Bonds, South Twin Feb 7-11

]Date(s) Hiked: Left Lincoln Woods Feb 7, returned Feb 11

Trails(s) Hiked: Wilderness, Bondcliff, Twinway, Garfield Ridge, Franconia Brook

Total Distance: 26 m

Difficulty: Moderate before the heavy snow, strenuous after the snow..

Conditions: The first two days out, before it snowed, conditions were corn/slush with some ice up top. I was geared for it and It was great hiking. After it snowed and snowed and snowed..minimun 24-30 inches with frequent drifts, it was a lot more 'interesting'.

Special Required Equipment: Crampons, snowshoes, 4 season tent, GPS

Trip Report: Well, it was great before it snowed. Bondcliff was awesome. I didn't tag West Bond but I'm sure to return frequently to the area.. Great views into the Pemi. Camped at Guyot. Nice little shelter there. (Ist nite I camped at the temp campsite along the Wilderness boundary). After Guyot I tagged South Twin and hustled up to the Garfield Ridge shelter, which I didn't really care for. Bad Vibes there or something. Plus it was drafty...and it started snowing that night, all night. Also, on the way up to Garfield there was a really sketchy spot of ice fall..50 ft. . Except for the trees on both sides to hold on to, I would almost call it technical.

The next morning I started down the Franconia Brook trail. I did not bring snowshoes. This was a mistake, given the conditions. I prefer not to bring crampons AND snowshoes but so what? they were both needed. the bigger problem though was the fact that the snows had totally obscured all trace of the trail down to thirteen falls. I made it there by compass and by following the brook in 2.5 hrs. From thirteen falls i picked up the much better and wider trail and hauled down to just below Lincoln brook, where the trail just disappeared in the miasma of snow and blowdowns. I probed the area for 1.5 hours without success, so I bivy'ed there overnight and slogged out by compass to the P river the following day.

It was an interesting hike. These are tough mountains, and I gained a lot of respect for the Whites this trip. Between the low temps, snowload, and tangled understories, the Whites are. totally on par with the toughest of the west.

Glad to hear you were properly prepared for harsh conditions. Bravo to you!

Elk Oil said:

Glad to hear you were properly prepared for harsh conditions. Bravo to you!

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thanks. mentally I was prepared for it, that was the big thing. C

Way to go, you re really one adventurous fellow.

This can be a nightmarish trek any time of year--especially in winter! Some sections climbing Bondcliff to Guyot are easier, b/c the rocks are filled in with snow and you can avoid the ankle-breaking. The trek down to 13 Falls is usually a mess. At least it's downhill, so you can't get too lost and you'll find your way back to the Wilderness Trail eventually.
Sounds like a great hike. I'm jealous!

thanks . so what's CO like this year? did you get a return of the snows? I like the front range., but the whites are pretty awesome too. The big thing I miss about the rockies are the wide open spaces and the reletively fewer hikers. One summer I went from Grand Lake to Wyoming and didn't see a single soul on the trail (CDT) except for a mountain biker and a lost and drunken hunter . C

Caleb said:

thanks . so what's CO like this year? did you get a return of the snows? I like the front range., but the whites are pretty awesome too. The big thing I miss about the rockies are the wide open spaces and the reletively fewer hikers. One summer I went from Grand Lake to Wyoming and didn't see a single soul on the trail (CDT) except for a mountain biker and a lost and drunken hunter . C

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SW Colorado has had big-time snows. Did bellybutton-deep 'cat skiing at Durango and Wolf Creek on an 11-foot base. The Front Range/I-70 resorts are hurting a little, but March is usually a good month for snow.
I think a lot about the difference b/t out West and back East. Yes, I will definitely miss the wide-open terrain out West when (and if?) I move back to the claustrophobic Eastern forests. There is a sense of vastness that is overwhelming. Still, I think I prefer the East. The terrain is rougher, the beauty more subtle, and the weather more conducive for contemplation and a 'mental journey' (cf. Wendell Berry's "The Unforeseen Wilderness"). Maybe I'm just homesick; I don't know. 2 summers ago I went from climbing a 14,000-footer one day to backpacking with my brother through 3 days of rain in the Pemigewasset a few days later... I loved it!
Save me a tent platform at Garfield next time you're there!