| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Isolation, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Rocky Branch Trail, bushwhack, Isolation Trail, Davis Path, Isolation Spur |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, January 1, 2017 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Plowed. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Ice - Breakable Crust, Snow - Unpacked Powder, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Snow - Drifts |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
As usual, numerous wet spots. Some exposed, some underneath. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Bushwhack is very tedious, as it doesn't follow the glades and involves a fair bit of "bashing through". |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
On with the night project: this one solo. 4 cars in the lot when I started up at 5:15PM. Figured they were camping out or late in returning. Clear, 29F, breezy from the NW. Just an early crescent moon westering over the ridge, so I had to use a light out and back. Brought my big-ole Atlas snowshoes cause I wasn't sure if it was broken out. Pleased to find a packed track, but wished I'd brought my lighter shoes. After going well past the height of land I found the whack veering NW, much higher than I'm used to. No glades, lots of wet spots and really junky. Seemed to me to be almost parallel to Isolation and not much of a triangle. Just before joining Isolation I saw a train of lights coming at me. An AMC group of 6, the leader informed me that new regulations require whacks to stay within 1/10th mile of an established trail. WTF?! So, they'd broken it out accordingly. Might as well have just broken out Isolation from the junction. Oh well....20 minutes later I saw 2 more lights approaching on Isolation. A young couple a bit unnerved, they said they were lost, having followed a faint track east (probably someone trying to break out the traditional whack) and then given up on it and headed back to Isolation. I informed them they weren't lost and just needed to follow the main track down. They were somewhat mystified that I was out there, but probably not as much as I was of them! Some drifting on Davis Path. Topped out at 9:10; lower teens, amazing stars. On the way back on Davis my energy really took a dive and I remembered I'd not eaten much earlier in the day. After nursing a bar and some tea I switched to micros for the trip down as the track was firm and I was looking to get the weight of those heavy shoes off my feet. I post-holed a few times with a wayward step too far to the side of the track and broke through a couple of wet spots that shoes had stayed on top of, but otherwise worth it. Really on fumes the last 2 miles. Back to the car at 1:05AM and home to JP by 4:15. A lovely night out and 16 to go! |
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 | Name: |
Stuart Grey |
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 | E-Mail: |
stuartgreydc@comcast.net |
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| Date Submitted: |
2017-01-02 |
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 | Link: |
 https:// |
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Disclaimer: Reports are not verified - conditions may vary. Use at own risk. Always be prepared when hiking. Observe all signs. Trail conditions reports are not substitutes for weather reports or common sense. |
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