Mt Zealand is off the Twinway deep in the Pemigewassett Wilderness. There is a 1/10 of a mile spur off Twinway. The summit has no views but the Zeacliffs nearby do.
THE TRAILHEADS
♦The Twinway Trail connects to the ♦Zealand Trail
from just below Zealand Hut which is the most popular route.
From Twinway there is a short spur to the wooded summit. The Zealand trailhead is
located at the end of the Zealand Road(closed in winter)off RT-302. This is a long
but moderate dayhike in the summer, many do the Bonds also and camp out at the Guyot
tent sites or stay in either Zealand or Galehead hut.
In winter this is a 19+ mile dayhike through varied and often confusing terrain.
Another way to access ♦Twinway Trail is the ♦Gale River Trail which is on the Gale River Loop road (closed in winter.) I did a hut to hut traverse through the area to bag the Twins, Bonds and Zealand the first time.
THE MOUNTAIN
Mt Zealand is named because it rises out of Zealand Valley. Loggers named it New Zealand originally because of it's remote beauty. After awhile the name "Zealand" stuck. After two forest fires in the valley the area was desolate and scarred. The Zealand River was choked with ash and soil. After a hundred years the valley is once again verdant and beautiful. Hiking on the Twinway from Galehead Hut back in 1999 I noticed how easy it seemed to climb it (once you got over South Twin.) From Zealand Hut it's a little more challenging and on this side offers one of the finest views of Zealand Valley and the surrounding Pemi anywhere. The Zeacliffs are incredible and so I chose it as the place to propose to my wife.
