| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Isolation, Mt. Davis, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Rocky Branch Trail, Isolation Trail, Davis Path, Isolation Spur, Davis Spur, Stairs Col Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, May 14, 2016 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Ice - Breakable Crust, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Snow/Ice - Monorail (Stable), Snow/Ice - Monorail (Unstable) |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Light Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Four major river crossings. Crossing #1, coming from south, required shoe removal. Not too dangerous. I was able to rock hop crossings 2 - 4 but would not recommend unless you have great balance and long legs. Others in group removed shoes for those. Crossing 3 and 4 are entirely avoidable with a short 200 yard bushwack along the river bank - wish we had known. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Nothing too serious. A few blowdowns on Davis Path. One requiring a decent walkaround. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
Rocky Branch (from Jericho Rd), Isolation Trail, Davis Path, Stairs Col Trail (19 mile loop)
Rocky Branch trail can be challenging. Not so much for vertical gain since the grade is easy but for the many river crossings. If you are familiar with the Owl's Head crossings these are fairly similar. Isolation trail was unstable monorail above running water. We had very wet feet for most of the hike. The spur up to Isolation was icy. We had no spikes and managed with careful treading. We lost the Davis path heading south from Mt. Davis to Stairs at the saddle between the two. The path reaches a swampy area and the trail veers to the right but we missed it and spent 10 minutes looking for it. Stairs col trail was very dry and easy going. The 19 mile loop took us 8 hours including some running on the flats. |
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 | Name: |
Paul Heron |
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 | E-Mail: |
pheron14@hotmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2016-05-16 |
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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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