A ZBonds Traverse is likely one of the tougher hikes you are able to do in winter within the White Mountains. It’s even longer than a Presidential Traverse and rather more distant. It requires climbing throughout the breadth of the Pemigewasset Wilderness for 23.3 miles from Rt 302 close to Twin Mountain, NH to the Lincoln Woods Trailhead outdoors of Lincoln, NH. It’s difficult by the actual fact the forest service highway to the northern trailhead is gated shut, so it’s important to stroll it, which provides about 3 miles to the size of the route. In all, you may count on to spend 12-14 hours climbing from one finish to a different until it’s important to break path in deep snow, which makes the hike rather more time-consuming.
The route plan:
- Zealand Rd – 3.5 miles
- Zealand Trail – 2.5 miles
- Twinway 4.4: miles
- Zeland Mtn Spur – 0.2 miles
- Bondcliff Trail: 8.7 miles
- West Bond Spur:1.0 mile
- Lincoln Woods Trail: 2.9 miles
The route climbs 4 mountains on the Appalachian Mountain Club’s 4000-footer record:
- Zealand Mountain – 4264′
- West Bond – 4518′
- Mt Bond – 4696′
- Bondcliff – 4263′
My common climbing companions weren’t obtainable for this hike, so I connected with a crew that I’d by no means met in particular person earlier than. There was a climate window that was too good to move up, with low wind and little snow cowl. I wanted all 4 peaks for December on the White Mountain 4000 Footer Grid peak record and I used to be psyched to hike them early within the month. The Grid requires climbing all 48 4 thousand footers in every month of the 12 months for a complete of 576 summits. It takes most individuals a number of years to complete the 12 full rounds of the 4 thousand footers required to complete.
This was a particular hike as a result of it was the final hike that one of many hikers, Jamie Brunt, wanted to finish his Grid. He’d been engaged on the height record for 11 years and he was psyched that he’d end on Bondcliff, which is likely one of the most picturesque peaks within the White Mountains. You couldn’t ask for a greater day too, with attractive climate and glorious path circumstances.
This was additionally a particular hike for me. One of my “big” targets for this 12 months was to succeed in 500 summits on the highway to the 576 summits required to complete the Grid. Bagging these 4 peaks would deliver my depend to 498/576, placing me only one or two hikes from reaching that objective with a number of weeks left within the 12 months. Of course, climbing means extra to me than simply filling in a listing. I like these mountains and being a member of the closely-knit White Mountains climbing neighborhood.
The day of the hike I wakened at 3:00 am so I may meet the group at 5:00 on the Zealand Lot on Rt 302, close to the Mt Washington auto highway. It often takes me about 75 minutes to get out the door for a winter hike within the morning. I ate, drank plenty of espresso, boiled 3 liters of consuming water for the hike so it wouldn’t freeze through the day, and packed the meals I hadn’t packed the night time earlier than. The key to those lengthy winter hikes is to eat and drink very regularly to maintain up your vitality degree.
The most harmful a part of these winter hikes is driving to the trailhead at midnight after which residence at midnight afterward. I hate driving within the National Forest at night time as a result of there are such a lot of animals crossing the highway. I’ve had a number of shut calls prior to now with moose, deer, and bears and most of my pals have too.
Jamie arrived, coming from the trailhead on the finish of the hike with the entire different hikers in our crew: Alex, Molly, Donna, and Jeremy. I couldn’t see any of their faces or what they actually regarded like standing at midnight, regardless of our headlamps.
We crossed the freeway and began up Zealand Road, passing the closed gate. The highway was lined with a light-weight coating of snow however there wasn’t any ice and we had been in a position to naked boot it. Give it a month and will probably be lined in ice, rotten snow, and snowmobile tracks which can be a lot tougher to stroll on.
It was 3.5 miles to the conventional 3-season trailhead. The women took off and the boys tried to maintain up. I knew this was going to be a quick group and the miles glided by shortly within the gentle of our headlamps.
We got here to the three-season trailhead after an hour and had a brief break earlier than heading up the Zealand Trail to the Zealand Hut, an AMC cabin staffed by a caretaker which is open in winter. The charges are lowered if you wish to sleep there, however the cabin is unheated so you must haul in a heavy sleeping bag, pad, and meals if you wish to spend the night time. I stayed there earlier than on a winter Bonds Traverse in 2014 and I don’t suppose it’s actually price it. It doesn’t prevent that a lot time the following day and it’s important to haul heavier gear all day consequently.
Jamie and I naked booted for some time longer till the path turned too icy to proceed. Everyone else has placed on microspikes again on the three-season trailhead. We made it to the hut in after one other hour and took a brief break to loosen up on the porch. The caretaker got here outdoors and chatted with us for some time after which we took off, managing the stream crossing on the backside of the Twinway Trail with ease.
The first mile of the Twinway shouldn’t be my buddy. It climbs straight up 1000 ft in a mile. I couldn’t sustain with the tempo of the remainder of the group however I used to be solely couple of minutes behind them. This part might be the toughest a part of a Bond Traverse however it was over quickly sufficient. We met on the Zeacliff viewpoint which overlooks the jap half of Pemigewasset Wilderness, Mt Carrigan, Mt Hancock, Mt Washington, and Mt Jefferson. It’s a fabulous viewpoint, properly price a cease.
We set off towards Zealand Mountain and I fell off the group’s quick tempo once more. We had been climbing in about 4″ of unconsolidated powder. I caught up with everybody on the Zealand summit signal and informed Jamie I wasn’t feeling so scorching. The group was actually supportive and so they inspired me to proceed, particularly since we had been almost midway via the route. They slowed down a bit and I used to be in a position to regain my composure. I believe the all-out dash as much as that time had worn me out. Even although I hike loads, I’m in a unique age group, and I’m not the pace demon I used to be 20 years in the past.
We left Zealand Mtn and climbed into the col between Zealand and Guyot, climbing via barely deeper powder. It was simple going although after which we broke above treeline at Guyot, which is a 4000-footer within the heart of the Pemigewasset, though it’s not on the White Mountain 4000-footer record. Guyot is my favourite peak within the Whites. It’s named after the one that drew the primary map of the Whites, Albert Guyot, pronounced with a tough “G”, Gee-oh.
There was nearly no wind. The solar was out as we turned onto the Bondcliff Trail, reaching the summit cairn on Guyot earlier than descending again into the krumholz on the south facet. We handed the spur path to the Guyot campsite and climbed a brief distance to the West Bond Spur, the place we dropped our packs to hike out to the summit, a half mile away. We nonetheless hadn’t seen anybody all day.
West Bond was a simple climb and we had been quickly again on the Bondcliff Trail, climbing to Mt Bond, the very best peak within the group. Jamie was now at 575 peaks and the anticipation was rising. Molly had introduced some small cordial bottles to share with the group and gave Jamie his favourite, a Jameson’s.
Jamie led the best way down the lengthy ridge that runs from Mt Bond all the way down to Bondcliff and we adopted shut behind. While it’s gradual, you do should climb up the again facet of Bondcliff to get to the well-known viewpoint overlooking the Hellgate. This is a rocky ledge with an incredible view of Owlshead Mountain, Garfield, and your entire end-to-end size of Franconia ridge. Thousands of individuals have stood right here for a summit picture.
Molly and Donna caught up with us and raced forward of Jamie to organize for his celebration. They’d purchased occasion favors and glowing white wine to rejoice Jamie’s end. It was good enjoyable. We blew tiny plastic horns and posed for quite a few photographs. Even although these had been Jamie’s good pals, I felt very welcomed by them and joined within the celebration.
Jamie was consuming all of it up, however I can’t think about what he was pondering. Imagine engaged on peak record for 11 years and at last ending it. It have to be an incredible sense of accomplishment.
We had been quickly again at it, starting the lengthy 9 mile stroll to the Lincoln Woods Trailhead and the final 6 miles within the flats glided by quick. We’d discarded the spikes and had been again in naked boots once more. There was little or no snow on this facet of the mountains. so we had been in a position to end shortly regardless of the darkish. When we lastly arrived on the Lincoln Woods Trailhead, I used to be amazed on the quantity of people that got here out to greet us. Jamie is a highly regarded man!
After a number of items of pizza equipped by Jamie’s spouse, we ran the reverse shuttle and I drove again residence at midnight. I used to be drained however exhilarated to be a part of such an outpouring of friendship in Jamie’s honor. One of lately, I hope to complete the Grid too.
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