Trip Report: NH White Mountains. Bonds

“It has been several days since this trip actually took place. I was in New Hampshire Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of last week, when the weather was beautiful, 75 degrees and the bugs were out, but not biting. The hiking was done solo.

I drove from CT to NH Monday, eating lunch on the fly. Arrived in the Waterville Valley ski area parking lot at 1:00. I got on the trail up Tecumseh by 1:15. Tecumseh is 4003 feet. The shortest of the 4000 footers. It was an easy hike 2 hours round trip (about 5 miles). Lots of trout lily (dog tooth violets) in bloom as well as trillium and other stuff. Beautiful day. 75 degrees or warmer, clear sunny no biting bugs. I spent about ½ on top just sitting in the sun.

Got down, went to see the Old Man (or, rather, where he USED to be). Stayed in Lincoln and had a burger and beer outside at the Woodstock Inn.

Tuesday I got up at 5:15, got a diner breakfast and was on the trail by 6:45. I was headed into and across the Pemigewasset Wilderness. My object was to climb the three Bonds (Bondcliff, Bond and West Bond). Round trip was about 20 miles. The first 4.7 miles was flat (450 of gain) along an old rail way bed. This area was heavily logged at the turn of the last century and the old railway ties and spikes are still in the ground as well as an occasional rail. It was a green tunnel off into the woods, sometimes as far as you could see.

I threw a sleeping bag, extra food and a thermarest pad into the woods at the Franconia brook crossing, about 3 miles into the woods. I figured on picking it up in the late afternoon and then hiking towards Owl's Head. Everything went swimmingly. Was up on Bondcliff by 10:30 or so. Bondcliff is spectacular with shear cliffs dropping for hundreds of feet (or at least it looks that way). If you look at the cover photograph on the new (27th edition) White Mountain guide the cliffs on which the hiker is posed are on Bondcliff.

I left Bondcliff after snapping some pictures and eating and was over to Bond by noon. On bond I dropped pack and ran around taking in the spetacular views. The Franconia ridgeline, the Presidential ridgeline, Whitewall . . .just fatasitc. The views from the Bonds are everyting they are cracked up to be.

Then I made a wrong choice that I am still wondering about. I grabbed my pack and left the top of Bond, ostensibly heading for West Bond . . .but instead headed back down the trail I had just come up. I did NOT recognize my mistake. I began to wonder about some of the landmarks I was suppose to be looking for (like a TRAIL SIGN). I stopped and oriented my map. But I still continued back up to the top of Bondcliff thinking that I was on West Bond! I had backtracked down one peak and up another 1.2 miles!!! Bondcliff is UNMISTAKABLE. As the name suggests . . .it is all spectacular cliffs. Think of the trail section on the Franconia ridge with the chimneys. How I blew this escapes me.

Well . . . I thought I was on another mountain. I thought I was on West Bond. I had my "big meal in celebration (bagel and jerky), took picutures (it is now painfully evident by looking at the duplicate picutures what a moron I was. Then I did what I was supposed to do. I hiked back to Bond. About 1/3 of the way their I passed a group, and, to confirm (or dispel) my nagging suspicions I asked them what mountain I had come off of. Boy . . .was I surprised. So . . .I continued BACK up Bond (for the second time) over the top, down to the correct trail cutoff and up to West Bond, back down West Bond, back UP Bond (third time!!!), over Bond, down, back up Bondcliff (third time!!!) and down. My 20 mile day turned into a 22.5 mile day.

Thankfully the weather was beautiful, warm, sunny clear. The Bonds have 360 views of all the white mountains. Franconia ridge, and the presidentials.

Got down, collected my gear and found a place to camp by wading across a tributary brook of the East Branch. Cold water!! Set up camp. No tent. No stove. Sat and thought. And thought. Owl's Head was going to be 15 miles. On top of the 22.5 I just did. I decided to let it go. I packed up camp. Hit the trail at 7:30 and was out of the woods by 8:15.

The day ended up being 25.5 miles. Drove home.

Turns out the pressure I felt in my head all day, (and the green mucus blowing out of my nose) were the precursors of a massive sinus infection. My wife thinks I made the mistake because I was sick . . .I dunno. I am on the antibiotics from hell now (Augmentin)

PS: at the foot of the Bondcliff trail on the way down I met to trail maintenance guys. One of them was Steven D. Smith . . .one of the two editors of the current edition!!!”

“Good trip report!

8)”

“Sounds like one of my usual hiking mistakes - but I didn't do it.

I was on top of the Bonds during the 1st weeked of May, in very bad visibility (~50ft). A dude warned me that the trail from Bond's summit, heading towards West Bond, is kinda tricky, as it turns off the summit sharply in seemingly the wrong direction from where your compass would tell you to go. He was right - so that's what must have screwed you up - but I was ready for it.

Hey Lee - was there still snow between Bond & West Bond? Freakin' stuff was a killer, steadily over 3ft just a few weeks ago, and it sucked me down every other step.”

“Wonderful trip report! Too bad about the old man's face. I was up that way in '96 and thought the old man's face was pretty cool! The presidentials are awsome!”

“Nice trip report. Don't feel too bad about initially missing West Bond, it happens all the time. By the way, after having experienced the Bonds, Owl's Head would have been a great disappointment so you made the correct decision.”

“Lee, I'm glad you got good weather and enjoyed dem Bonds. With the sinus infection coming on, you musta done the right thing to head home... and you are left with a good reason to return to the Pemi.”

“Thanks for the nice responses.

Mousespray -- RE: Snow

The group I met who informed me that I was not where I thought I was had just come for the Guyout/Twinway area. They had been post holing right up to the summit of Bond. They were a school group. Three girls, two guys and a young man and woman trip leaders.

The leaders cautioned me against retracing my steps just to get West Bond, especially on account of the snow.

However. There were stretches of snow in the trees coming off the north side of Bonds, and again on the way up West Bond . . .but nothing hideous. On the 2 miles out and back (from the summit of Bond) I probably post holed 6 times. I was moving fast (boot skiing down the snow inclines) and packed very light (1 qrt water left in my hydration pack and about 10 other pounds) so I stayed on top of the snow for the most part.

When I finally headed back down the Bondcliff trail, and caught up to the group by the first and second water crossings, they said the snow had been worst beyond the West Bond cutoff.

I am not unhappy with my decision to pack up and leave. Especially given the sinus infection (which I didn't know I had . . . so I can't say that it was a factor in the decision, but it turns out I did have one). Owl's Head would have been clouded in on Wednesday (I think), and the 15 mile round trip would have abused me after what I had done on Tuesday).

MadRiver --


I finally "get" your name. I hadn't been into the waterville valley area for years. Not since climbing the Tripyramids my senior year of High School (1983).

What a beautiful river and great area!

I thought about your note regarding the land, and wondered where it was.

I drove out over the Tripoli road. It had only recently been opened. I was trying to spot the Osceola Trail heads in case I needed them as a bailout option.”

“Lee, if you got off of exit 28 and headed east towards Waterville Valley on Rt. 49, you would have crossed the Robertson bridge over the Mad River just after passing the William Tell Restaurant. My land is just after you cross the bridge.”

“oh. I have never used a hydration pack, so this was a test run (yes . . .testing unused equipment on a 25 mile solo day).

I really liked it. 2100 cubic inches from EMS with a 100 oz Platypus bladder. The 2100 held all my stuff plus the supplies I hiked in to leave for the overnight.

I had my sleeping pad strapped to one side, my bag to the other and my stuff sack of extra food and whatnot strapped down on top. I wouldn't have wanted to pack that gear all day like that, but it rode fine for the 3 miles in and out.

The 3 complaints I have about the hydration bladder:

1. Rather than drinking more, at first, I drank LESS. With 32 oz nagalene bottle, you stop, pull it out, and drain it. Bam. 32 oz.

With the straw thingy I was too . .delicate . .. .I wasn't guzzling enough. I went to refill at the second stream crossing a full 6 miles into the trip and had barely drunk a quart. I had to chug two quarts on the spot!

2. You can't tell how much you have left easily. 100 oz is fine for most short round trips. but on this trip it was important to know how mush I had . . .especially when I doubled back over Bond. I checked a the top of West Bond, and made the decision that I could climb Bond and Bondcliff and make it back to water without a refill.

3. THe iodine tablets stain. (i don't care about color, so this is no biggie.”

“Mad RIver --

I remember passing the William Tell Restuarant! On the left as you go in on 49, yes?”

“Yes. About 1/4 of a mile after the restaurant you cross over the Mad River via the Robertson bridge. My land is up a dirt road (doesn't a red neck joke start that way) about a 1/8 mile.”

“Woah Madman! You sure you want Marvin Garden's and friends getting directions to you property?”

“Great trip report Lee! That's a gang of miles for a hike in the Whites. Cool! I will make it a point to do the Bonds on my next visit to NH.

I'm glad I am not the only one to go astray in the Whites. At least you didn't drag 2 innocent and unsuspecting TT'ers with you like I did.

Got pics to share?”

“thanks for the story”

“That's ok pedxing, the guy in the cabin nexts to my property has a shotgun and loves to use it.”

“Oh that must be the rude guy who came and interupted our sky clad full moon ritual - when we were only half way through the ritual sacrifices.”

“That's him! There are a few parcels of land up on that mountain and the last thing in the world you would want to do is camp on the "wrong" parcel. There are some truly scary people who haunt those woods who would make the movie Deliverance look like a Disney flick. I'm actually surprised you didn't hear the screams coming from the house at the top of the road when you, AmyG, and Pete camped there.”

“Pensy --

I have old style photos. Nothing that i can easily share. I bought a disposable for the trip . . quality is actually better than I had expected.

Madriver -- so . . .you were GOING to tell me at one point or anohter that I would have been soloing on pyscho land???? yes???”

“Actually lee, my land is psycho-free, it's the " other" parcels that you have to worry about. Keep in mind, pedxing and I are just kidding.

The guy in the shack with the all the rum bottles lining his porch is actually a nice guy, when he is sober that is. No one really believes those stories about him burying his wife under the mailbox.”

“LOL! Who knew??! Deliverance in the Presidentials??!”

“Pedxing, please excuse my ignorance, but would you mind explaining the reference to Marvin Garden's." The only two references that I can find are the Monopoly game, and the movie "The King of Marvin Garden's." My coworkers and I are curious as to the reference.”

“Marvin Gardens is the screen name for TT poster who makes entertainingly psychotic posts here from time to time (he has been silent for a while). A lot of his posts are gleaned from the web. Consider, for example, the first post in this "gear" thread:

http://www.thebackpacker.com/trailtalk/thread.php?id=14527&age=999" target="_blank"> Greetings from TinFoilHatMan!

Marvin may be related to 668 Neighbor of the Beast (may also have been banned):

http://www.thebackpacker.com/trailtalk/thread.php?id=15684&age=999" target="_blank"> High Tech Alternative to Tinfoil Hats ”

“I see your point. He is not one that I would welcome at my doorstep on a stormy night...or any other night for that matter.”