Bondcliff, NH

This was a hike of dreams. My hiking partner, Jaime, finished her NE 67 (hiking all of New England’s 4000+ footer mountains) on Bondcliff at sunset, and I got to witness it.

For two years we’d been talking about this 20-mile out-and-back hike ending at the iconic Bondliff summit, a rocky outcrop with a flat top for standing - and if you dared, looking over the edge of the 4,698-foot summit to the valley hundreds of feet below.

I’m terrified of heights, so figured I’d just crawl out there for a quick photo and call it good. What I didn’t realize, from all of the pictures I’d seen of hikers standing on the cliff, was that the surface area is only about 4 x 4 ft (I’m guessing here, but it’s not big).

I watched my brave friend walk right out there and look over the edge with confidence, but when it was my turn, I froze. No freaking way.

But Jaime was not about to leave Bondcliff without getting a photo of me on it, so with much coaching, she got me out there. I started by sliding myself onto the rock like a seal, then clung to it like a starfish, in absolute terror.

She continued to coach me, “Jill, you do not want this to be your Bondcliff photo.”

Finally, she got me to sit on my butt before snapping a quick photo, then letting me leave the death rock. The best part - there were others at the summit, witnessing the whole thing go down.

This hike is a stunner and I’d highly recommend adding it to your bucket list of you’re up for longer treks and overnight trips. We saw families with young-ish kids and older hikers doing it, so it’s achievable if you go at your own pace.

There are many ways to approach the remote hike to Bondcliff, which includes four 4,000 foot peaks - Mount Zealand, Mount Bond, West Bond, and Bondcliff. Here are two:

Option 1: A one-way traverse starting at the Zealand Trailhead and ending at Lincoln Woods Trailhead. This requires two cars or a shuttle, since you’ll start and end at different locations.

Option 2: This out-and-back route begins and ends at the Zealand Trailhead. You’ll only need one car, but you will summit several peaks twice and the elevation gain is legit. This is the route Jaime and I took and with the 0.2-mile hike down to the campground, our total adventure included 21 miles, summiting 8 peaks.

Either of these routes can be accomplished in one day, but most hikers break it into two, since the mileage is extensive. The two options for overnight include: The Zealand Falls AMC Hut, 2.7 miles from the trailhead or the Guyot Campground, 7 miles from the trailhead, located between Mount Guyot and Mount Bond.

To avoid the higher costs and reservations at Zealand Hut, we chose to hike in our camping gear to Guyot, a first-come, first-served backcountry campground with 10 tent platforms, tucked into the woods like an ewok village. The campground also includes a shelter with bunks if you enjoy cozying up with a group of strangers. We chose the tent platform and were lucky enough to get one! If you decide to camp at Guyot, you can still stop at the Zealand Hut along the way for food, bathrooms, and water from the nearby cascades.

This part is really important: If you choose to hike in your camping gear, weight matters. A LOT.

Multi-day hiking is a new endeavor for me, so I’ve yet to invest in Hyperlite mountain gear. Instead, I used my old, heavy as heck backpack from 20 years ago, in addition to an even heavier tent. Yes, I now have swollen, bruised shoulders and will certainly be purchasing lighter gear for the next trip. But we did manage to successfully complete our journey - and gained some grit along the way. If you plan to hike into Guyot, do rent, borrow or purchase lightweight gear. You can thank me later.

I won’t share every detail of this route, but I’ll share some of my favorite pics…it sure was pretty out there.

Here are some sunset pics from our walk back to the campsite. We only had to hike in the dark with headlamps for the final mile.

The people we met at the AMC Zealand Hut and Guyot Campground were some of the most friendly, down to earth folks you'll ever meet. The outdoor community is truly the greatest.

I'm not one to make lists of my hikes or keep track of where I've been. I hike whenever I can, love every minute of being out there, and can't wait to share the details in writing - offering helpful information when I can. Jaime on the other hand, was an organization queen with this project, and I was lucky to be invited on plenty of her adventures.

Jaime, I'm so proud of you! And to anyone working towards the NE 67 - you're amazing! I may not be following a list, but I'll see you out there.

Photo by Jaime Gagnon