Overnight Bonds Traverse

On Saturday morning around 8:30AM, I met up with Stephan and Tyler at the Lincoln Woods parking lot.  We loaded into one car and drove over to the trailhead at the end of Haystack Road in Twin Mountain.  It was a bright, beautiful day.  We arrived at the trailhead at a little after 9AM and got ready...starting up the North Twin trail by 9:30AM.  The first couple of miles followed the Little River and we avoided the first couple of crossings by staying on the herd path on the eastern side of the river.  Shortly after the third crossing the trail steepened and continued at a persistent grade for the next couple of miles, where it moderated after breaking above treeline.  Unfortunately, prior to the treeline, Stephan decided he wasn't up to it on that day and wanted to turn back (he had done this trip with another group earlier in the year).  We reluntantly said our goodbyes and Tyler and I proceeded up to the summit of North Twin (4761').  Prior to the summit there were beautiful views northward to the Presidential Range as well as to South Twin.  It was 12:30PM by the time we reached the ledge on North Twin and we decided to take a break and have a little lunch.  There were a couple of guys cooking lunch and a couple who were finishing the NH 4000-footers on here and we enjoyed chatting with them during the break.

At about 1PM we continued back to the main trail and headed down the south side of the mountain on our way over to South Twin (4902').  Just before 2PM we were re-emerging from the treeline again and were presented with spectacular views in all directions as we climbed this bare peak.  This peak was somewhat crowded, so our stay was somewhat brief on the actual summit.  We descended via the Twinway and made good time as we headed over to the junction with the Bondcliff Trail and where the trail re-emerges from the woods again with wonderfully open views into the Pemigewasset Wilderness.  We climbed to the shoulder of Mt. Guyot and then headed down to Guyot tentsite.  The spur trail down to the tentsite was a steep 0.2 mile descent down to caretaker.  It was just before 4PM.  Surprisingly, noone was there yet.  We requested the overflow area just off the main trail and she gave it to us even though the main area hadn't filled yet.  By the time we got up there another group was setting up there in the main area, but we were taking the small area just behind that.  After putting up the tent, Tyler took a nap and I took a stroll and chatted with our neighbors.  Around 6 we had dinner and afterwards we walked up to the West Bond spur trail and headed over to its summit (4540') for sunset...arriving at about 7:30PM.  The summit was fairly crowded with around 12-15 other people up there for the "show".  It was partly cloudy, but was a nice sunset, nonetheless.  We hung out for about an hour and then headed back to camp for the night.

On Sunday, we woke at about 6AM, had breakfast and packed up.  It was a little overcast with spots of sun poking through at times.  It was about 7:15 by the time we hit the trail and were on the summit of Mt. Bond (4698')...it was only roughly 0.5 mile.  The views from the summit were good with some low clouds settled in the valleys.  We descended off of Bond down its rocky trail on our way over to the dramatic Bondcliff (4265').  The views were constantly spectacular as we approached it and by 9:10 we were at the summit.  There were already about half-a-dozen hikers on the peak, all who had camped out at Guyot.  After a time on the summit, we began the long trip back...at first to Pemi Wilderness Trail, which we made by 11:30AM and then to the Lincoln Woods Trail, which we got to by 12:15PM.  On the final 3 mile-leg we ran into alot of people heading out to the falls, as it had once again become sunny and hot by this time.  We got to back to the car at about 1:20PM.

Afterwards, Tyler and I headed into Lincoln to have a late lunch at the Three Cultures Deli and then I drove Tyler back home to Twin Mountain.

This was a fantastic trip aross the Twins and Bonds and it was fun getting to know and hanging out with Tyler.  And as a first-time backpacker, Tyler did incredibly well!  Thank you for joining me on this special trip...it continues to be one of my all-time favorites!

It was also nice getting to know Stephan, unfortunately our time was too short before he decided to call it a day...hopefully our paths will cross again on another hike!

Join me for this 19.2-mile traverse across five 4000-footers.  We will be hiking from the Haystack Road trailhead, across North Twin (4761'), South Twin (4902') and proceed along the Twinway and Bondcliff trails to the Guyot Campsite, where we will be spending the night.  After settling in and having dinner, we'll be making the short evening hike to the summit of West Bond (4540') for sunset before returning to Guyot for the night.  After breakfast in the morning we'll break camp and head up to Mt. Bond (4698') and then on to the dramatic Bondcliff (4265').  We'll finish by hiking the Bondcliff and Wilderness Trails back to Lincoln Woods (with a stop at Franconia Brook Falls, if anyone is interested for a quick dip).

This entire hike traverses the Pemigewasset Wilderness and is about as remote as you get in the White Mountains.  The views along this route are spectactular.

Approximate distances (elevation gains) for this hike:
Saturday
 - From the Haystack Road Trailhead to Guyot Camp - 8.5 miles (~4000' elevation gain)
 - Guyot Camp to West Bond (roundtrip) - 1.5 miles (600-700' elevation gain) [After Dinner for a Relaxing Sunset]

Sunday
 - Guyot Camp to Lincoln Woods - 11 miles (600-800' elevation gain)...the final 4.7 miles is a flat easy walk.

Guyot Campsite has platforms/tent sites/lean-to, water via a spring and does not have a bear locker.  The caretaker will collect $8 camp fee.  These are first-come, first-serve.

Forecasted rain or harsh weather will postpone to another date or cancel, as appropriate.

What to Bring:  This is obviously a backpack trip!  You will need a pack, tent/bivy , sleeping bag/pad, extra dry clothes, food for 2 lunches, dinner and breakfast, headlamp, bear bag/cannister, camp stove, etc. (some double up is possible for shared equipment...tents, bear bags, stoves).  Typical summer hiking gear should be appropriate:  shorts or convertible hiking pants, good sturdy hiking boots with thick socks and a windbreaker/raingear (just in case...it can also be chilly and windy on the ridgeline).  Snacks and at least 2 liters of water (water can be replenished at Guyot).  Optionally, pack bug repellent and sunscreen and anything else that you may require for a overnight hike.

Fees:  Aside from the usual WMNF parking fees ($3/day, if you don't have an annual pass), there is an $8 fee for the Guyot Camp.

Afterwards:  We should be completed with the hike by 3-4PM on Sunday.  After retrieving the cars from the other trailhead, we'll cap the day off with an early dinner/drinks in Lincoln / North Woodstock, if there is sufficient interest.