Just about all you need to know about how to tackle the Bonds

[Mike P.]

This question comes up from time to time, what way is the shortest or involves the least amount of elevation gain. I did some of this before the Pemi Traverse trip on Dave M.'s hikethewhites.com website. I'm going back next month with some people I have not hiked with before so I took the six ways I would consider doing them & broke out distance, elevation gain, book time where provided (guessed on downhill parts not shown in the book, the Twinway which is listed in both directions is book time either way) & guessed on my time based on my current perceived level of fitness. I later went back & added four more options, a couple of these are just reversing direction of a couple of the first six. I did not get all the book times on the last four

Which way is the best way? Depends on what your goal is, if the Bonds, although the North Twin approach to the traverse may have less elevation gain, you might find conditions (yours, the groups or weather) dictate turning back.

Dave do yo have the time we started & ended in 2002? If so, is the time I picked as MAP (my initials) time close to the our time.

Hopefully the attachment works:

[MichaelJ]

Bah! The right way to do the Bonds is to bushwhack from Ethan Pond to Guyot.

I'm pretty sure at least one person out there has done it; I remember them talking about it a couple of years ago.