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Ski
Hiking Trail Conditions Report
Peaks
Peaks Mt. Isolation (aborted), NH
Trails
Trails: Rocky Branch Trail, bushwhack, Isolation Trail
Date of Hike
Date of Hike: Friday, February 13, 2009
Parking/Access Road Notes
Parking/Access Road Notes: Rocky Branch parking lot plowed. 
Surface Conditions
Surface Conditions: Snow - Drifts, Ice - Breakable Crust, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular 
Recommended Equipment
Recommended Equipment: Snowshoes 
Water Crossing Notes
Water Crossing Notes: Rocky Branch appears to be somewhat snowbridged, but I question the strength of it (water running at a decent pace underneath, as seen where it's broken through). 
Trail Maintenance Notes
Trail Maintenance Notes:  
Dog-Related Notes
Dog-Related Notes:  
Bugs
Bugs:  
Lost and Found
Lost and Found:  
 
Comments
Comments: Rocky Branch Trail is bulletproof up to the second x-c junction.

Above second x-c junction, trail may be hard to follow - due to melting, footbed is now at the same level as the snowpack. Dusting to an inch of powder has concealed this - you will posthole even with snowshoes if you wander off the hidden footbed.

Virtually all traces of the (premature) Engine Hill bushwhack are gone due to said melting and said new snow. I tried to follow the (premature) bushwhack track by memory where I could...where I wandered off, I was breaking through the crust and sinking anywhere from knee to hip deep in granular.

Ran out of patience in trying to follow the route (and ran out of birch and into spruce), so I worked my way down to the Isolation Trail (I meandered a lot trying to follow moose/snowshoe tracks when possible to prevent massive postholing, so it's probably not a time efficient route), where just before where it starts the northern divergence from the water (a bit before the wooden arrow sign). Broke trail up to perhaps 3,200' before deciding I wouldn't make it anywhere close to the summit by my turnaround time.  
Name
Name: rocket21 
E-Mail
E-Mail: rocket21 at franklinwebpublishing dot com 
Date Submitted
Date Submitted: 2009-10-01 
Link
Link: https:// 
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