Roxi
Active member
Twins, Galehead, & Bonds, Oh My!
Day 1
I love reading maps. I also love analyzing problems and figuring out solutions. So last winter I was reading maps and figuring out how I was going to hike the Bonds without having to do a 20+ mile day hike. I was methodical in my planning this year. I had hiked the Monadnocks during the winter to stay in shape, did the 9 mile RT Pumpelly Trail 3 times between March and April. I was ready. An almost 10 mile hike up & down Hale (with a still closed Zealand Rd) came first in May, followed by a 10 mile hike to & from Garfield, followed the next day by an 11 mile hike over the Kinsmans, and then an 11.4 mile hike to & from Zealand a few weeks later. I was ready. I remembered from looking at the Hut to Hut on the AT map made by the Wilderness Map Company that there was a way to get the Bonds without doing a 20+ mile day hike by staying at either Zealand Falls or Galehead Hut. Estimated distance out and back to the Bonds from Zealand Falls Hut is almost 14 miles RT. From Galehead it was only 12, and the advantage of staying at Galehead Hut was that I could also hike the Twins and Mt. Galehead, thus grabbing 3 more peaks in addition to the Bonds. The choice seemed easy. So I made my reservation (even got the mid-week special discount) and hoped the weather would cooperate...
While planning for my daughter’s graduation party, I was also packing for my hike. The plan was to leave the day after her party as I would need some solitude by then. I watched the weather forecasts for the north country. It fluctuated, threatening thunderstorms during the days I’d be up on the ridge. I didn’t care. I have had enough of the wet weather this spring and Mother Nature is usually nice to me. I also knew that if I didn’t grab the Twins on the day I went up, I could always hike them on the day I was leaving. Either way it’d be the same 9 miles. The only definite was that I needed to do the Bonds on the day I could leave from and return to the hut.
I like the huts. Although I feel a need to bring a sleeping bag, I don’t have to carry a lot of extra water or food as I can refill my bottles there, and the two meals they serve are very filling. I wouldn’t want to stay there long due to the lack of showers, but for 6 peaks in 2 days, it was worth it!
I got a late start Monday morning leaving my house at 7 am instead of the usual 6-6:30 time. After two pit stops, I arrived at the Gale River trailhead and was on my way by 9:30. The trail starts out slow and easy. Two stream crossings were were like solving a puzzle figuring out which combination and sequence of rocks would keep the feet/boots dry. Even more puzzling was why a wooden footbridge appeared to have been removed from the stream. It was located in a place that did not cover any dry or wet bed. I’m not sure why it was removed.
Anyway, the rushing water both sounded and looked lovely. After a while, the trail turned away from the stream and started ascending more steeply. I tried to guestimate my mileage and just as I was thinking I had completed three miles, I arrived at the intersection with the Garfield Ridge Trial, the sign indicating that I had hiked 4 miles. I love pleasant surprises like that! Another 0.6 miles of slightly up, led me to the Galehead hut around 11:30, where I dropped half my stuff on an empty bunk, and headed off to see the Twins on this hazy day.
From the Twinway trail, which starts 0.1 miles from Galehead Hut, to the summit of South Twin is only 0.8 miles. I thought nothing of it until I started ascending almost immediately. This part of Twinway Trail redefines the meaning of the word “up.” In my mind, there is now “up” and there is “UP.” The Twinway from Galehead hut to the summit of South Twin is UP. I can only describe it as an unending stone stairway to Heaven, the kind of purgatory that would cause you to rethink your desired final destination. It is UP! And Goddess forbid you make the mistake of taking your eyes off of your feet and the boulders in front of them to look up, because all you see is the stairway ascending into infinity, UP. Knowing the distance is only 0.8 didn’t help as it seemed to go on forever! The first time I ascended this, I kept thinking about Kevin Rooney’s description of Misery Hill on Mt. Shasta, and wondered if the only difference was the lack of snow cover.
The summit itself was wonderful, with lots of beautiful views, and a slight breeze that kept the bugs at bay. The 1.3 miles along the North Twin Spur out to North Twin was a piece of cake compared to the 0.8 miles of UP to South Twin. On the way I met and exchanged a quick and pleasant conversation with another hiker, named Scott, who was on his way to South Twin summit the easier way. Indeed it was as I discovered on my return from North Twin. Scott was sunbathing on South Twin’s summit and we sat and talked for an hour. He’s a massage therapist who’s hiked the NH48 and the NE111, and offered to be my guide on the Carter, Moriah, Wildcat range when I do those as he’d like to hike them again. Hmm, hiking with a massage therapist does have its appeal....I’ll have to consider his offer.
Anyway, I got back to Galehead hut around 4 with the intention of tagging Mt. Galehead that day, but after 9 miles, sore muscles, and an ominous sky that contained impending thunderstorms, I decided to wait.
The thunderstorms were magnificent! So much so that the poor naturalist at the hut had a hard time speaking to us about weather, as we were all too distracted watching the weather. The lightning was impressive as was the way the clouds rolled through like a freight train as they crossed the ridge. Visibility went from 6 miles in the hazy sunshine down to the width of the porch. Mother Nature is pretty awesome!
The hut croo was great, very funny, and easy to talk to. Dinner hit the spot, especially the very hearty and flavorful tomato soup, along with honey oatmeal bread, rice, honey dijon chicken, and jalapeno corn kernels. I asked if the AMC hut croos had plans to write a recipe book, but James, the hutmaster, said that in all honesty one of the reasons why the hut’s food tasted so good was because we had all been hiking all day. Only five guests were at the hut this night - I actually had a room to myself!
(to be continued...)
Day 1
I love reading maps. I also love analyzing problems and figuring out solutions. So last winter I was reading maps and figuring out how I was going to hike the Bonds without having to do a 20+ mile day hike. I was methodical in my planning this year. I had hiked the Monadnocks during the winter to stay in shape, did the 9 mile RT Pumpelly Trail 3 times between March and April. I was ready. An almost 10 mile hike up & down Hale (with a still closed Zealand Rd) came first in May, followed by a 10 mile hike to & from Garfield, followed the next day by an 11 mile hike over the Kinsmans, and then an 11.4 mile hike to & from Zealand a few weeks later. I was ready. I remembered from looking at the Hut to Hut on the AT map made by the Wilderness Map Company that there was a way to get the Bonds without doing a 20+ mile day hike by staying at either Zealand Falls or Galehead Hut. Estimated distance out and back to the Bonds from Zealand Falls Hut is almost 14 miles RT. From Galehead it was only 12, and the advantage of staying at Galehead Hut was that I could also hike the Twins and Mt. Galehead, thus grabbing 3 more peaks in addition to the Bonds. The choice seemed easy. So I made my reservation (even got the mid-week special discount) and hoped the weather would cooperate...
While planning for my daughter’s graduation party, I was also packing for my hike. The plan was to leave the day after her party as I would need some solitude by then. I watched the weather forecasts for the north country. It fluctuated, threatening thunderstorms during the days I’d be up on the ridge. I didn’t care. I have had enough of the wet weather this spring and Mother Nature is usually nice to me. I also knew that if I didn’t grab the Twins on the day I went up, I could always hike them on the day I was leaving. Either way it’d be the same 9 miles. The only definite was that I needed to do the Bonds on the day I could leave from and return to the hut.
I like the huts. Although I feel a need to bring a sleeping bag, I don’t have to carry a lot of extra water or food as I can refill my bottles there, and the two meals they serve are very filling. I wouldn’t want to stay there long due to the lack of showers, but for 6 peaks in 2 days, it was worth it!
I got a late start Monday morning leaving my house at 7 am instead of the usual 6-6:30 time. After two pit stops, I arrived at the Gale River trailhead and was on my way by 9:30. The trail starts out slow and easy. Two stream crossings were were like solving a puzzle figuring out which combination and sequence of rocks would keep the feet/boots dry. Even more puzzling was why a wooden footbridge appeared to have been removed from the stream. It was located in a place that did not cover any dry or wet bed. I’m not sure why it was removed.
Anyway, the rushing water both sounded and looked lovely. After a while, the trail turned away from the stream and started ascending more steeply. I tried to guestimate my mileage and just as I was thinking I had completed three miles, I arrived at the intersection with the Garfield Ridge Trial, the sign indicating that I had hiked 4 miles. I love pleasant surprises like that! Another 0.6 miles of slightly up, led me to the Galehead hut around 11:30, where I dropped half my stuff on an empty bunk, and headed off to see the Twins on this hazy day.
From the Twinway trail, which starts 0.1 miles from Galehead Hut, to the summit of South Twin is only 0.8 miles. I thought nothing of it until I started ascending almost immediately. This part of Twinway Trail redefines the meaning of the word “up.” In my mind, there is now “up” and there is “UP.” The Twinway from Galehead hut to the summit of South Twin is UP. I can only describe it as an unending stone stairway to Heaven, the kind of purgatory that would cause you to rethink your desired final destination. It is UP! And Goddess forbid you make the mistake of taking your eyes off of your feet and the boulders in front of them to look up, because all you see is the stairway ascending into infinity, UP. Knowing the distance is only 0.8 didn’t help as it seemed to go on forever! The first time I ascended this, I kept thinking about Kevin Rooney’s description of Misery Hill on Mt. Shasta, and wondered if the only difference was the lack of snow cover.
The summit itself was wonderful, with lots of beautiful views, and a slight breeze that kept the bugs at bay. The 1.3 miles along the North Twin Spur out to North Twin was a piece of cake compared to the 0.8 miles of UP to South Twin. On the way I met and exchanged a quick and pleasant conversation with another hiker, named Scott, who was on his way to South Twin summit the easier way. Indeed it was as I discovered on my return from North Twin. Scott was sunbathing on South Twin’s summit and we sat and talked for an hour. He’s a massage therapist who’s hiked the NH48 and the NE111, and offered to be my guide on the Carter, Moriah, Wildcat range when I do those as he’d like to hike them again. Hmm, hiking with a massage therapist does have its appeal....I’ll have to consider his offer.
Anyway, I got back to Galehead hut around 4 with the intention of tagging Mt. Galehead that day, but after 9 miles, sore muscles, and an ominous sky that contained impending thunderstorms, I decided to wait.
The thunderstorms were magnificent! So much so that the poor naturalist at the hut had a hard time speaking to us about weather, as we were all too distracted watching the weather. The lightning was impressive as was the way the clouds rolled through like a freight train as they crossed the ridge. Visibility went from 6 miles in the hazy sunshine down to the width of the porch. Mother Nature is pretty awesome!
The hut croo was great, very funny, and easy to talk to. Dinner hit the spot, especially the very hearty and flavorful tomato soup, along with honey oatmeal bread, rice, honey dijon chicken, and jalapeno corn kernels. I asked if the AMC hut croos had plans to write a recipe book, but James, the hutmaster, said that in all honesty one of the reasons why the hut’s food tasted so good was because we had all been hiking all day.
Only five guests were at the hut this night - I actually had a room to myself! (to be continued...)
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