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.......
No comments:
Post a Comment