Originally written Friday, January 13th, 2023 at 4:51pm.
Hike Type: Traverse
Distance: 22.8 miles
Elevation: 5889 feet
Time: 15 hours, 30 minutes (13 hours, 51 minutes)
Hiking Challenges: New Hampshire 4000 Footers
The Hike
Looking back, this might just be my current all-time favorite hike. It was so many firsts for me - first White Mountains traverse, first time visiting a hut, first time hiking with headlamps, and first time hiking a 22+ mile day with 5800+ feet of elevation gain. There was so much accomplished this day and SO MUCH reward in terms of views. Gen and I spent the night at the Plymouth, NH Walmart parking lot in our separate vehicles (I had to drive up after a football game). We had, I think, a 4am wake up, then a medium drive to Lincoln Woods to drop Gen's car. We also made use of the real bathrooms there. After we loaded up my car, we had the long drive around the Pemigewasset Wilderness (first getting pulled over in Lincoln for speeding - whoops) to the Hale Brook Trailhead, where I parked my car, we got loaded up, and started our massive day!
The day started with my headlamp being dead (whoops), but thankfully Gen's was fully charged and I have an industrial power bank and the right cord, so I charged up assuming we would be ending in the dark). The Hale Brook Trail was wet, but not muddy. There was significant rain the previous few days, a detail Gen and I hadn't realized at the time, which led to LOTS of water. The trail was very moderate, with no memorable steep sections. The trickiest part was the crossing of Hale Brook, which I assume is relatively easy in normal conditions. The switchbacks were also wet but not muddy, and at one of the last turns of the trail there were extremely obstructed views of the Presidentials.
Finally at the top of Hale we took a quick break, I relieved myself in the woods (only to later find out that I relieved myself steps from the unofficial fire warden's trail... oops), took some photos of the unique summit, and then disaster hit. I realized I forgot my peanut butter sandwich! Thankfully Gen brought her entire pantry for this hike, so it wasn't an absolute tragedy, but I was quite bummed. We had been playing leap frog with another pair of hikers on the Hale Brook Trail, so we let them get ahead of us from the summit before continuing on.
Next journey was from the summit of Mt. Hale to the Zealand Falls Hut via the Lend-a-Hand Trail, which was absolutely lovely, until it wasn't. The trail itself was beautiful, especially on the Hale side, but it was also a consistent stream for the vast majority of the time. The upper half had an open canopy and ran rather level with occasional shoulder drops. There were occasional views of nearby mountains, but I'm not sure which ones (this was before I had the PeakFinder app). The lower half of this trail was comically wet and muddy, with some boardwalks that didn't do much help with the current level of moisture. At one point, the trail was deeply flooded and only the boardwalks were keeping us from knee-deep (or deeper) water, and we had to do a very intimate with another hiking group to survive unscathed. We also passed a solo hiker who changed her plans for the day because she didn't want to deal with the water - we deeply understood! We knew we were getting closer to the Zealand Falls Hut when the sound of rushing water grew louder, and louder, and somehow even louder, and then we made it!
Break #2 was outside the beautiful hut with partial views. Gen and I had never been to a hut (I guess I have been to the exterior of the Lonesome Lake Hut, but I'm not counting that), so we took turns exploring. COVID precautions were still in effect so we did our best to not be nuisances. This was also my introduction to Liquid IV - an absolute game changer. I was also deeply appreciative of the bathrooms (and of course, the breeze from the composting toilets). I took a very short side quest to the edge of the Whitewall Brook which was flowing loud and hard over the granite - so beautiful!
Moving forward, we were now going from the Zealand Falls Hut to Zeacliff to the summit of Mt. Zealand, all on the Twinway trail. This is when "sh*t got real," so to say. The Twinway crosses two branches of the Whitewall Brook. The first crossing was on a gentle slab that would have been fine in normal water, but the whole slab was flowing (gently, at least) and this was our first time of the day getting our shoes a little wet. Just a few more steps down the trail was a much larger branch with much faster water. There was a group ahead of us that split in two - one half just walked through and got wet, and the other half was searching for a dry crossing point. We decided to just go for it and walk right through, fully soaking our feet for the rest of the day (a skill that would come in handy when we would later do Owl's Head). The trail climbed moderately with some steeper pitches afterwards, which had our shoes making comical sloshy sounds.
Soon enough we were at the magnificent Zeacliff - wow! We were not alone at the outlook, but something about being with people deep in the woods is vastly different than being with people near a trailhead. We took a minute here to wring out our socks and got back on our journey. The trail around the Twinway/Zeacliff junction was just as wet as everything else, but thankfully this section was all on boardwalks.
The rest of the journey up to Mt. Zealand's summit was pretty gentle with a few steeper pitches (and at least one wooden ladder according to my photos). The further up the trail, the smaller the vegetation got which is always fun, but we wouldn't be breaking out of treeline for a bit longer. The final stretch to the summit was a 0.1 spur trail through straight mud to a small circular clearing in the woods. We managed to cross a trail running group who were brave and sloshing right on through. This summit was packed relative to its size, so we just took our photos and retraced our step back to Twinway.
Next step was the Zealand summit spur to the Bondcliff Trail. This was my second favorite section of the hike because it brought us back into the Alpine Zone, a place we hadn't been since our first 4k, Moosilauke. This stretch was beautiful and exciting, and the views from Guyot were magnificent. It was so cool to see the high peaks and the deep valleys, and looking back at the photos while writing this, its so cool to be able to identify all these places I didn't know before. The Twinway goes over the northeast summit of Mt. Guyot, not a 4k due to prominence issues, and then comes to the junction with the Bondcliff Trail, one of the most beautiful junctions I've seen. There were a few backpackers sitting right at the trail marker (which was annoying), so we got a classic sign photo and continued onward.
Now on the Bondcliff Trail, our next destination was West Bond. The trail dips back below treeline to the spur to the Guyot Campsite, and then officially enters the Pemigewasset Wilderness! In a deeper section of forest is the nearly camouflaged sign for the West Bond Spur. The trail drops for a while on a narrower path, with some evidence of camping, and then begins to quickly climb back up in a somehow more narrow trail. We popped out onto the small summit that truly gave the "on top of the world" feeling, and we were lucky to finally have this summit to ourselves! Looking back on the photos, this view might be my favorite in the whites so far. You can see the whole ridge connecting to Bondcliff, and when we hiked this in late September, the lower half of the mountainside was a beautiful bright yellow - just incredible! Mountains in every direction - we were so lucky. The only thing that got us moving again were the bugs that had woken up. We made our return to the Bondcliff Trail, and were heading up to Mt. Bond!
At this point in the day, I had already beat my record for "most elevation climbed in a day," so I was feeling it. The stretch up to Mt. Bond, the highest peak of the day, was slow and steady, but very straightforward. We passed and were passed by groups that we'd been leapfrogging all day, many of which were foreign which I thought was cool, and then FINALLY we rentered the Alpine Zone and made it to the endless summit of Mt. Bond! 360 views as far as the eyes could see. Mountains in all directions with Mt. Washington watching high above. Even far in the distance we could see Jay Peak, near where Emma lives. While I was admiring the view Gen changed her socks and exclaimed - MATT YOU NEED TO CHANGE YOUR SOCKS YOU WILL FEEL LIKE A NEW WOMAN - she was right. I was reborn. We chitchatted with some other hikers and then set forth for our penultimate destination - Bondcliff!
The trail down Bond was steep and rocky - we were happy to be going down this way instead of up for sure. The view of Bondcliff was amazing from the upper stretches of the trail, and the excitement was really starting to build. I found myself very deep in my feelings at this point of the hike - very proud of us and so excited to hit this final peak. I booped the cairn in the col between the two mountains, and then slowly climbed up (which for me, was my favorite part - I was surprised to feel such a "high" before even getting to the top). Gen got ahead of me, which was more than fine. I was preserving my heart rate (but I like to say I was "taking every second in"). And then we made it! Took tons of photos, Gen got the classic Bondcliff photo (I was very much in my own feelings in my own head at this point, so I was happy just to be behind the camera), and then we took what would be our last rest of the day - something we're not sure if we regret or not. We ate some food, admired the Pemi, and had a few side conversations with other hikers. One couple was gridding, and another group got very mad at me when I mentioned that I wanted a cheeseburger (they too, wanted a cheeseburger). We then noticed how low the sun was getting, and decided we should shimmy on down this mountain. We wanted to make it to the old railbed on the Bondcliff Trail before it was pitch black out (we were moderately successful).
The sun was starting to set and we were starting to get back into the treeline. Thankfully this trail was nice and gentle, with a few brook crossings that were thankfully no problem. We took a very short break for Gen to filter some water, but didn't stop again until we were done. We made it to the lower stretches of Bondcliff when it was headlamp time again, and only had a little bit of wiggly trail in the dark. This was my first time truly hiking in the dark, and while it wasn't terrible, I did get spooked every now and then. I made the fatal error of thinking that the old railroad grade on the Bondcliff Trail was the Lincoln Woods Trial, so this already long return trip felt like a century - especially paired with our tired bodies and our soaked, blistered feet. We did pause our jaunt just past the Lincoln Woods/Bondcliff junction on the bridge over Franconia Brook. Gen's headlamp was now dead and I turned mine off so we could see the stars and WOW. It was absolutely breathtaking. We continued on prance down the railroad bed trying to keep conversation going (Gen gave me the synopsis of every show she's ever watched), and then I saw it! Headlights in the distance! Just kidding - it was just a pair of night hikers. I was so sad. Gen was a good sport through, she knew it wasn't real the whole time but let me live in delusion. Eventually, we finally hit the world's favorite suspension bridge, leading us to the parking lot and back to the car! Sadly though, the day wasn't over just yet!
Back at the car we changed our clothes, used the bathrooms, applied diaper rash ointment as necessary, and drove to McDonalds for food. We then had the 35 minute drive back to Hale Brook, where Gen started her drive home, but I took a nap. I'm apparently very bad at sleeping in my car, because every 10 or so minutes I would have a dream that someone was knocking on my window, so I then started my drive. I was getting drowsy after like 20 more minutes, so I pulled into the Old Man site for another nap. After that I was able to make it to Sanbornton, and then Hooksett, and then FINALLY back home. I think I didn't get home until after 3:00am - meaning next time we have a day like that, we will get a hotel. What an incredible day - I cannot wait to do it again!
Step-By-Step
Start hike at Hale Brook Trail, hike to the top of Mt. Hale.
From the summit of Mt. Hale, continue hike on the Lend-a-Hand Trail to the Zealand Falls Hut.
Rest at the Zealand Falls Hut, then retrace steps to Twinway junction and turn onto Twinway.
At the junction of Twinkway and Bondcliff Trail, turn left onto Bondcliff Trail.
Follow Bondcliff Trail over the summit of Mt. Guyot.
At junction with West Bond Spur, take the out and back to West Bond.
Back on the Bondcliff Trail, continue over summit of Mt. Bond and Bondcliff, then descend back into the forest.
At the trail terminus, continue hike along the Lincoln Woods Trail back to the car.
“Hale Brook Trail” from AMC White Mountain Guide (30th Ed.)
This trail climbs from Zealand Rd. (FR 16), at a parking area 2.5mi from US 302, to the clearing at the summit of Mt. Hale, which provides only very restricted views over trees that have been steadily reclaiming the formerly bare summit. The trail has steady, moderate grades an dpasses through a fine birch forest in its middle section.
The yellow-blazed trail leaves the parking area, crosses a cross-country ski trail, then ascends steadily to cross Hale Brook at 0.8mi. The trail continues the steady climb then swings left at 1.1mi and ascends gradually across the steep slope above Hale Brook (a difficult sidehill in winter), recrossing the brook in its rocky bed at 1.3mi. The trail ascends by several switchbacks, crossing a small brook at 1.7mi. Still ascending and curving gradually to the right, the trail enters the conifers, passes a restricted view southwest to Mt. Willey, and attains the summit (where a cleaning has a large cairn) from the east.
“Lend-A-Hand Trail” from AMC White Mountain Guide (30th Ed.)
This attractive trail connects Zealand Falls Hut with the summit of Mt. Hale, which offers only very restricted views over trees that are steadily growing taller. The grade is fairly easy, but the footing is rather rough for a good part of its distance. The trail takes its name from a journal for charitable organizations that was edited by Edward Everett Hale, the Boston pastor and author for whom Mt. Hale was named.
The trail diverges right (north) from Twinway 0.1mi above Zealand Falls Hut and climbs steadily, crossing a small brook three times. After about 0.5mi, the grade becomes easy in a long section with numerous plank walkways, where small brooks flow in and through the trail. At 1.5mi, the trail enters a scrubby, ledgy area with limited views and ascends moderately. In a rocky area at 1.9mi, an opening 30yd right of the trail offers a good outlook toward Carrigan Notch. The trail then traverses a long, level shoulder, descending slightly. At 2.4 mi, the trail climbs another rocky pitch and continues in open conifers to the summit clearing, marked by a large cairn, where Hale Brook Trail leaves east (right). Many of the rocks around the former fire tower site are reputed to be strongly magnetic.
“Twinway (AT)” from AMC White Mountain Guide (30th Ed.)
The train extends from Galehead Hut to a jct with Zealand Trail and Ethan Pond Trail 0.2mi beyond Zealand Falls Hut, forming an important ridge crest link along the north edge of the Pemigewasset Wilderness that connects the mountains of the western part of the region - the Franconia Range, Mt. Garfield, and the Twins - to the Bonds, the Zealand-Hale region, the WIlley Range, and the northern parts of the Pemigewasset Wilderness. Twinway offers magnificent views from the summits of South Twin Mtn and Mt. Guyot and from the outlook at Zeacliff, and connecting trails lead to a number of other suburb outlooks. For its entire length, Twinway is part of the AT.
The following description of the path is the eastbound direction (Galehead Hut to Zealand Falls Hut). [...]. From the jct. Of Frost and Garfield Ridge trails 40yds from Galehead Hut, Twinway passes over a ledgy hump, descent to a sag, then climbs steadily and steeply on a rocky footway up the cone of South Twin to the south knob of the open summit at 0.8mi. North Twin spur begins here, running straight ahead 40 yards to the north knob and then on to North Twin. Twinway turns right (south), enters the woods, and descends along the broad ridge towards Mt. Guyot, with easy to moderate grades after an initial steep pitch below the summit. At 1.8mi, the trail crosses a ledgy hump with restricted views. The trail descends easily to the main col between South Twin and Guyot then climbs out of the scrub to open rocks on the side of Guyot and reaches the jct with Bondcliff Trail on the right at 2.8mi. Guyot Campsite is 0.8mi from this jct via Bondcliff Trail and spur path.
Twinway turns left and ascends in the open to the flat northeast summit of Guyot at 2.9mi; hikers should take care to stay on the marked trail and avoid trampling fragile alpine vegetation. The trail reenters the woods and descends at a moderate grade with some rough footing on the long ridge leading northeast toward Zealand Mtn, reaching the col at 3.9mi. The trail then blimbs rather steeply, and at 4.1mi a few yards before reaching the height-of-land, the trail passes a small cairn marking a side path on the left that runs nearly level 0.1 mi to the true summit of Zealand Mtn (sign), wooded and viewless. The main trail continues at mostly easy grades down the ridge, passes a ledge with a view southeast at 5.1mi, then descends a steep pitch with a ladder, and in a sag at 5.3mi passes a side path that diverges right and descends to the shore of tiny, boggy Zeacliff Pond in 0.1 mi(100ft descent). The main trail ascends over a scrubby hump and passes the jct right with Zeacliff Trail at 5.7mi.
In another 0.1mi, Twinway reaches a loop side path that leads 75yd right to the magnificent Zeacliff outlook then turns sharply left and runs 70yd to rejoin the main trail 50 yd eas of its point of departure. Between the loop jcts, Twinway climbs over a ledge with views that are good but greatly inferior to those from the Zeacliff outlook. At the farther loop jct, Twinway turns left, ascends slightly, then descends steadily with rocky footing. At 6.9mi, the trail crosses two branches of Whitewall Brook on ledges (use caution in high water), and Lend-a-Hand Trail immediately enters on the left. Twinway passes in front of Zealand Falls Hut at 7.0mi, where a short side path leads right to scenic ledges on Whitewall Brook; from the hut is a good view of Zealand Notch and Mt. Carrigan. The main trail then descends steeply on rock steps, passing a side path right to a viewpoint for Zealand Falls, then crosses the outlet of Zealand Pond and reaches the grade of the old logging railroad. Here, Zealand Trail turns left and Ethan Pond Trail turns right, both on the railroad grade.
“Bondcliff Trail” from AMC White Mountain Guide (30th Ed.)
This trail begins at a jct with Lincoln Woods Trail and Franconia Brook Trail just north of the bridge of Franconia Brook, 2.9mi from the parking area on the Kancamagus Highway. Bondcliff Trail leads along the East Branch to the site of old logging camp 16 on a section that was formerly part of Wilderness Trail, ascends over Bondcliff and Mt. Bond, and ends at Twinway just west of the summit of Mt. Guyot. Bondcliff Trail connects the Pemigewasset East Branch valley with the high summits of the Twin Range, and the entire trail is in the Pemigewasset Wilderness except for a short segment at the north end. The long section on Bondcliff and one shorter section on Guyot are above treeline, with great exposure to the weather. The views from this trail are unsurpassed in the White Mountains.
From the jct on the north side of the Franconia Brook bridge, Bondcliff Trail bears right, bypassing a wet section of railroad grade, then joins the grade and continues to swing to the east. The trail crosses a brook at 1.0mi, and reaches the camp 16 clearing (where camping is no longer permitted) at 1.8mi. (Until this point, the trail was formerly part of the Wilderness Trail;the section of Wilderness Trail that continued ahead for 0.7mi on the railroad grade to the site of the suspension bridge over the East Branch - which was removed in 2009 - has been closed). Here Bondcliff Trail turns left, runs level for 100yd, turns sharply left just before reaching Black Brook, and climbs a bank to an old logging road. The trail then leaves the logging road and climbs well up on the slope to the west of the brook. At 2.9mi, after a slight descent, the trail bears left to rejoin the logging road along the brook and ascends easily, although parts of the road are severely eroded.
The trail then makes the first of four crossings of the brook at 3.2mi, the second crossing, at 3.7mi, provides the last sure water. At the third crossing, at 4.3mi, the trail turns right and crosses the brook bed (often dry). In 40yd - a tricky spot - the trail reaches another brook bed (usually dry), descends along it ot the right for 20yd, then swings sharply left out of the brook bed and climbs a steep slope on rock steps. (Descending, the trail swings right at the bottom of the steps into the brook bed, ascends along it for 20yd, then turns sharply left out of it). The trail then swings left to another old logging road and crosses a gravel bank where one can look almost straight up to the summit of Bondcliff. IN a short distance, the trail makes teh last brook crossing in a steep, south-facing ravine; if the brook is dry here, water can sometimes be found a short distance further up in teh streambed. The trail winds up a small, prow-shaped, hanging ridge that protrudes into the main ravine then swings left at 5.0mi and begins a long sidehill ascent of the steep slope on a logging road, heading back to the southwest. At 5.9mi, the trail reaches the crest of Bondcliff’s south ridge, swings north, and ascends the ridge to a short, difficult scramble up a ledge. Soon the trail breaks out of teh scrub and climbs along the edge of the cliffs, with spectacular views, reaching the summit of Bondcliff at 6.2 (Caution: The trail runs above treeline for about a mile and is potentially dangerous in bad weather, particularly high winds. When visibility is poor, stay well to the right (east) of the edge of the precipices).
The trail now descends the open ridge into a long, flat col then ascends the steep, rough slope of Mt. Bond, reentering scrubby woods about halfway up. At 7.4mi, the trail passes just wets of the summit of Mt. Bond, which commands a magnificent unrestricted view of the surrounding wilderness and mountains. Here, the trail bears left (northwest); in the reverse direction, it bears right (southwest) of the summit area. The trail descends north, crossing a minor knob, then drops down rather steeply past West Bond Spur on the left at 7.9mi and leaves the Pemigewasset Wilderness. The trail reaches the Bond-Guyot col at 8.1mi, where a spit path descends right (east) at 0.2mi and 200ft to Guyot Campsite and its spring. Bondcliff Trail then ascends to the bare south summit of Mt. Guyot and continues mostly in the open 0.2 mi to its jct with Twinway 0.1mi west of the less-open north summit of Guyot. Go straight ahead here for the Twins and Galehead Hut, or turn right for Zealand Mtn. and Zealand Falls Hut.
“West Bond Spur” from AMC White Mountain Guide (30th Ed.)
This short path provides access to the sharp, rocky summit of the West Peak of Mt. Bond, which is perched high above the deep valleys of an extensive Wilderness Area, commanding magnificent views. The entire trail is in the Pemigewasset Wilderness. The trail leaves Bondcliff Trail 0.5mi north of the summit of Mt. Bond and 0.2mi south of the spit to Guyot Campsite, descends moderately for 0.3mi to the col at the foot of West Bond, and ascends moderately for a short distance. West Bond Spur then climbs the steep cone to the summit, which is the most easterly of several small peaks on a ridge running east and west.
“Lincoln Woods Trail” from AMC White Mountain Guide (30th Ed.)
Lincoln Wood Trail runs for 2.9mi along the west side of the East Branch of the Pemigewasset River, from the Kancamagus Highway (NH 112) to a footbridge over Franconia Brook, forming a central artery from which several trails diverge and lead to various destinations near and in the western part of the Pemigewasset Wilderness. Lincoln Woods Trail follows the wide bed of a logging railroad that last operated in 1948. The trail begins at a large parking area with USFS information center on the north side of the road (sign: Lincoln Woods), just east of the highway bridge over the East Branch, 5.6mi from the information center at I-93, Exit 32 in Lincoln and 0.3mi beyond the Hancock Campground. This trail receives extremely heavy use, and camping is strictly regulated (See p. 151 for camping regulations). The area along the East Branch was heavily damaged by the 2011 storm, and in many places, the high, steep riverbanks have been severely undercut, creating a serious hazard for hikers who approach too close to the edge.
Note: The suspension footbridge that crossed the East Branch 5.4mi from the Lincoln Woods trailhead was removed in 2009. Advanced route planning is essential. If you are starting your hike at Lincoln Woods, be sure to start on the correct side of the East Branch, depending on your destination. [...]. Do not rely on crossing the river at either the Franconia Brook Tentsite or the site of the former suspension bridge. A former 0.7mi section of the Wilderness Trail on the north side of the river and west of the bridge site has been closed. (This bridge removal does not affect the suspension bridge location at the Lincoln Woods Trailhead).
Leaving the parking lot, Lincoln Woods runs across the deck of the information center and descends a wooden stairway to the left, swings left past a kiosk and crosses the East Branch on a suspension bridge, then turns right and follows the railroad bed along the river, climbing almost imperceptibly. At 0.7mi the trail skis to the left of a major washout from the 2011 storm, with a view over the river to Mt. Hitchcock. Soon the trail crosses Osseo Brook over a culvert and follows it upstream, and at 1.4mi Osseo Trail diverges left to follow Osseo Brook up its valley. Lincoln Woods Trail soon passes the old logging camp 8 clearing on the left, and at 1.8mi, by a piece of old rail, the trail comes close to the river’s edge, where a fine view upstream to Bondcliff can be obtained from the rocks just off the trail.
Soon the trail crosses Birch Island Brook on a bridge, and a long straightaway leads to the jct with Black Pond Trail on the left at 2.6mi. At 2.9mi, just before the bridge across Franconia Brook, Franconia Falls Trail diverges left. From this jct, Lincoln Woods Trail descends ahead to cross Franconia Brook on a footbridge. About 50yd beyond the Franconia Brook footbridge, Lincoln Woods Trail ends at the Pemigewasset Wilderness boundary. Here, Franconia Brook Trail climbs the bank on the left (north) and Bondcliff Trail (formerly a section of Wilderness Trail) diverges right (east). (Note: Use of a former route leading from the north end of the footbridge to a crossing of the East Branch is discouraged because the step stones have mostly been swept away, and the river crossing is often dangerous).
