Peak Experiences: Danger, Death, and Daring in the Mountains of the Northeast

The Ravens of Bondcliff

Alan Via The Ravens of Bondcliff When the Northeast 111 included only 111 peaks (it now lists 115), Bondcliff had not yet been promoted to the required 4,000-foot level, or perhaps it appeared too close to Mount Bond to qualify as a separate peak. Still, looking at it on a map and viewing its crags from the Bonds, I knew I had to climb it. We stayed in the Crawford Notch Hostel on Friday evening, then hiked Galehead, the Twins, and the Bonds over the weekend. On Sunday, I decided on a solo excursion to Bondcliff, and was amazed to discover that I would have this peak to myself on a gorgeous summer day. Passing the Bond-Bondcliff col, I noticed a flock of ravens having fun around Bondcliff’s summit. Moving closer, I sat in silence, watching these graceful flyers. The birds would execute their stunts in pairs, flying right next to each other, belly to back, like avian Blue Angels. They would take off in pairs, dive, roll, and glide in tandem. Each pair would perform avian acrobatics for a few minutes, then land. Almost immediately, another pair would take to the air in a bird version of “we can top that!” I counted thirteen pairs of performers in all, with the rest of the flock joining me in watching some of the most acrobatic flying I’ve ever seen—bird or human! While these ravens were definitely aware of my presence, it didn’t seem to inhibit them; some of their dives and rolls passed within a few feet of me. This acrobatic show went on for the better part of an hour and the ravens seemed to come up with ever more creative tricks. That experience on Bondcliff is a memory that remains with me twentyfive years later. ...