MtnMagic
New member
Date Hiked: March 19, 2005
Trails Hiked: Rocky Branch, Isolation, Davis Path & 3 separate bushwhacks far from the trails.
Total Distance: 10.8 miles w/ bushwhacks. 14 miles staying on the trails. (Will feel more like 16 miles!)
Difficulty: A moderate hike in the winter when the trail is broken out. Otherwise, most strenuous!
Conditions: Consolidated snow w/the trail now broken out to and from the summit in a fine loop hike.
Special Required Equipment: Snowshoes, trekking poles extremely helpful. Wind gear & a lot of determined trail breakers!
Trip Report:
One month ago and just two days after a 2 foot snowfall, eleven in our group broke trail and continued bushwhacking straight across the Rocky Branch Trail heading west up to Davis Path Ridge, in the dense fir forest through deep 3 & 4’ snowdrifts. Even with each of us taking turns breaking trail, in 8 hours we reached the shoulder of Mt. Davis at 4pm. Heavy snow and wind returned to threaten drifting over and covering our hard work. Not wanting to break perhaps new trail in the dark, we ate lunch then reluctantly turned around.
Only a week ago nine in our group attempted a different bushwhack route through unbroken snow and eventually had to turn back again. On this, the final day of winter, we succeeded! Juls, Pucknuts, Wildpeaks, ghostdog and I met before 7:45 at the Rocky Branch parking lot and left the trailhead a few minutes before 8am. Two hikers not in our group followed our last Saturday’s bushwhack route continuing on a bushwhack route that two other hikers thankfully completed Thursday to the summit.
Saturday, the trail conditions were well broken out with excellent consolidated snow due to the thaw and freeze cycle. We met Darlene and Brian, Rox and Clark, on the trail as planned, continuing through dense forest north of Isolation up to the ridge. We each fell into spruce traps several times during this ‘whack, some requiring us to be physically pulled out. Oh, it went so fast and easy compared to our 2 other winter attempts this last month. We merged with the Davis Path and headed south to bag this baby, reaching the summit just before 3pm.
Success!! Definitely windy at the top, but sensational 360* snow covered mountain views with deep blue skies and no clouds. Looking in a complete circle ,commonly known of the more well known peaks are: Chocorua, Passaconaway, Whiteface, Tripyramids, Carragain, Moosilauke, the Franconia & Willey Ranges, the Presis and hundreds more mountains. It is spectacular!! After congratulating each other, we had champagne, took photos and ate lunch before heading East and South on a new bushwhack route blazed by the 2 hikers before us.
A mere 2 hours later we were back on our original bushwhack route at about 3080' elevation heading towards Rocky Branch Trail. Two more hours found us back at the parking lot, 11 hours route trip, at 7pm with a note on the window from Brian inviting us to join them at the Yokohama Restaurant in Gorham. The others had a 3+ hour drive so I met Brian and Darlene and enjoyed a most wonderful feast. A perfect day to hike in the mountains with super people. I can't wait to do this great adventure with Sky and FiggyPaw soon. Life is good!!
_________
footnote: Brian and Darlene being the explorers they are took the route that had the yellow tape every 50' and discovered it ends way too far south of the parking lot and had to 'whack back to it. ‘Nuff said.
Trails Hiked: Rocky Branch, Isolation, Davis Path & 3 separate bushwhacks far from the trails.
Total Distance: 10.8 miles w/ bushwhacks. 14 miles staying on the trails. (Will feel more like 16 miles!)
Difficulty: A moderate hike in the winter when the trail is broken out. Otherwise, most strenuous!
Conditions: Consolidated snow w/the trail now broken out to and from the summit in a fine loop hike.
Special Required Equipment: Snowshoes, trekking poles extremely helpful. Wind gear & a lot of determined trail breakers!
Trip Report:
One month ago and just two days after a 2 foot snowfall, eleven in our group broke trail and continued bushwhacking straight across the Rocky Branch Trail heading west up to Davis Path Ridge, in the dense fir forest through deep 3 & 4’ snowdrifts. Even with each of us taking turns breaking trail, in 8 hours we reached the shoulder of Mt. Davis at 4pm. Heavy snow and wind returned to threaten drifting over and covering our hard work. Not wanting to break perhaps new trail in the dark, we ate lunch then reluctantly turned around.
Only a week ago nine in our group attempted a different bushwhack route through unbroken snow and eventually had to turn back again. On this, the final day of winter, we succeeded! Juls, Pucknuts, Wildpeaks, ghostdog and I met before 7:45 at the Rocky Branch parking lot and left the trailhead a few minutes before 8am. Two hikers not in our group followed our last Saturday’s bushwhack route continuing on a bushwhack route that two other hikers thankfully completed Thursday to the summit.
Saturday, the trail conditions were well broken out with excellent consolidated snow due to the thaw and freeze cycle. We met Darlene and Brian, Rox and Clark, on the trail as planned, continuing through dense forest north of Isolation up to the ridge. We each fell into spruce traps several times during this ‘whack, some requiring us to be physically pulled out. Oh, it went so fast and easy compared to our 2 other winter attempts this last month. We merged with the Davis Path and headed south to bag this baby, reaching the summit just before 3pm.
Success!! Definitely windy at the top, but sensational 360* snow covered mountain views with deep blue skies and no clouds. Looking in a complete circle ,commonly known of the more well known peaks are: Chocorua, Passaconaway, Whiteface, Tripyramids, Carragain, Moosilauke, the Franconia & Willey Ranges, the Presis and hundreds more mountains. It is spectacular!! After congratulating each other, we had champagne, took photos and ate lunch before heading East and South on a new bushwhack route blazed by the 2 hikers before us.
A mere 2 hours later we were back on our original bushwhack route at about 3080' elevation heading towards Rocky Branch Trail. Two more hours found us back at the parking lot, 11 hours route trip, at 7pm with a note on the window from Brian inviting us to join them at the Yokohama Restaurant in Gorham. The others had a 3+ hour drive so I met Brian and Darlene and enjoyed a most wonderful feast. A perfect day to hike in the mountains with super people. I can't wait to do this great adventure with Sky and FiggyPaw soon. Life is good!!
_________
footnote: Brian and Darlene being the explorers they are took the route that had the yellow tape every 50' and discovered it ends way too far south of the parking lot and had to 'whack back to it. ‘Nuff said.
