The Crown Jewels

I read somewhere that The Bonds are "the Crown Jewels of the White Mountains." This phrase kept coming back to me as I spent the weekend of May 12th and 13th hiking this fairly remote area. The Bonds are West Bond, Mount Bond, and Bondcliff (or just "The Cliffs"), three mountains situated just south of Mount Guyot (pronounced GEE-YO, apparently), which John and I had climbed the summer before.

Starting about 9:30, the hike down Zealand trail was a cakewalk up until the final quarter mile or so push up to Zealand Falls and the AMC hut. Ponds, simple wooded bridges, and relatively easy terrain gave me a sense of ease, but when the woods parted into a clearing and the mountains on the horizon rose into the sky, I was reminded that I should enjoy the easy terrain while it lasted.

I popped into the AMC hut and signed the register. My spirits were high, and I chatted with a long-haired hut crew guy for a bit. The weather was cloudless, sunny, and cool. I ate a quick tuna wrap by the falls and pushed up to the Twinway Trail. The going was steep but consistent, mostly in the forest. I shed a layer.

Zeacliff on a foggier day

Before I knew it, the trail started to taper off and took a hard turn west, and a few minutes later I saw a little carved wood sign that read "VIEW". Take my advice, go see the view. A short walk across some granite slabs and through a thicket, and you're on Zeacliff.

The view from Zeacliff is extraordinary beyond words. As you walk out onto the rock shelf, the world, bigger than you've ever seen it, opens before you. Even though the precipice is meters away, you feel as if you're going to fall off the edge of the planet, like the sheer vastness will simply envelop you and carry you away. It's a dizzying, breathtaking experience. And on a cloudless day like this, it's even more impressive. The mountains layer out into the distance in gradually lightening values of blue and grey, the innumerable trees creating a plush green carpet. If you have a day and the ability to hike uphill for a couple of hours, there is absolutely no reason in the world to not experience this place. A few other hikers sat dumbstruck with me, taking it all in.

As much as I didn't want to leave, I pressed on, passing the viewless summit of Mt. Zealand and on to Mt. Guyot. Longer than it looks on the map (isn't it always), this trail is mostly in the woods; with occasional view through the trees, a ladder, and still quite a bit of snow on the approach up to Guyot. It was on the summit of Guyot that I ran into some of the strongest winds I've ever faced in the Whites, and I've seen some pretty fierce winds. As I walked across the ridge the gusts were knocking me around, blowing my poles out from under me; as soon as I'd adjust to its force it would shift or decelerate suddenly, leaving me to overcompensate and stumble into the wind's void. But as soon as I descended back into the scrubby trees and away from the open mountain vista, the wind was gone as quickly as it arrived. I rolled into Guyot campsite around 2:30. No caretaker yet; some college kids were passing through with what seemed to me like an inordinate amount of gear. I set up my tent, cooked dinner and passed the afternoon reading and dozing.

West Bond from Mt. Bond

The next morning I did the Bonds. All three summits afforded breathtaking views, being some of the more remote mountains in the Whites. I ambled onto the summit of Mt. Bond (4698') just after sunrise, and the beauty of the panorama literally brought tears to my eyes. No roads, no buildings, just mountains and forest under a morning haze that had yet to burn off. No one else was on the trail or summit that morning, and the sense of isolation and wonder - standing on this simple, massive granite mountain in the middle of the Pemigewasset Wilderness - was a feeling I'll never forget.

The hike back was pretty much like the hike there; weather was great, the wind had died down a bit on Guyot, and the view from Zeacliff was even clearer. A great two days to some of the most beautiful and removed peaks in the Whites.

Directions/Approach: 93 to 3 to 302 to Zealand Road (note: Zealand Road is closed in winter)
Zealand Trail - Twinway - Bondcliff Trail - back the same way.

What I should have brought: Extra socks (yeah, I only had one pair), hot sauce or something to add a little spice to meals, small mug (apart from my cookpot, so I could drink coffee and eat breakfast at the same time). At points I wished I had my stiffer soled Vasque boots as opposed to my Merrill Vents; they're heavier but this terrain really pounds the feet. Somehow I forgot my belt, but that's pretty easy to fix with some P-Cord or bandana.

Lost my camera on this trip. Bummer. Still holding out hope of one day being reunited with it.

What I'm glad I brought: Gold Bond powder (in a baggie, not in the plastic container), hand lotion (a luxury, but so nice to have), Ponds wipes (used for makeup removal but these are great to sponge down with after a sweaty hike)

Things that worked well: 2 liter Platypus (didn't carry a bottle), my Marmot Sawtooth bag (though I'm starting to not love the mummy-shape...), my new Thermarest prolite pad (the purple ladies version, it's a nice size and was on sale), MSR Pocket Rocket (reliable, pretty light, even UL guys take the weight over an alcohol stove), Marmot precip - (great for cutting wind at summits), OR transcend hoodie - (good for warming up at summits, breaks on the trail, at camp - super light and packable)

Food: PastaSides, pouch tuna and tortillas (grab mayo or relish packets at restaurants), instant oatmeal, dried cranberries, Peanut buddy bars. Carried just the right amount; ate it all. I usually eat less food than I bring but am starting to fine tune it. Honestly, starving to death out in the White Mountain backcountry is one of the very least of your concerns.

Things I didn't need: Tent (I could have slept in the Guyot shelter), Katadyn pump water filter (Guyot water was clean; I might start carrying treatment tabs to cut weight)

The Gentle Giant

Washington summit Sept '11

Mount Moosilauke (4802 ft.) was my first four-thousand footer of 2012, and it was a tough one. It was April 14, a Saturday, and I wanted to get started on my new project for the year: climbing (or finish climbing) all of New Hampshire's mountains that stand at four-thousand feet or greater. Hopefully, before August 21, which is when I did my first one last summer and will keep the 48 within one calendar year.

But a little backstory.

Last year, 2011, I lumbered up several mountains, along with who knows how many hikers who are enamored by elevation, in love with alpine meadows, and hooked on the idea of ticking off summits.

on the Tom/Field/Willey hike

In early September my friend John and I tackled a string of peaks over the course of five days, sticking mainly along the world-famous Appalachian Trail. Garfield, South Twin, Zealand, Pierce, Eisenhower, and Washington were checked off the list on that trip. Washington is the most daunting, of course, due to its massive height and notoriously inclement weather, but it was the last summit of our trip and we were hiking strong. The approach wasn't too difficult, and the satisfaction of summiting the beast was satisfying, to say the least.

I also went up Mt. Tom, Mt. Field, and Mt. Willey around the same time (8/21/11), with a group of hikers I met on Meetup. A pleasant summer hike with great views and interesting folks.

Me and Dana on Lafayette

Columbus Day of 2011, Jorbi and Dana and I hiked the classic Franconia Ridge Loop, up the Falling Waters Path to Little Haystack, then on to Lincoln and Lafayette. A ridge-walk to end all ridge-walks, providing spectacular views of Franconia Notch. We just couldn't have asked for a nicer day.

So that was pretty much it for 2011, and though we enjoyed a mild winter I didn't get back up to the White Mountains until April. Mount Moosilauke was my choice to start off the season, due to its relative close proximity to Boston. But a snow storm had blown through not too long before, and I didn't realize just how much snow I'd be slogging through.

Summit of Mt. Lafayette

I schlepped through more snow on that one day than I did the entire winter in Boston. I didn't bring micro-spikes, and I probably should have. But, I met guys on the trail who had them and weren't even wearing them. It wasn't icy, but the terrain and snowpack seemed to change with every passing minute. Most of the time, walking on the packed snow trail was fine, but occasionally I'd find myself up to my knee in a snowbank.

It was a hard slog. Maybe it was just because it was the first time I'd done any serious hiking in a few months, but I really had to dig deep to get up that mountain. Every step I'd either sink into the snow or slide back a bit, making each step twice as hard as if I were hiking on a dry trail. My trekking poles punctured the snow by a foot or more with each stride. I went up the Gorge Brook trail, and though not excessively steep, the inconsistant conditions definitely upped the intensity. Several times I thought "Oh, screw this, I don't have the right footwear and I can't do it." But I just kept going, heart pounding and sweating against the cold air. Eventually...eventually...I saw the summit, and  made the final push.

Mousilauke Summit, view of Washington

The summit was beautiful, of course. Washington stood stolidly in the distance still blanketed in pristine white. Though the wind, like on almost all summits, was fierce, it was peaceful beyond measure. "Well shit, that was difficult" I panted at another hiker as I approached the sign. He smiled. We talked for a bit and be discouraged me from going back down on the Carriage Road path, due to deep snow. He was carrying snowshoes. I decided to go back down the way I came; at least I knew the conditions of that trail.

I basically slid all the way back down the mountain. While on the way up I made an effort to keep snow out of my boots (another poor choice; I was wearing my Merrill Vents and not my Goretex Vasques), on the way down I resigned myself to having absolutely sopping feet. Oh, also the approach road that you can usually drive down to the trailhead was still closed for the winter, so hiking it to and fro added another three miles to the hike. Total mileage was about 10 miles. So yeah, it was a slog. Some definite second-tier fun. But like so many hikes in the Whites, you push through it, respectfully let the mountain test you, and keep putting one foot in front of the other till you hit the top.

What I should have brought: microspikes, waterproof boots.
What I didn't need: I don't think I wore my down jacket once. But, it's light and packable and nice to have just in case.
What I was glad I brought: sunglasses, windbreaker, trekking poles (even though I didn't have the snow-baskets for them)