Zealand and Hale

Total trip duration: 7:09:27
Distance: 10.5 miles
Hikers: Dianne, Matthew, Brigid, Vance and Quinn
4000 footer completion count: Zealand #47 (4,260 feet),  Hale #48 (4,054 feet)

 [Guyot Campsite] > Bondcliff Trail > [Guyot] > Twinway > [Zealand] > Twinway > [Zealand Falls Hut] > Twinway > Lend-A-Hand Trail > [Hale] > Hale Brook Trail

Note: The following post details the second part of a two day trek.  If you haven't already, you may want to read our post on hiking the Bonds.

Quinn woke up at Guyot Campsite raring to go!  When we started this adventure with Flume and Liberty on August, 2 2014, #48 seemed so far way.  Keeping this blog has been such a vivid example of how quickly time goes by and how important it is to be intentional about the way we live our lives.  Much has happened in the 413 days from Flume to Hale; suffice it to say that we were excited to see what the day would bring.

This picture just doesn't do justice to the gorgeous red orb rising up to say good morning to the mountains.  Quinn was beside himself!

Quinn made his way up to the shelter to say good morning!

I think we burned up some calories yesterday.  I woke up at 3am starving.  By the time we sat down for a hearty breakfast, we were ravenous!

Quinn was pumped to find out that Guyot Campsite had some resident Gray Jays.  He's also enjoyed the company of these birds on our Waumbek and Tom, Field and Willey hikes.

Quinn and Matthew playing around in the shelter before we hit the trail for the day:

Our gracious host at Guyot Campsite was also named Quinn (AKA Quinn The Girl).  Here's an AMC blog post about her work at Guyot.  Every time someone in our hiking party called out for our Quinn, she came out of her tent to see what was needed.  She was a good sport!

We made our way out of camp toward the summit of Guyot.  It was another glorious day on the trails.  Quinn had an extra kick in his step and when I reached the peak, I found him on top of the peak cairn enjoying the outstanding 360 degree views.

Mount Guyot has an elevation of 4580 feet but it's not an official 48 because it doesn't have the required prominence to make the list.  That said, it has far better views than many of the 48 and we thoroughly enjoyed our time there.

On the other hand, Zealand is an official 48 but it has no views at all!  Oh well,  it does have a pretty cool sign!

Quinn was on a mission for Hale.  I caught up to him as he sat pensively and patiently waiting.

After Zealand we had a fairly significant descent toward Zealand Falls Hut.  This nifty little ladder helped!

If you've read other blog posts, you'll know that Quinn loves his "boardwalks."  They have a range of usefulness depending on what time of year you're passing through a particular section of trail.  Clearly, these particular boardwalks were serving their purpose!

We had planned to meet Quinn's mom (Brigid) and younger sister (Isabelle) at Zealand Falls Hut for the final peak.  We had specifically planned on finishing on Hale (one of the more approachable 4000 footers) for quite some time so that we could make sure Isabelle could join us.  Much to our dismay, Isabelle got sick before the trip and had to stay behind.  Fortunately, Brigid greeted us at the hut with big smiles and warm hugs.  We were so glad to see her!  We hung out at the falls together enjoying the gem of a day.

I don't think Quinn was expecting the rigorous descent from Zealand Mountain.  He was pretty exhausted when he reached the hut and he was ready to recharge the batteries!  A hot bowl of veggie chili and he was back in business!  Look out Quinn, mom's making a move for that spoon!

The boys horsed around outside the hut before we made our final push to Hale.

Quinn gave his mom a tour of the bunks and then we sat down for one last picture at Zealand Falls Hut.

 

We made our way back up to the Lend-A-Hand Trail junction.  Nobody could seem to get the name of the trail right.  Of the names I remember hearing, there were Lend-A-Hair, Lend-A-Head and Left-Handed Trail.  Whatever the name, Quinn knew there was now only one trail between him and #48!

The Lend-A-Hand Trail turned out to be an unexpected little treasure.  There were signs of fall with leaves of red and yellow.  It was quite a beautiful little trail.

Wow, could it be?  We marched up the rock pile with smiles from ear to ear.  We couldn't have asked for a better day!

Brigid made us a nice little #48 out of some sticks and handed out homemade cupcakes to everybody.  Dianne so kindly made us a congratulations sign and a Mountain Ninja Warrior shirt for Quinn.  Matthew made an awesome camo bracelet for Quinn.  Isabelle also sent along a card of congratulations.  I'm so thankful for all the kindness.  It was a really beautiful time!

Quinn donned his new shirt.  Then we got together for a group picture of the raising of the hiking poles ceremony!

After enjoying all the festivities at the summit, it was time to make our way down.  We made a rapid descent of the Hale Brook Trail which was relatively short an unremarkable.

 

Outside of Isabelle not being able to join us, we couldn't have asked for a better conclusion to our New Hampshire 48 4000 footer journey.  Our two day trek had all the key ingredients that made for great memories and an excellent expedition.  The most important of those ingredients were the people.  Dianne, Matthew and Brigid, we sincerely thank you.  

Quinn, you did such an incredible job and I'm very proud of you.  Over your lifetime, I hope you think back fondly of our time together on this adventure.  We did it buddy!

Quinn's Take

We woke up and had a delicious oatmeal breakfast and we fed some gray jays.  On our way to Zealand, there was a trail that opened up and when we looked back,  the trail looked like pictures I've seen of Ireland.  Matthew and I ran to the top of Zealand.  There were no views but the wooden sign was awesome.  Someone left a fire pit so Matthew and I cleaned it up and it looked much better when we were done. On the way to Zealand Hut to meet my mom, the trail was so steep and I was getting so tired.  We finally made it and I gave my mom a great, big hug!  We hung out at the falls and ate soup at the hut.  We explored the bunks, then started our way to Hale, our LAST 4000 foot peak!! At one point we thought we were at the top, but it turned out to be a false peak... Noooo!!  But it was only about 15 minutes to the real peak. We got to the top and there was a gigantic cairn!  To celebrate, we had cupcakes and Matthew and his mom gave me some gifts- a Ninja warrior t-shirt and a homemade camo bracelet.  I felt so proud to have finished the 48 4000 footers.   I was very tired and ready to head back to the car. We made it to the bottom and my dad and I got our picture taken.  I had a great experience hiking the 48 4000 footers.  I'm so grateful for my dad and I enjoyed our father and son time!  Thank you!  I love you, Dad!  P.S New England 67 here we come!!!!!!

Post-hike Updates

Here's Quinn excitedly mailing out his application to the AMC Four Thousand Footer Club:

 

Bondcliff, Bond and West Bond

Total trip duration: 7:11:01
Distance: 12.4 miles
Hikers: Dianne, Matthew, Vance and Quinn
4000 footer completion count: Bondcliff #44 (4,265 feet),  Bond #45 (4,698 feet), West Bond #46 (4,540 feet)

Lincoln Woods Trail > Bondcliff Trail [Bondcliff] > Bondcliff Trail [Bond] > Bondcliff Trail [Guyot Campsite] > Bondcliff Trail > West Bond Spur [West Bond] > West Bond Spur > Bondcliff Trail [Guyot Campsite]

On a beautiful day with clear blue skies we began an overnight trip that would take us to our 48th 4000 footer.  Today we hiked the Bonds.  No picture can do them justice.  They are just magnificent! 

Earlier in the week we received an email from a couple of hiking buddies, Dianne and Matthew, we met on our trip to the Osceolas.  They had recently finished the Hundred Highest and were checking in to see how we were making out.  I told them of our plans to finish the 48 for the upcoming weekend and I invited them to the party.  We were so excited to hear that they were in!  We met at Lincoln Woods Visitor Center and the kids were raring to go!

We hiked along the Lincoln Woods trail and got caught up on various hikes we had done over the past year.  As we approached the stone wall, Matthew and Quinn hopped up for a photo opportunity.

The kids made some mushroom artwork.  I think these are called Artist's Conks?

We ran into some cool little critters along the way.  Here's Quinn seeking out a passing toad.

We were psyched to see the sign for Bondcliff Trail.  The hiking would remain relatively flat for a while longer but we knew we were getting closer to some good climbing!

The day began to heat up and the boys took a pit stop to cool off.

The trail became significantly steeper as we approached Bondcliff.  As the tall trees faded away, the cool breeze kicked up and felt great.  I ascended a big section of rock and was truly taken aback by the beauty that unfolded around me.

Quinn made a beeline for the cliff!

I put down my pack and joined him.  What a privilege it was to be standing there with Quinn.

Matthew joined Quinn to take in the vertical.

After a good rest and some tasty snacks we headed out toward Mount Bond.

I'm so grateful that the boys have such a love for the mountains.

Mount Bond is the highest of the three Bonds and the views did not disappoint!

Dianne took a great picture of Quinn with this amazing landscape.  You need to click on the picture to really appreciate it:

I had purchased a replacement water bladder for the hike that turned out to be a dud on a number of counts.  It leaked and left me short on water.  Thus, I made for the Guyot Campsite spring; the boys stayed on top for a while longer with Dianne and posed for some action shots at the summit:

 

Matthew and Quinn pause to take advantage of the many uses of boardwalks!

When they arrived at the Guyot Campsite, Quinn and I set up our tent on the last remaining platform and Dianne and Matthew set up shop in the shelter.  We cooked up a nice hot tasty dinner, grabbed our headlamps and made for West Bond to catch the sunset.

It was amazing to travel from the campsite over to the summit without our big packs.  We reached the peak just as the sun was going down.  The views from West Bond were beyond any expectation.  What an incredible perspective of the hiking we had done earlier in the afternoon.

 

 The views of Franconia Ridge weren't too shabby either!

 

Dianne brought some sparklers to the peak and the kids had a blast!

The moon was out and we settled down to gaze at the incredible beauty that enveloped us.

 

The moments we had on West Bond were undoubtedly the highlight of the day.  I can't thank Dianne enough for the idea of saving West Bond until sunset.  With four headlamps shining in the dark, we made our way down from the summit and back to camp.  Quinn and I hopped into our sleeping bags, recounted the day's events, reviewed our map for tomorrow's adventure and were asleep before 9pm...

Quinn's Take

On Friday, my dad and I hiked Bondcliff, Bond and West Bond.  We hiked with our friends who we met on Osceola about a year ago.  Their names are Matthew and his mom, Dianne.  We all met up at the Lincoln Woods Visitor Center and started on the trail.  We headed to Bondcliff.    Along the way I found a really cool caterpillar that was bright yellow with black spots.  There were some plants along the trail that we dug up, washed and ate the roots.  They tasted like cucumber and sweet pepper.  They are called Indian Cucumber root.  We made it to a dry river bed where we could see the top of Bondcliff.  Close to the peak, there was an opening with amazing views!  At the top, I ran over to the cliff.  I stood on the rock and it was so scary looking down! We walked along a rocky path toward Bond that was sort of hard to climb.  On Bond, we had a snack and made our way to Guyot campsite.  At the campsite, we ate dinner and set up our tent. Then we decided to hike up West Bond to see the sunset.  We put on our headlamps and made it to the top just in time to see the sun set.  It was awesome!  Matthew's mom brought sparklers!! It was pitch black on the way down.  Time for bed.  To be continued.......

Garfield

Total trip duration: 4:39:30
Distance: 7.9 miles
Hikers: Jayme, Cori, Brigid, Vance and Quinn
4000 footer completion count: Garfield #43 (4,500 feet)

[Galehead Hut] > Garfield Ridge Trail > Garfield Trail [Garfield] > Garfield Trail

Up and at 'em!  We got cleaned up and made our way outside to enjoy the stillness and beauty of the morning in the mountains.  We squeezed in a game of Magic and then joined everybody for a group breakfast.  Cheers!

 We packed up our gear and said our good-byes.  Back on the trail again!

It didn't take long until the Ninja Warrior came out.  Must have been some good oats at the hut!

Well, a trip wouldn't be complete without some handy boardwalks!

The trail from the hut over to Garfield was a solid challenge of varying steep and rocky terrain.

Quinn's mom had been planning on meeting us at the top of Garfield but we were surprised to find that she had beat us to the summit!

It turns out that the summit bears the remains of an old fire tower foundation.  However, the truly unexpected was what was waiting on the other side of those remains.  To our surprise, Quinn's friends, Jayme and Cori, unexpectedly jumped out from behind the foundation.  He was beside himself with joy!

The summit of Garfield is unlike any of the peaks we've done to date.  The views are exquisite and there are all kinds of rock formations which made for great exploration.

We hung out at the top for a while taking it all in.  Amazingly, the woman who took our group picture was from Jayme and Cori's hometown and was best friends with one of Jayme's favorite teachers.  What are the chances?!

 If you look closely, you can see Galehead Hut just to the left of the Galehead summit in the picture below:

Quinn couldn't have been happier!

We grabbed a picture from atop the fire tower foundation before heading out.

Everybody was excited to go bombing down the mountain.  Maybe a bit too excited?  Here's Brigid at the point where we should have gone right!  We headed toward Lafayette for a while before deciding that we were heading in the wrong direction.  Oh well, what's an adventure without some adventure?

We got back on track and clipped along at a nice pace for a while.  We came upon this awesome rock and decided to stop for a rest.

I like that boulder.  That is a nice boulder!!!

Stopping by the stream to take advantage of the clear, cool water.

We made it!

I thoroughly enjoy hiking with Quinn but it was extra special getting to hike Garfield with Jayme, Cori and Brigid today.  Great hiking buddies combined with sublime weather on one of the 48's finest summits made for a truly memorable experience.  Quinn and I are so thankful they joined us today!

Quinn's Take

 In the morning I had some breakfast, played on the bunk beds with Reina and packed up to continue our adventure.  We were heading to Garfield.  The hike over was hard in some places because there were a lot of rock slides.  At the top of Garfield, my dad and I spotted my mom!  I was really excited to see her!  There were sick 360 degree views!!  There was a cement box at the top that used to be a fire tower.  My mom told me to go check it out.  Surprise!!!  Out popped my friends, Jayme and Cori!!  I couldn't believe it!  We had fun climbing around and exploring the rocks. After a while we decided to head down.  We were about .4 miles down and dad realized that we were going the wrong way.  NO!!!!  We got back on track.  Half way down we stopped to stretch our muscles.  We were all getting tired.  On the home stretch, my legs turned to jelly and I tripped and fell.  At the bottom we were so happy to sit on the bench and relax.  That was a really awesome hike!  I got to stay at a hut and hike with my mom and friends.  Happy trails to all!