Are you up for a challenge? This advanced three-day winter backpacking trip takes us to some of the most beautiful and remote peaks in the White Mountains.
23 miles
4500 Feet of vertical gain
This is a repeat of a trip I led 4 years ago. Here’s a video showing what you can expect.
I am leading this trip for the New England Over 40 Hiking Group on meetup.com. Hammock Forum members will be added as my guests.
This trip is intended for experienced winter hikers and backpackers. Experienced winter hikers with 3-season backpacking experience are welcome.
To RSVP, please send me a private message with your name, phone number and best time to call. I will call you to discuss the trip and to make sure you have the necessary skills and equipment to be safe and have a good time.
Here is our itinerary.
Day 1
Starting from the Lincoln Woods Trailhead on the Kancamangus Highway, we’ll follow Lincoln Woods Trail and the Wilderness Trail along an old rail bed for 4.7 miles to the Bondcliff Trail. We head North on the Bondcliff trail for about 1 mile where we will look for a suitable site for our base camp. The Wildness Trail is very suitable for pulk sleds. The Bondliff trail is steeper with tight turns that are challenging when pulling a pulk. USFS regulations require all campsites to be at least 200 feet off the trail. Total distance for today is approximately 6 miles. This relatively short day allows us ample time to gather firewood and other tasks to make a comfy winter camp.
Day 2
We depart base camp heading North on the Bondcliff Trail. We reach the Summit of Bondcliff, 4,265 feet in about 3.5 miles. At this point we will evaluate the conditions (weather, trail and group). If conditions permit, we continue North on the Bondcliff Trail for another 1.2 miles across the exposed ridge to Mt. Bond, 4,698 feet. Then, we continue North along the Bondcliff Trail for another .5 mile to the West Bond Spur Trail. We follow the West Bond Spur for another .5 miles to the summit of West Bond, 4,540 feet. We return to our basecamp by retracing our steps and re-summiting Mt. Bond and Bondcliff. Total distance for today is approximately 11 miles.
Day 3
We return to Lincoln Woods by re-tracing route back to Lincoln Woods along the Bondcliff, Wilderness and Lincoln Woods Trails. Total distance for today is approximately 6 miles
The following equipment is mandatory (this is not a full list)
• Wind proof shell and pants
• Extra insulation
• Insulated winter boots
• Goggles
• Face mask or balaclava
• Microspikes or other traction devices
• Snowshoes
• Headlamp
• Sleeping bag or quilts rated to Zero degrees or lower
Due to the nature of this trip, the following special rules apply.
1) Attendance is limited to six persons maximum.
2) All attendees will be screened to make sure they have the necessary skills experience and equipment for this trip.
3) Persons who do not provide contact information will not be allowed to attend.
As a condition of your voluntary participation in this activity you acknowledge and agree to the following: this activity involves inherent risks that can cause property damage, injury, illness, disability, and/or death to participants and/or others; you assume all risk associated with this activity; you are responsible for having the necessary knowledge, skills, abilities, clothing, and equipment to safely participate in this activity; you know and will follow the Hiker Responsibility Code described at http://www.hikesafe.com ; the leader(s) of this activity are volunteers; and you release, hold harmless, and indemnify the leader(s) and all members of this group from any and all claims for property damage, injury, illness, disability, and/or death - including those caused by negligence and/or other reasons.
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Originally Posted by jstaines
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