Date(s) Hiked: 01-26-2008
Trails(s) Hiked:Rocky Branch, part of Isolation Trail, Davis Path, Isolation Spur trail & a lot of bushwhacking
Total Distance: Unknown, if the standard trails are followed, RT would be 14.6. I'd guess this was about 13.6 or so.
Difficulty: Difficult, quite difficult
Conditions: snow, some open water, snow covered trees, icy ledges on the bushwhack, downed trees, low vertical corridor constantly hanging on my pack
Special Required Equipment: Up to the height of land on the Rocky Branch I was able to bare boot it, after that snowshoes required,
Trip Report: I got to the trailhead about 7:10 & was on the trail ten minutes later, a couple of cars were in the lot. The trail was well packed & easy to follow until the height of land on the Rocky Branch trail. The snowshoe tracks ahead of me stayed in the brook which was where the trail used to be & this was tough going, thin ice, open water & snow drifts. After the second or third time being in snow up to my hips, I found a solid spot to put on my snowshoes. Shortly thereafter I slipped in the brook a bit (stayed dry) & lunged forward with my poles, losing the bottom of one of my poles.
So with 1 1/2 poles & sick of being in the brook, I headed north with the idea that I would have to bushwhack on this side of the brook until the Isolation trail crossed it about 4/10's of mile from the junction with the Rocky Branch trail. Eventually I found the snowshoe trail I was following but never did find another trail marker. After what seemed to be about a half mile, the tracks led across the brook on a fairly solid looking ice sheet. With some sections open above & below, I cautiously ventured across with a much bigger pack than I had on Willard yesterday. The ice held (225 + 30)
It became clear with the tracks heading steeply up the other bank that we were bushwhacking, this is not uncommon on Isolation as the Isolation trail & Davis path take a round about approach to this remote peak.
The path I was following generally lead straight up the hill, turning when possible into more open spaces, although at times if felt like it found every snow covered tree & dead branch to hand on my ice axe. I was convinced I was following a short this hiker with no shoulders & a fanny pack by the amount of snow I was dropping on my head & the branches I was ducking under, weaving around & breaking.
Open climbing the 2nd or 3rd steep pitch of the bushwhack I came to a bald knob with a great view of Isolation. It looked close but it there were a couple of more ridges between me & the summit & the forest was pretty dense. I was within about a 1/4 mile of the Davis path when I came across the maker of the tracks I had been following. He was taller & bigger than I thought he would be & while he had found the Davis path, his first attempt to the top was to the south of the actual summit. He also said it would get thicker ahead of me. There was two other hikers I was following that he passed & while he did not know how they were going down, he thought the Davis Path did not look traveled recently so he came back down via the bushwhack.
Having found the Davis Path finally, I headed in one direction & when I saw the trail go down a little & a view of Washington from the trail, I assumed the spur was the other way. So I backtracked & found myself on the summit ridge but not on the summit. It was getting late & while I could see Washington from where I stood in the trees, I had given up the idea I would stand on Isolation's summit that day. I took a couple of more pictures & decided I was going to head down the Davis Path & pick up the Isolation trail. About 10 feet from where I saw Washington on the trail, there was the spur path, if only I had walked a little bit further. I went up about 1/2 way with my pack & then left the pack for the final climb. It was later than I wanted it to be so my summit time was strictly taking a few pictures & get back down. Washington & Monroe were out of the clouds, blue sky over Washington & I was kicking myself for leaving the digital camera at home & stuck with just a disposable camera. Oh well, it beat doing laundry at home.
After glissading down the spur path it took a 1/2 hour to get to the Davis Path & Isolation junction. The other two hikers had gone this way too. Shortly after leaving the Davis Path, it became apparent that once again I was pretty much following too people bushwhacking, The upper section of this trail is a bit confusing (one thing the other guy had told me, he usually gets lost here which was why he went down the other way but I have had decent luck the other two times I had been on this trail - Spring & Summer) but the vertical corridor was pretty high & we I was heading in what I remembered being about the right direction. I then came across a group of about 8 backpackers who were spending the night. I asked if they were on the trail then decided, if they weren't there tracks would be the easiest & best to follow out. After a little bit, it became clear they were on the trail & I came to the highest brook crossing which I was surprised to see was 1/2 open but easy to cross.
I followed their trail which stayed on the eastern bank of the brook, never crossing it again & then after where the lowest crossing would be, the trail & I headed back into the woods. The path stayed a bit above the brook & continued getting higher, I was hoping I'd avoid most of that water I had trouble with on the way in. Sure enough I was on the actual Rocky Branch trail heading uphill & remembered it had been relocated out of the brook some time between my first 1998 visit & my 2nd 2004 visit. I was about a mile from the car by the time it was too dark to continue without my headlamp so I put that on at 5:15 & was at the car once again & happy to see it at 5:50
Now that happiness would soon end as I ended up overheating the engine & breaking down. After several cars to AAA, a couple of visits by the NH police & big thanks to my friend Garry who picked me up & loaned me a car for my ride home. I had decided while waiting for AAA I was going to spend the night at a hotel in Concord. So as the saying goes it's more dangerous getting to & from the trailhead. The walking in waist deep snow over ledges & brooks in sub-freezing weather is child’s play in comparison. Hopefully I'm not car shopping this week.
Trails(s) Hiked:Rocky Branch, part of Isolation Trail, Davis Path, Isolation Spur trail & a lot of bushwhacking
Total Distance: Unknown, if the standard trails are followed, RT would be 14.6. I'd guess this was about 13.6 or so.
Difficulty: Difficult, quite difficult
Conditions: snow, some open water, snow covered trees, icy ledges on the bushwhack, downed trees, low vertical corridor constantly hanging on my pack
Special Required Equipment: Up to the height of land on the Rocky Branch I was able to bare boot it, after that snowshoes required,
Trip Report: I got to the trailhead about 7:10 & was on the trail ten minutes later, a couple of cars were in the lot. The trail was well packed & easy to follow until the height of land on the Rocky Branch trail. The snowshoe tracks ahead of me stayed in the brook which was where the trail used to be & this was tough going, thin ice, open water & snow drifts. After the second or third time being in snow up to my hips, I found a solid spot to put on my snowshoes. Shortly thereafter I slipped in the brook a bit (stayed dry) & lunged forward with my poles, losing the bottom of one of my poles.
So with 1 1/2 poles & sick of being in the brook, I headed north with the idea that I would have to bushwhack on this side of the brook until the Isolation trail crossed it about 4/10's of mile from the junction with the Rocky Branch trail. Eventually I found the snowshoe trail I was following but never did find another trail marker. After what seemed to be about a half mile, the tracks led across the brook on a fairly solid looking ice sheet. With some sections open above & below, I cautiously ventured across with a much bigger pack than I had on Willard yesterday. The ice held (225 + 30)
It became clear with the tracks heading steeply up the other bank that we were bushwhacking, this is not uncommon on Isolation as the Isolation trail & Davis path take a round about approach to this remote peak.
The path I was following generally lead straight up the hill, turning when possible into more open spaces, although at times if felt like it found every snow covered tree & dead branch to hand on my ice axe. I was convinced I was following a short this hiker with no shoulders & a fanny pack by the amount of snow I was dropping on my head & the branches I was ducking under, weaving around & breaking.
Open climbing the 2nd or 3rd steep pitch of the bushwhack I came to a bald knob with a great view of Isolation. It looked close but it there were a couple of more ridges between me & the summit & the forest was pretty dense. I was within about a 1/4 mile of the Davis path when I came across the maker of the tracks I had been following. He was taller & bigger than I thought he would be & while he had found the Davis path, his first attempt to the top was to the south of the actual summit. He also said it would get thicker ahead of me. There was two other hikers I was following that he passed & while he did not know how they were going down, he thought the Davis Path did not look traveled recently so he came back down via the bushwhack.
Having found the Davis Path finally, I headed in one direction & when I saw the trail go down a little & a view of Washington from the trail, I assumed the spur was the other way. So I backtracked & found myself on the summit ridge but not on the summit. It was getting late & while I could see Washington from where I stood in the trees, I had given up the idea I would stand on Isolation's summit that day. I took a couple of more pictures & decided I was going to head down the Davis Path & pick up the Isolation trail. About 10 feet from where I saw Washington on the trail, there was the spur path, if only I had walked a little bit further. I went up about 1/2 way with my pack & then left the pack for the final climb. It was later than I wanted it to be so my summit time was strictly taking a few pictures & get back down. Washington & Monroe were out of the clouds, blue sky over Washington & I was kicking myself for leaving the digital camera at home & stuck with just a disposable camera. Oh well, it beat doing laundry at home.
After glissading down the spur path it took a 1/2 hour to get to the Davis Path & Isolation junction. The other two hikers had gone this way too. Shortly after leaving the Davis Path, it became apparent that once again I was pretty much following too people bushwhacking, The upper section of this trail is a bit confusing (one thing the other guy had told me, he usually gets lost here which was why he went down the other way but I have had decent luck the other two times I had been on this trail - Spring & Summer) but the vertical corridor was pretty high & we I was heading in what I remembered being about the right direction. I then came across a group of about 8 backpackers who were spending the night. I asked if they were on the trail then decided, if they weren't there tracks would be the easiest & best to follow out. After a little bit, it became clear they were on the trail & I came to the highest brook crossing which I was surprised to see was 1/2 open but easy to cross.
I followed their trail which stayed on the eastern bank of the brook, never crossing it again & then after where the lowest crossing would be, the trail & I headed back into the woods. The path stayed a bit above the brook & continued getting higher, I was hoping I'd avoid most of that water I had trouble with on the way in. Sure enough I was on the actual Rocky Branch trail heading uphill & remembered it had been relocated out of the brook some time between my first 1998 visit & my 2nd 2004 visit. I was about a mile from the car by the time it was too dark to continue without my headlamp so I put that on at 5:15 & was at the car once again & happy to see it at 5:50
Now that happiness would soon end as I ended up overheating the engine & breaking down. After several cars to AAA, a couple of visits by the NH police & big thanks to my friend Garry who picked me up & loaned me a car for my ride home. I had decided while waiting for AAA I was going to spend the night at a hotel in Concord. So as the saying goes it's more dangerous getting to & from the trailhead. The walking in waist deep snow over ledges & brooks in sub-freezing weather is child’s play in comparison. Hopefully I'm not car shopping this week.
