to W. Bond was well traveled and packed from "frequent" RT hikers. The summit of Bondcliff was windswept clear through most of the descent to the col approaching Bond. Of course this trip pre-dates the snow from 2/16. 6 people ahead of us had made it to Bond and they were breaking trail so we were following them. Unfortunately at some point their track diverted from trail so that's where the work started in the spruce traps and pushing through the scrub trees to the summit clearing. Bond summit to the W. Bond cutoff was a clear shot, but the snow pack is very high and you'll be in the trees. At the W. Bond cutoff - only 3 of the people ahead of us proceeded to the hut. The missteps and spruce trap avoidance in the col at the Guyot campsite cutoff were many. The "trail" was found by skirting the small steep pitch on the west side just north of that cutoff. The ascent after that all the way to Guyot was uneventful (except for more spruce traps in the final stages up and out of the campsite col, since the 3 people ahead of us were likely the only folks on this trail for quite some time, and we still found plenty of fluff.)
The entire trip from the Guyot descent to Zeacliff cutoff was just plain work, and I mean work. I'm not sure how we didn't find one of the 3 ahead off us in a spruce trap but I'm pretty sure we found every other pitfall and obstruction possible. As Forrest Gump would say "That's all I have to say about that". Zealand Falls hut was full of a group that had been there all day skiing and hiking locally, so they had packed out the Twinway up to Zeacliff (as Saturday was spectacular), making that last mile descent the easiest stretch of trail from West Bond (save the Guyot respite).
Even though the 3 of us and the 3 ahead of us broke it out from W Bond to Zeacliff, it's a slog. There is a lot of snow up there - Good luck. |
|
 | Name: |
Mudskipper |
|
 | E-Mail: |
ericashwell@gmail.com |
|
| Date Submitted: |
2025-02-18 |
|
 | Link: |
 https:// |
|
|
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. |
|
