Options for Bonds Hike

[Mark]

Bears?

Is it recommended that you hang a bear bag if camping at Guyot?

 

[MichaelJ]

Guyot just got a bear box that you should use instead of hanging.

http://trailsblog.outdoors.org/2012/07/getting-to-guyot-and-cautionary-tale-of.html

 

[Kevin Rooney]

We are considering the similar loop from the N. Twin Trailhead, a night at Guyot and out via Hale & the Fire Wardens trail. This will be a pretty new undertaking for our family (Dad, Mom, 17 y/o, 15 y/o & smaller dog) We are pretty comfortable with hiking & back country camping, we simply have never combined the 2. I have a few quick questions. Do you think that 40° a sleeping bag will be adequate in late August? What can I expect for low temps @ the Guyot campsite? My guess is that it could dip into the low forties,but I haven't spent any nights on a ridge like guyot. I hope to travel without any cook stove; any food ideas? We typically run on trail mixes and good, high energy snack food for our longer day hikes. Do you think that we will regret not having warm food early in the morning?
I really like the way that this loop presents itself, it is a pretty good 2 day total for our family, especially the total elevation gain. But, it seems that we can dump most all of our gear @ Guyot for the trip out to Bondcliff which should really make the later part of our first day a lot easier. Also, the access to water @ Guyot is very helpful as we can go through quite a lot. We are very fortunate that we can be flexible enough to see a good weather window & go for it midweek; no worries about crowding at Guyot for us.

If I understand your itinerary correctly, your plan is:

Day 1) From the North Twin Trailhead - climb North and South Twin, then stop at Guyot, downclimbing to the campsite to drop packs/refill water, then continue south to W. Bond, Mt Bond, and Bondcliff, then re-climb Mt Bond and Guyot.

Day 2) Return north, climbing Zealand, Hale and 'whacking down the Fire Warden's trail to the N. Twin trailhead.

Have you checked mileage & elevation gain, etc for the first day? I've done Bond traverses via Zealand several times as dayhikes, and you have a most ambitious first day, especially for a backpack!

 

[Lost Dad]

Kevin, you are very close to what I was thinking. Full gear up to Guyot. Drop most gear at campsite. Continue out to Bondcliff then back to Guyot. Actually, I have West Bond at the beginning of day 2. Stats are as follows:

1st day
N. Twin TH to Guyot 8.4mi 6:05 3815'
Guyot/Bond/Bondcliff/Guyot 4.2mi 2:56 1701'
first day total 12.6mi 9:01 5516'

2nd day
Guyot/W. Bond/Zealand/Hale/N. Twin TH 11.7 7:30 2806'

We are pretty comfortable with 14 mile, 4500' days. I do realize that our first day is really big, but I was hoping that an early start, combined with a third of our day with minimal gear and the ability to finish late (by headlamp if needed) would help spread out & ease the day. I'm hoping for a 2pm nap @ Guyot! Worst case, we bail on the bonds. We do plan on spotting a car @ the Zealand TH in case we don't have enough fuel in the tank to get back over Hale.

 

[Mark]

Guyot just got a bear box that you should use instead of hanging.

http://trailsblog.outdoors.org/2012/07/getting-to-guyot-and-cautionary-tale-of.html

I guess that means if you don't stay at Guyot, but camp somewhere else, you should hang a bag or bring a canister. Bears are definitely in the area.

 

[JacobH]

Something to note: the last 2 (3?) crossings on the bondcliff trail are completely dry. The one before the stairs had no water. We did see some water running off the rocks around ~4000 feet, but I wouldn't say that's reliable.

 

[MichaelJ]

I guess that means if you don't stay at Guyot, but camp somewhere else, you should hang a bag or bring a canister. Bears are definitely in the area.

One should assume the possibility of a bear anywhere in the Whites. And if not a bear, rodents. You'll want to hang or secure your food no matter where you camp.

 

[Bob Kittredge]

I first did the Bonds by spending two nights at the Galehead hut. That makes it a very doable 12 miler with about 3000' of elevation gain IIRC.

Of course, if the weather's crappy, you've just blown two nights of hut fees for nought.

 

[Mark]

fee?

If you get stuck in one of the overflow sites at Guyot, do you still have to pay the fee? I can imagine some of these lesser sites would be overpriced.

 

[wardsgirl]

Yes, you still have to pay the fee... unless you come in very late and leave very early.

IMHO, the overflow sites are far superior to the actual sites.

Quieter, more remote, away from the hub bub of the shelter and tent platforms.

 

[Jim lombard]

Options for Bonds Hik

I guess that means if you don't stay at Guyot, but camp somewhere else, you should hang a bag or bring a canister. Bears are definitely in the area.

We just stayed at Guyot, they had a bear up there a couple of weeks ago. The site has some nice sturdy locking bear boxes. They charge $8 per person. We arrived around 1PM and by 3PM they were filling up pretty fast. When we camped off the Bondcliff trail the day before, we hung our food.

 

[MichaelJ]

IMHO, the overflow sites are far superior to the actual sites.
Quieter, more remote, away from the hub bub of the shelter and tent platforms.

Indeed, but also a long way from the outhouse, the bear box, and the spring.

 

[wardsgirl]

If you want that level of luxury, you might consider staying at a hut!

 

[MichaelJ]

The problem is that too many people up in overflow only use one of those three things.

 

[Mark]

We just stayed at Guyot, they had a bear up there a couple of weeks ago. The site has some nice sturdy locking bear boxes. They charge $8 per person. We arrived around 1PM and by 3PM they were filling up pretty fast. When we camped off the Bondcliff trail the day before, we hung our food.

What day of the week did you camp at Guyot? We are attempting to get there on Friday afternoon to avoid the Saturday crowds.