When does the Zealand Road usually open?

[B the Hiker]

This question must get asked each year, but the search engine did pop up a useful result, so please pardon me for being the one who asks it this year.

I am thinking about a backpack up to the Bonds at the end of April, and would like to go up and back past Zealand.

Can someone shed some light as to the likelihood that the Zealand Rd will be open by the end of April? I don't know if there's a formal opening date or it it just depends on conditions, but even when it opened in past years would be helpful.

Thanks!


Brian

 

[wardsgirl]

IIRC, it's rare for it to open any earlier than Memorial Day weekend.

It would be very doubtful for it to be open in April, considering how much snow we had this winter.

 

[brobichaud]

For what its worth, I know in 2011, the road was opened for the season on May 6th.

 

[B the Hiker]

Thank you both! Now I have to have a think about whether it's easier to go via the Zealand Rd, in through Lincoln Woods, or do a traverse. Any thoughts on that would also be appreciated.


Brian

 

[Becca M]

Thank you both! Now I have to have a think about whether it's easier to go via the Zealand Rd, in through Lincoln Woods, or do a traverse. Any thoughts on that would also be appreciated.


Brian

This may not be your thing, but, it doesn't take much snow on the Lincoln Woods trail to make a ski-in/out a really sweet way to do those 5 miles x 2 !!!!

 

[Lefty E]

I'm sure you are diligently researching your backpack...if you have your heart set on going in and back past Zealand, power to you..if I was doing it, I would prefer approaching via Gale River side over S Twin, camp at Guyot or nearby campsite, tag peaks and go back the same way...not as many water crossings too...but mud and rotten snowpack and climb up S Twin can be rough..Gale River Rd to trailhead not as boring as LW and Zealand... seems to go quicker than those two!!

 

[rocket21]

NETC has about 4 years of archived reports, so you can find exact dates people did and didn't have to walk the road:

Zealand Mountain Archived Reports
Zealand - April
Zealand - May

 

[RoySwkr]

NETC has about 4 years of archived reports, so you can find exact dates people did and didn't have to walk the road:

Very clever, and thanks!

As you will see from the above, the road was opened April 20 last year which was highly unusual - and a well-known hiker with a flexible schedule even tagged Zealand twice those last few days