Chasing Twins: the inner view of the Pemi Wilderness Ridge

With holiday weekend and a Friday off school my two little mountain goats had only one thing in mind, backpacking to 4000 footers. Specifically they both have been looking for a chance to hike the Bonds. Since the routes into the east side of the Pemi Wilderness Ridge are long we decided the best shot at those peaks would be backpacking. With four days off for the kids and a favorable weather forecast this looked like the perfect chance.

afternoon glow through autumn colors

My original plan was to walk the long route up the Lincoln Woods trail on Friday to the Guyot Campsite, then traverse the north ridge of the Pemi Wilderness on Saturday to Garfield, and come out on Sunday down the Greenleaf Trail. But office life got in the way. Since I could not leave until noon, I reversed the route and we started up the Garfield Trail Friday afternoon. The woods were golden with bright sunshine beaming through the autumn leaves on our hike in. We dropped our gear at the Garfield Campsite for a run to the summit before sunset. At the top 3 south bound AT thru hikers were sitting against the fire tower foundation. We asked them about their journey and discussed the trail ahead but never asked their names. We got back to camp just in time to make dinner before dark. We met a twin brother & sister who were sleeping in the shelter that night named Sadie & Henry. They planned to take the same route as we were to Guyot on Saturday. I was amused at the coincidence. People we meet on the trail often ask me how old "the kids" are, when I say they're both 11 folks assume they're twins. Now we were hiking with actual twins.

the sunset view from Mt. Garfield

Friday night was cold. It was the first below freezing night we've slept out this year. The chill kept us in our sleeping bags well past sunrise. When we got up most of the other campers had packed out. By the time we cooked breakfast and gathered our gear it was almost 10:00 a.m. The trail down from Garfield to Galehead is steep and we were going slow. Both kids felt tired from a month of school & sports. But we arrived at the Galehead hut before noon. After a little lunch we dashed up to the Galehead summit. We did not know that this would be our last clear view of the trip. Instead of the sunny skies all weekend forecast on Thursday, a thick mist verging on drizzle was rolling across the higher peaks.

Mt. Galehead look out

But climbing mountains is not only about enjoying landscape views. The process of planning, preparing, and then traversing these high remote places is reward enough. We go through this process both because it reveals our strengths & weaknesses, and it transforms them. I've done few activities that strips ones layers away like walking across a mountain wilderness. After spending a week climbing I know my partner's fear & courage, deficits & skills, their humor & their peeves, often better than some people I've known for years. I'm certain they know mine as well. On a fogged over cold day these inner views become more apparent. Seeing clearly the vistas of our hearts, minds, and emotions is the most important aspect of climbing mountains.

My two little mountain goats struggled up the steep mile to South Twin Mountain. We had discussed skipping the run out to North Twin before leaving the Galehead Hut. I was concerned about getting a tent spot at Guyot and the kids agreed to shorten the route. Half way up the climb it was clear we had made a good choice. The progress was slow and the kids were frustrated with their pace. But we were happy to make the summit, fogged in as it was. A stiff breeze and drizzle made the top uncomfortable so we quickly headed down trail. Once we got out of the wind they found some new energy. They trotted ahead me across the boulder field on the side of Mt. Guyot. When we got to the campsite it was past 4:00. We met the site keeper on the trail down. We told her "hello from Swiss-G", as the Garfield site keeper had asked of us. She told us that all the tent platforms were taken, but the shelter was only half full. Knowing that rain might fall over night I was just as happy to sleep in the shelter. When we got down to the shelter Sadie & Henry were there sorting their gear. The kids took 2 spots on the upper deck right next to them.

colors in the valley from Mount Bond

My original plan was to avoid the Guyot campsite Saturday night. I expected it to be packed on a holiday weekend. In fact "Guyot City" lived up to it's reputation. The cooking area was jammed as folks made dinner elbow to elbow. One bear box was full to the rim and the other was being used as a makeshift kitchen counter. I found a small set of flat rocks in front of the shelter for our dinner spot. I dislike burning a camp stove in a crowd. The kids & I stayed dry enough under tree cover as we ate our dinner. By the time we finished all the remaining spots in the shelter were claimed. Though the campsite was full it was not loud. The kids & I climbed into our sleeping bags as everyone in the shelter also settled in. It was completely dark at 8:00 p.m. Sadie & Henry chatted with us for a while about their summer camp experiences on Newfound Lake, and the kids hopes to thru hike the AT. We were all asleep well before 9.

ascending the Bonds

The next morning a light rain was still falling. Sadie & Henry packed up and got on the trail before we started breakfast. We got an earlier start than the previous day. The kids seemed to have more energy as we made the quick climb to West Bond Mountain. The ridge was still fogged in but as we scaled Mount Bond a glimpse of blue appeared over head. Once on the the peak we could see into the Pemi Wilderness Valley. Below the birches had turned yellow and the maples were starting to turn too. I had some hope that the sky would clear more as we ascended Bond Cliff. But once we approached the top the fog thickened again. Still the kids got just enough view of the cliffs to see how spectacular they might be on a clear day. Both said we must make another trip to the Bonds. I entirely agreed.

crossing the Pemi River on the crowded bridge to Lincoln Woods

The walk out was long as I expected. Once down the the cliffs themselves the forest was bright with autumn color. But 5 miles of rail grade does not go quickly. Actually it does not go quickly for me. The kids were still energized from their first time on Bond Cliff. They raced ahead of me until they had a good 1/4 mile lead. I caught up to them only when they stopped at the Lincoln Woods trail juncture. We met "Mom" there to join us for the hike out. As we traipsed down the flat path the crowds got thicker and thicker. When we got to the bridge across the Pemi River the congestion was like being at Fenway Park. But it was high foliage season and half of Boston was driving the Kancamagus Highway, or so it seemed. As my wife poked through the stop & go traffic in Lincoln I leaned back to imagine being back on Bond Cliff. The view inside my eyelids brought a smile to my lips.

climbing to Bond Cliff