| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Isolation (attempt), NH |
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 | Trails: |
Rocky Branch Trail, bushwhack, Isolation Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Sunday, December 30, 2018 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Ice - Breakable Crust, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Snow/Ice - Monorail (Stable), Snow/Ice - Monorail (Unstable), Snow/Ice - Postholes |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Light Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
On the Rocky Branch stream crossing after the Engine Hill Bushwhack, the snow bridge had melted and the water level was very high. Too risky to cross. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
There were two Outdoor Research black hiking poles at the trailhead |
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 | Comments: |
We were hopeful about this trail after the last two reports but the recent rain/warm temps/refreeze had changed it completely. We started on spikes, the first mile or so was easy to follow on a hard-packed trail. Then the trail had virtually disappeared, there was an ice/snow crust and we were following one pair of snowshoe tracks for awhile (thanks to whoever made them). There were no obvious blazes on the trail. Kept spikes on, it was hard to know what to wear as the snow/ice crust wasn't very broken but it kept going in and out of rock and mud streams.
With elevation gain, the trail started to have less ice crust and more snow, and we started to see a real trail again, it became easier to follow. The bushwhack was easy to find. The trail is very unstable on the bushwhack. After postholing thigh-deep, we immediately switched to snowshoes. With the soft snow, they are a must on the bushwhack, the trail is full of deep postholes. Got on the Isolation Trail, the best trail conditions of the day so far, and came to the stream crossing. The snow bridge had melted, and the water level was very high. Nowhere to safely cross, as the rocks were far from each other and covered in ice. We bushwhacked up further trying another potential crossing and I plunged a foot in (which luckily stayed dry with my boot and gaitor). At this point we called it and turned around. |
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 | Name: |
Jay W. |
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 | E-Mail: |
joyellemc@yahoo.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2019-01-01 |
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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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