Stash
Active member
I've tried to get to the Bonds from the south a few times and each time I've turned around. Back problems, late starts. This time I was hoping things would be different, though it was looking pretty iffy...
I was initially planning to come in from the North and overnight at Guyot. That was a few weeks ago when the big winds were forecast. At my size big winds and exposed ridge walks don't mix. A friend and I were going to try from the South, staying on Boncliff Trail somewhere along the way. He ran into foot problems and had to bail. Finally, another friend suggested we just get an early start and do a long day out-and-back. This sounded good to me.
We met up at Hancock campground Friday afternoon, had a nice dinner at Woodstock Station and sat down for a beer around the camp fire. His phone rang... something came up and he had to head home first thing in the morning. I decided I'd go for it anyway.
I got started a little later than I wanted but signed in to the hiker's book at Lincoln Woods at 6:30 and started at a brisk pace down Wilderness Trail, trying to make up some time. I'd decided that noon would be my turn-around time to make my headlight walk out a simple Wilderness stroll. With book times of 2:35 for Wilderness and 4:25 for Bondcliff (plus the West Bond Spur) I'd need to move along and those railroad ties always mess up any rhythm.
I was able to make Bondcliff Trail by 8:00 and kept the pace going. I caught up with a group of three who’d spent the night along the trail base of the long stone stairway and the fourth from their group at the top, stopping for a moment to chat with each. As I started the climb after the last crossing I could start to hear a bit of wind in the tree tops and it was starting to cool somewhat down on the trail. I reached the little scramble just before things open at the approach to Bondcliff peak just before 10:00.
It was apparent that I wanted to add a layer to the Techwick shirt I’d hiked up in. Working my way into the bare area on top visibility was nil and the wind was howling. I walked a few hundred feet, following the cairns, and things got dead calm and quiet. Visibility was such that I couldn’t see what was blocking the wind so I worked my way looking for the classic Bondcliff cliff alternating between howling wind and dead calm. I finally made it to where I could see the cliff but at that point the wind was really blowing. I started toward it in a crouch. The wind was being funneled through the low area just before the cliff to a point where it literally knocked me over. As I crawled back to the lee of some rocks I decided I really didn’t need to get the other two peaks that day and I’ll come back for one more try another time.
Do you have to actually stand on that cliff for it to "count"???
Cliff in the clouds
I was initially planning to come in from the North and overnight at Guyot. That was a few weeks ago when the big winds were forecast. At my size big winds and exposed ridge walks don't mix. A friend and I were going to try from the South, staying on Boncliff Trail somewhere along the way. He ran into foot problems and had to bail. Finally, another friend suggested we just get an early start and do a long day out-and-back. This sounded good to me.
We met up at Hancock campground Friday afternoon, had a nice dinner at Woodstock Station and sat down for a beer around the camp fire. His phone rang... something came up and he had to head home first thing in the morning. I decided I'd go for it anyway.
I got started a little later than I wanted but signed in to the hiker's book at Lincoln Woods at 6:30 and started at a brisk pace down Wilderness Trail, trying to make up some time. I'd decided that noon would be my turn-around time to make my headlight walk out a simple Wilderness stroll. With book times of 2:35 for Wilderness and 4:25 for Bondcliff (plus the West Bond Spur) I'd need to move along and those railroad ties always mess up any rhythm.
I was able to make Bondcliff Trail by 8:00 and kept the pace going. I caught up with a group of three who’d spent the night along the trail base of the long stone stairway and the fourth from their group at the top, stopping for a moment to chat with each. As I started the climb after the last crossing I could start to hear a bit of wind in the tree tops and it was starting to cool somewhat down on the trail. I reached the little scramble just before things open at the approach to Bondcliff peak just before 10:00.
It was apparent that I wanted to add a layer to the Techwick shirt I’d hiked up in. Working my way into the bare area on top visibility was nil and the wind was howling. I walked a few hundred feet, following the cairns, and things got dead calm and quiet. Visibility was such that I couldn’t see what was blocking the wind so I worked my way looking for the classic Bondcliff cliff alternating between howling wind and dead calm. I finally made it to where I could see the cliff but at that point the wind was really blowing. I started toward it in a crouch. The wind was being funneled through the low area just before the cliff to a point where it literally knocked me over. As I crawled back to the lee of some rocks I decided I really didn’t need to get the other two peaks that day and I’ll come back for one more try another time.
Do you have to actually stand on that cliff for it to "count"???
Cliff in the clouds
Last edited:
