MtnMagic
New member
Dates Hiked:
Friday, October 17, 2003
Trails Hiked:
Glen Boulder, Davis, Isolation, Rocky Branch.
Distance:
13.3 miles, an elevation gain of 3800 feet and a book time of 9 hours. With ice, snow, tons of deep water on the trails, it took us 10 hours and 10 minutes.
Difficulty:
All river crossings were done cautiously as it was high water. One must be in physical condition and prepared to hike this long haul.
Special Equipment:
Full winter gear!
Conditions:
Full winter conditions: Snow, thick ice with strong, cold winds. Ice on the steep ledge ascending the Glen Boulder. In the vicinity of Boott Spur, above tree line, Rime 8” vertical all the way to past the tree line on Davis Path. Full spring-like conditions on the lower trails!
Trip Report:
On Friday, October 17, 2003, Ghostdog and I met our hiking friend Marianne at the Rocky Branch Trail where she left her car and drove in mine to the Glen Boulder Trail. Climbing up the steep ledge to the famous Glen Boulder (3720’) saw full winter conditions with several inches of snow and ice making this usually easy to moderate climbing section quite a challenge.
When we passed the Boulder, and stopped after Slide Peak one half mile from Boott Spur (5500’), the winds, cold, and snow were brutal. Rime on the kumholtz and trail signs, with snowdrifts on the trail a full 10 inches deep proved the dangers that lurk to one unprepared. Thankfully, as the tree line grew on Davis Path, the bitter wind became tolerable while the strong sun warmed our bodies back to normal.
We arrived at the summit of Isolation (4003’) in 5.5 hours, just 15 minutes longer than book time. It certainly was amazing considering the going was a bit slow during the second through third hour. We spent a mere twenty minutes feeding ourselves and gave some to the Whiskey Jacks. After taking some photos, we headed for the long haul out on the trails.
It rained heavily on Wednesday and snowed Thursday night, causing these trails to be almost as flooded as in the spring. Water everywhere, pouring out of artesian wells, made the progress almost a struggle! The five crossings of the Rocky Branch River on the Isolation Trail had whitewater and were almost tougher crossing than during springtime. We were grateful that we crossed them all without getting our boots soaked.
Sundown and darkness arrived and we donned our headlamps. We could hear vehicles in the distance on Route 16 and knew we were near the trail’s end. Unexpectantly, we saw lights coming towards us. It was two hikers on their way to Rocky Branch Shelter #2 getting an early start in the morning for their summit to Isolation. They were the only people we saw all day. What a haul this hike is but more importantly, another glorious day of hiking in the Whites!
Friday, October 17, 2003
Trails Hiked:
Glen Boulder, Davis, Isolation, Rocky Branch.
Distance:
13.3 miles, an elevation gain of 3800 feet and a book time of 9 hours. With ice, snow, tons of deep water on the trails, it took us 10 hours and 10 minutes.
Difficulty:
All river crossings were done cautiously as it was high water. One must be in physical condition and prepared to hike this long haul.
Special Equipment:
Full winter gear!
Conditions:
Full winter conditions: Snow, thick ice with strong, cold winds. Ice on the steep ledge ascending the Glen Boulder. In the vicinity of Boott Spur, above tree line, Rime 8” vertical all the way to past the tree line on Davis Path. Full spring-like conditions on the lower trails!
Trip Report:
On Friday, October 17, 2003, Ghostdog and I met our hiking friend Marianne at the Rocky Branch Trail where she left her car and drove in mine to the Glen Boulder Trail. Climbing up the steep ledge to the famous Glen Boulder (3720’) saw full winter conditions with several inches of snow and ice making this usually easy to moderate climbing section quite a challenge.
When we passed the Boulder, and stopped after Slide Peak one half mile from Boott Spur (5500’), the winds, cold, and snow were brutal. Rime on the kumholtz and trail signs, with snowdrifts on the trail a full 10 inches deep proved the dangers that lurk to one unprepared. Thankfully, as the tree line grew on Davis Path, the bitter wind became tolerable while the strong sun warmed our bodies back to normal.
We arrived at the summit of Isolation (4003’) in 5.5 hours, just 15 minutes longer than book time. It certainly was amazing considering the going was a bit slow during the second through third hour. We spent a mere twenty minutes feeding ourselves and gave some to the Whiskey Jacks. After taking some photos, we headed for the long haul out on the trails.
It rained heavily on Wednesday and snowed Thursday night, causing these trails to be almost as flooded as in the spring. Water everywhere, pouring out of artesian wells, made the progress almost a struggle! The five crossings of the Rocky Branch River on the Isolation Trail had whitewater and were almost tougher crossing than during springtime. We were grateful that we crossed them all without getting our boots soaked.
Sundown and darkness arrived and we donned our headlamps. We could hear vehicles in the distance on Route 16 and knew we were near the trail’s end. Unexpectantly, we saw lights coming towards us. It was two hikers on their way to Rocky Branch Shelter #2 getting an early start in the morning for their summit to Isolation. They were the only people we saw all day. What a haul this hike is but more importantly, another glorious day of hiking in the Whites!
