July 19-20: Bonds, Zealand, Twins, Galehead, Garfield, Owl's Head (peaks 29-37)

Day 11: Bondcliff, Mt Bond, W Bond, Zealand, S Twin, N Twin, Galehead

Day 12: Garfield, Owl's Head

• Trails: Lincoln Woods Tr, Bondcliff Tr, W Bond Spur, Bondcliff Tr, Twinway Tr, Zealand Spur, Twinway Tr, N Twin Spur, Twinway Tr, Frost Tr, Garfield Rdg Tr, Franconia Brk Tr, Lincoln Brk Tr, Owls Head Path, Lincoln Brk Tr, Franconia Brk Tr, Lincoln Woods Tr
• Distance: 41.61 mi, Elev Gain 12047 ft, Book Time 26:51, Actual Time 23:15 (overnight at Galehead Hut)

Perfunctory Photos of Me on Summits

Bondcliff (#29)

Mt Bond (#30)

West Bond (#31)

Zealand (#32)

South Twin (#33)

North Twin (#34)

Galehead (#35)

Garfield (#36) - Thanks to Photoshop, maybe no one will notice I mistakenly held up only 5 fingers.

Owl's Head (#37)

Get Me to the Hut on Time

I woke up before 2 AM and drove to Lincoln Woods Trailhead.

When I started hiking at 5 AM, the sun was just peaking over the mountains.

I ran the first 4.7 miles along the railroad grade, with my 15-pound pack bouncing on my back.
All this rushing about because I didn't want to miss the 6pm dinner at Galehead Hut, and book time was 14 hours.

Some people bike the 2.9-mile Lincoln Woods Trail, but not if they want to count the peaks for their 4000-footer list. Regardless, everyone must leave their bike at the entrance to the Pemi Wilderness.

I stopped running where Bondcliff Tr turned left off the railroad grade, getting steeper and rougher.

These shoes left at the turnoff suggest someone else ran the railroad grade before changing into hiking boots. I met 4 runners that morning, all attempting a single-day Pemi Loop--31 miles in 10 to 14 hours. Two were headed up Osseo Tr for a clockwise loop. Two others passed me on the way to Bondcliff for a counterclockwise loop. They wore very small packs, making me wonder what they carry, and what I could remove from my own pack.

This is so wrong! Graffiti in the Pemi Wilderness!

Bondcliff Revelation

This may be my favorite trail element in the White Mountains. First, it's a fun scramble up the vertical rock. But more importantly, it marks a dramatic change in the terrain.
To get to this point from Lincoln Woods, you have to hike 9 miles and nearly 3500 vertical feet along totally wooded trails that offer merely pleasant views of streams and trees, as shown above.
Once you climb over this ledge, you have SPECTACULAR!!! views of the surrounding mountains, and revel in the vistas for the next 4.5 miles to South Twin.

Garfield is the peak on the far right. Franconia Ridge is to the left of Garfield, with the slide. Owl's Head is the mountain in front of Franconia Ridge.

The Pemigewasset River cuts through the valley, with Loon Mtn in the background.

Bondcliff in the foreground, with the trail running along the ridge to Mt Bond in the background.

Each time I hike to Bondcliff, I hope to recreate this cover photo from the White Mountain Guide. This year, I nearly succeeded.

This is my 4th time on Bondcliff, but my 1st time standing on the buttress. Every other time, I quailed to step across the 1-inch crack that separates the column of stone from the rest of the mountain. My concern was summed up by the woman who once told me, "Someday that rock is going to tumble to the valley. When it does, I won't be on it."

Alpine flowers on Bondcliff

Mountain Laurel (Kalmia) on Bondcliff

Mt Bond

View from Mt Bond

West Bond

You might be tempted to skip the mile round trip out to West Bond, but don't do it. West Bond has an amazing 360-degree view of Bondcliff, Mt Bond, Mt Guyot, South Twin, Mt Garfield, Mt Lafayette, Mt Lincoln, Mt Liberty, and Owl's Head. It is not to be missed.

Looking back at Bondcliff

The panoramic view from West Bond.

More of the panoramic view from West Bond. The black at top left is what happens when you don't keep the arrow on the line as you pan the camera.

Zealand Mtn

As a destination, the wooded summit of Zealand Mountain has little of interest except its sign. However, the hike to the summit had a few surprises.

Nice sign!

WMNF Backcountry Camping Rules include "no camping within 200 feet of trails" but you still see lots of illegal tent sites right next to the trail.

Here's an example of an illegal camp site, within a few feet of the trail. This was on Garfield Ridge Trail the next morning, not near Zealand.

Someone told me this was Mt Guyot. It wasn't, and I should have known that. When I did the Pemi Loop in 2009 I remember hiking a 1/4 mile up a side trail to Guyot's summit, then feeling cheated when I learned it wasn't on the 4000-Footer list because it didn't meet the prominence criterion.

This time I hiked right past that side trail, the Twinway, without even slowing down. I didn't realize my mistake until nearly 30 minutes later. To get to Zealand Mtn, I needed to take the Twinway out and back for a 2.8 mile detour. I stopped to check my map and confirmed my suspicion: I had missed my turn. A couple of hikers caught up with me and told me the turn was where we had passed a large group of hikers sitting and enjoying the view. I dropped my heavy gear by the trail and jogged back to do the Zealand detour. The group was still sitting at the junction and I realized I missed the sign because it was behind two attractive young women. Someone kidded me about missing the turn, and I replied that the women's radiance had blinded me to everything else, including the trail sign.

I continued to run, when I could without tripping on the rocks, to Zealand Mtn and back to the junction. Three from the large group were still there, claiming to be my welcoming committee. They were on a 14-person tour of the Pemi, organized through REI and led by AMC guides. I told them I could use a guide more than a welcoming committee!

I saw four grouse on the way to Zealand Mtn--a first for me, both the grouse and the mountain.

South and North Twin

At the summit of South Twin, I was only 0.8 miles from the hut I would be staying at that night. But before I could relax, I was going to hike 2.6 miles to North Twin and back so I could check another Four-Thousand Footer off my list.
I hid some of my gear behind a rock to lighten my pack, then chatted with a young couple on the summit. Soon I heard, "Mr. Stern? I thought I recognized your voice." It was Mike M. from Winchester. He was my daughter's high school boyfriend, and also rode bikes with the Rippers a few times. Mike was camping at 13 Falls with his dad and a few others, but had decided to hike to North Twin before taking a swim in the falls and eating dinner. So Mike and I hiked North Twin together and got caught up on the last six years. Mike is an architect now and got his start back at Ambrose Elementary School when Wendell Wickerham was his mentor for an architecture project in Winchester's annual mentoring program. It's a shame Wendell didn't live to see Mike become a practicing architect.

Mike and me on North Twin

Galehead Hut

What lies ahead... Sunday I will hike up Garfield (the pointed peak on the right), then back down and try to find the remote summit of Owl's Head (the lump in the foreground), but first a quick hike down to Galehead Hut (the white roof on the bottom right) for dinner and a good night's sleep.
I was part way down the trail to Galehead Hut before remembering that I dropped some gear on the summit of S Twin for the trek out to N Twin. I hiked back up, reloaded my pack, and headed down to the hut again.

I made it in time for dinner! Even with all the backtracking, I was 2 hours and 45 minutes early. I was so paranoid about missing dinner that I left home at 2:30 AM, started hiking at 5 AM, and ran the first 4.7 miles plus most of the Zealand detour to make up for missing the turn. After all that needless rushing, I got to the hut way before dinner.
So I checked in, put my gear in my bunk, and hiked out to Galehead Mtn and back before eating.
Once we were all done eating, a 50-ish hiker from Georgia came limping in. After catching his breath, he went to the kitchen and they served him the same meal we had enjoyed a couple of hours earlier. So there was absolutely no need for me to rush like crazy all day just to make dinner by 6 PM.
I learned the gentleman was section hiking the Appalachian Trail and would be in New England for the next 2 weeks. He started with Franconia Ridge, and would spend the rest of the week hiking the Willey Range, the Presidential Range, and finish with Wildcats/Carters/Mt Moriah. Then he would spend a second week hiking the AT through Massachusetts.

Looking back at Galehead Hut and South Twin from a lookout on the way to the wooded summit of Galehead Mtn.

Staying at a full-service hut was a first-time luxury for me. The best thing about it was the comfy bunk bed and not being burdened by the weight of a hammock and sleeping bag in my pack.
A second benefit was the delicious dinner and breakfast they served (again lightening my pack) and the all-you-can-drink buffet of lemonade, tea, coffee, and hot chocolate. I drank as much water as I wanted without having carry an ounce of it up the mountain.
Unfortunately, I couldn't eat much of what they served (e.g., barley soup, salad, cranberry sauce, oatmeal) because the doctor has me on a 1-week "low roughage" diet. Nonetheless, I enjoyed turkey and mashed potatoes for dinner, and the white flour pancakes they made special for me the next morning for breakfast.

At dinner the Hut Croo introduced themselves before serving our meal. They were students from U Penn, Bucknell, and Harvard. No one from Cornell this year, but judging from this sign on the wall Cornell must have been represented in past years.

I felt very generous leaving a $5 tip. The next morning after breakfast, the Croo performed a silly skit that included not-so-subtle lessons, like how to fold the blankets on your bunk, pack out what you pack in, and $5 is a paltry tip so leave at least $20. Unfortunately, I was geared up and ready to hike so didn't have time to amend my tipping faux pas.

Mt Garfield

I usually begin hiking quite early, but breakfast wasn't served until 7, so I didn't get on the trail to Garfield until 7:45 AM.

Many people complain about Garfield Ridge Tr because of the PUDs (pointless ups and downs) along the ridge. I prefer the term used in the WMG--significant ups and downs (SUDs)--because the mountains are what they are. The mountains don't rise and fall for our convenience. I realize PUDs is a humorous way to describe the trail, but I'm going to call them SUDs from now on because it is not only more descriptive, but also more aligned with my view of nature.

A cool rock along the ridge.

Just before Garfield Ridge Campsite, the trail "becomes much steeper with one tricky section of wet ledge." When I climbed Garfield as part of the Pemi Loop, I thought I had somehow gotten off trail and was climbing a waterfall. I was relieved to reach the top and find a real trail again. This time, the climb was quick and fun. Not sure if it was easier because I knew what to expect or if it is because I am a more experienced and fit hiker now. Surprisingly, the descent back down this "waterfall" was also very quick and without any difficulty.

At the top of the waterfall trail is this spring, where I filled my bottle on the way back down.

The views from Mt Garfield are excellent. The summit is a large smooth rock, mostly taken up by the foundation of a demolished fire tower. You have a perfect 360 degree view of the surrounding mountains. I believe the peaks are Lafayette on the right, then Liberty and Flume are the two pointy ones; Owls Head is the big wooded mountain in middle foreground.

More mountains...

...and more.

Descending the waterfall, I passed a party of 3 dogs and 4 humans. Bruin carries not only his kibbles and water bowl, but also nips of whiskey for his humans. Good dog, Bruin, good dog!

Even when he hiked with me, Chichi never carried his own drink, let alone mine. Now, at 15+ years old, he sleeps at home while I hike.

Back from Garfield, I remember to pick up the gear I dropped, before heading down Franconia Brook Tr to Lincoln Brook Tr and, hopefully, Owls Head Path. One of the Croo warned me that the trail was hard to follow between the last two crossings of Lincoln Brook.

Pemi Wilderness

I was in the Pemi Wilderness for almost the entire hike (Garfield Ridge marks the northern boundary), but descending from the Ridge was where it really did get wild. The trails were "often rough, muddy and obscure" when they weren't "very muddy and obscure."

Yes, this is the trail.

This is also the trail.

These trails north of Owls Head don't get much traffic.

I really enjoyed hiking this stretch. Although it doesn't have amazing vistas, the wooded trails and babbling brook are very special. In addition, I enjoyed the isolation. I didn't see another human for hours at a time.

My favorite kind of babbling.

Owl's Head - Well, that was an adventure!

I took a quick peek at 13 Falls Tentsite and was happy to see bear boxes. Maybe I'll stay here next time.

Lincoln Brook Trail "crosses the main branch of Franconia Brook at an open ledgy area just above the confluence with a western tributary, with a view up to Owl's Head Mtn. It climbs along the north bank of this tributary past cascades and pools." Very nice! I spent some time enjoying the brook and taking photos.

"The trail must be followed with care as it approaches the divide between the Franconia Brook and Lincoln Brook drainages,  particularly where it runs in and out of a small brook bed several times. The trail descends a short pitch and then follows a section with old yellow blazes." I only saw this single yellow blaze, but, miraculously, I had no problem staying on the trail along this section.

"Just beyond this crossing, the trail ascends slightly and swings left on drier ground and becomes better defined." Somehow, despite the WMG's insouciance and the Hut Croo's warning, I lost the trail somewhere after crossing Lincoln Brook. I knew the trail would soon cross the brook again, so I decided to follow the brook rather than backtrack and search for the trail. How hard could it be? Turns out, it could be pretty damn hard!

It took me 45 minutes to bushwhack 0.2 miles. At times I rock hopped in the stream, totally soaking my feet when the rocks I hopped were below water level. When the brook didn't have rocks to hop or went over a little waterfall, I took to the woods along the steep banks. Fighting through the close set trees was difficult and scratchy work, and frequently I was blocked by a ravine and had to climb around it. It gave me a real appreciation for the wonderful trails we too often take for granted.

Finally, I found the trail again.  Big thumbs up!

Whoops. I guess that wasn't the trail. Back to the bushwhack from hell.

Now this is definitely the trail! I knew I was getting close because, at the advice of a poster on Hike the 4000 footers of NH!, I brought my GPS despite the extra 3.25 ounces. Another quick check of my location on the Garmin and I realized I was south of the Owls Head path, turned around and found the path within a hundred yards.

How could I have possibly have missed this cairn marking the start of the herd path up Owls Head Mtn?

"Owl’s Head Path soon emerges on a steep swath of gravel and loose rock. Owl’s Head Path quickly reaches the open part of the slide, which provides good views of the Lincoln Brook valley and the Franconia Range. The slide has no well-defined path; the most used route follows a winding course that may be marked by occasional cairns."

After losing the relatively well-defined Lincoln Brook Tr, I was stressed the whole climb up the less-defined Owls Head Path and very relieved to arrive at the "old" summit.
"In the fall of 2005, it was discovered that the traditional summit of Owl's Head (reached by the unmaintained beaten path) is actually a lower peak, and the true summit is approximately 0.2 mi north along the ridgeline. For now, the 4,000-footer committee is accepting climbs to the false summit." source
The committee might be satisfied with the false summit with its 4005-foot elevation, but I would push on to the true summit at 4025 feet.

Someone placed some rocks to help mark the way to the true summit.

"The summit area of Owl's Head is a bit tricky with multiple narrow trails that can seem like a maze, but they all lead to the summit cairn." source
That may be, but a group descending while I was climbing up, told me that the secret was "Turn right at the sock. Really!"

Although Owls Head is surrounded by the magnificent Bonds and Franconia Ridge, you only get this one teasing peek through the trees.

Yay! I found the true peak. My life is complete.  Ha!

Sure enough, on the hike back I lost the trail and blundered around in the woods until I managed to bushwhack back up to the ridge and find the trail that took me back to the false summit.

The descent down the slide started in the woods and was easier than coming up because I knew I was on the right path.

The view of Franconia Ridge was as nice going down as going up.

More Kalmia, a.k.a. mountain-laurel.

Near the bottom of the slide, I was feeling cocky and thinking that you could almost glissade down the loose rocks and dirt. (Glissade = the act of descending a steep snow- or scree-covered slope via a controlled slide on one's feet or buttocks.) Just then, without intending to, I executed a standing glissade that quickly turned into a seated glissade. I don't recommend either means of descending the slide.

After the adventure of Owls Head, I deserved a treat, and a short rest.
With the poor footing and trail-finding stress, it took me 2hrs 15min to hike Owls Head versus the 1:43 book time.

Dianne Fallon's description of her own hike to Owl's Head captures the feelings I felt during my hike much more eloquently than I managed here.  It's a good read; check it out here: http://diannefallon.com/spooky-solitude-the-lonely-trail-to-owls-head/

The long slog home

After my adventures with bushwhacking and the slide, I was content that the remaining 8 miles to the trailhead would mostly look like this. In fact, I was ready for the adventure to be over, so I decided to run as much of the way as I could.

Lincoln Brook Tr south of Owls Head Path is "much more heavily used" and "follows an old logging railroad grade." I don't know what this artifact is, but suppose it was used for logging back in the day.

According to the White Mountain Guide, "This major crossing and the crossing of Franconia Brook that follows are not easy even at moderate water levels and are very difficult and potentially dangerous in high water, at which time other hiking options should be considered. If water levels are high, it may be safer for hikers who are traveling south on Lincoln Brook Trail from the Owl’s Head area to bushwhack south along the west side of Lincoln Brook and Franconia Brook, eventually reaching either Franconia Falls Trail or Black Pond Trail."

I had had enough of bushwhacking for the day, and decided to risk wet feet rock crossing the stream. In fact, I got a soaker and the dry socks I put on after bushwhacking down the stream north of Owls Head were wet through and I wouldl be hiking in soggy socks the rest of the way.

I ran to the end of the Pemi Wilderness, but soon after reaching the Lincoln Woods Tr, I felt a twinge in my right calf. I knew from past experience that ignoring it could lead to days of limping, so I put in my earbuds, tuned in my audiobook, and shambled the remaining 2.9 miles to the car.

The Pemigewasset River along the Lincoln Woods Tr was particularly lovely in the slowly reddening light. Every now and then, I roused out of my exhaustion and aches to actually enjoy my surroundings.

Safe and Sound

So happy to be back at my car, 12 hours exactly from leaving Galehead Hut. In 2 days I covered 42+ miles (including the inadvertent backtracking) in 23 hours of hiking. The ice in my cooler was still doing its job, and I enjoyed a thermos of ice cold lemonade and a ham and cheese sandwich while reveling in my bare feet and clean shorts and t-shirt. Just when it seemed it couldn't get any better, I popped my Harpoon and it did get even better.

On Lincoln Brook Tr, just before the junction with Franconia Brook Tr, I passed a woman with her ankle all taped up and using two big sticks to help her walk. She was with her adult daughter and two strong-looking men so I wasn't too concerned about her.

When I got to the trailhead Search and Rescue was gearing up to go get her. The two men were part of a group of three. They sent one running ahead to find help, while the other two stayed with the woman and her daughter.

At home, I Googled Lincoln Woods Search and Rescue and learned that the woman hiked 4 miles on a broken fibula before SAR met her on Lincoln Woods Trail and carried her the rest of the way on an ATV.

If Life had an Edit Function

Sometimes I wish I could go back and edit what I said, just like I can fix typos and reword my descriptions in this blog. My brain seems to have a direct connection to my tongue without going through a editing step, so I often find a better way to express a thought but too late. While hiking I had time to revisit some of my conversations and think of how I could have edited what I said.

I missed a turn because two attractive women where sitting in front of the sign. I didn't want to stare at them, and overcompensating, totally missed seeing the sign behind them and ended up hiking quite a ways past my turn. When I returned, they were still sitting there and teased me about missing my turn.

What I said: "Your beauty blocked the sign."

What I should have said: "Your radiance blinded me to everything else, including the sign behind you."

When I passed the Bondcliff-Twinway junction for the third time, three of the guided tour people were still there. One man--60-ish with zinc oxide smeared on his face--asked me a series of questions about why I did an out-and-back to Zealand Mtn.

ZO: (Derisively) Are you one of those peak-baggers?

Me: I guess so. I'm hiking all 48 Four-Thousand Footers this summer.

ZO: Sounds like an obsession.

Me: (Laughing) My wife thinks so.

ZO: What do you do for a living?

Me: I'm a software engineer.

ZO: Figures.

What I said: Well, have a nice day. (Heading off towards South Twin)

What I should have said: "F#@$ you!"

On Lincoln Brook Tr, just before the junction with Franconia Brook Tr, I passed a woman with her ankle all taped up and using two big sticks to help her walk. She was with her adult daughter and two strong-looking men so I wasn't too concerned about her.
Me: Hey, didn't I see you on Owl's Head.
Woman: Yes.
Me: Did you fall on the slide?
Woman: No, I stepped on a slippery log and twisted my ankle.
What I said: These have saved me from a several falls today. (Holding up my hiking poles, before continuing to run down the trail.)
What I should have said: Are you okay? Can I do anything to help?

Gear Talk

• Gaiters - I've been hiking in my kids old half gaiters because they weigh 4 oz as opposed to the 10 oz of my full length winter gaiters.  But the underfoot string keeps wearing out and the elastic is so stretched that I have to keep pulling them up while hiking. So when I got home I sprang for a pair of LevaGaiters. Bonus: they weigh only 1.8 oz! I met a couple of through hikers that were very satisfied with their LevaGaiters.
• Steripen - After struggling to get my new Steripen to work the previous week, I got some good advice from posters on Hike the 4000 footers of NH! (make sure the contacts are dry before use) and the Steripen worked great this trip.
• Safety pins - I carry safety pins in my 1st aid / emergency kit, but never found a use for them before this hike. After tightening my chest strap and my pants waist belt for the umpteenth time, I had the bright idea of using the safety pins to keep them from slipping. Problem solved!
• Garmin - More good advice from Hike the 4000 footers of NH! I posted my intention to save weight by leaving my largely useless Garmin Edge 810 at home on this hike. Someone posted that having a GPS could be a big help finding the trail for Owls Head. Sure enough, I lost the trail and used the GPS to get me back on track.
• Extra socks - My ultralight Gossamer backpack comes with unpadded shoulder straps. Instead there is a space to carry your spare socks in the straps to provide padding. After getting totally soaked feet trying to find Owls Head Path, I stopped to put on nice, dry socks before hiking up Owls Head Path.

Next up... 

After climbing 37 Four-Thousand Footers during the last 5 weekends, I will only climb 3 Four-Thousand Footers during the next 5 weekends.

• 7/26-8/2: Acadia National Park w/ college buddy
• 8/2-8/3: Mt Carrigain
• 8/9-8/13: Indiana for family reunion
• 8/16-8/17: Mt Cabot; Mt Waumbek
• 8/22-8/24: Vermont for Rippers 6 Gaps Ride

Summer Single Season 48

The Plan - http://loagom.blogspot.com/2014/06/sss-48-plan.html

The Results - http://loagom.blogspot.com/2014/07/sss48-results.html