| 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: |
Saturday, March 13, 2021 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Plowed with lots of spots, pretty full at 3 PM |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow - Unpacked Powder, Snow - Drifts, Snow/Ice - Postholes |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
A few easy crossings on Isolation Tr, a rather more difficult one on same trail, we crossed the stream twice in a 100 yard stretch and took a bypass route on the way back |
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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: |
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 | Comments: |
My son and I were first ones on trail at 7:30 AM and after a half mile or mile teamed up with a solo hiker for the rest of the hike. There was a varying amount of fresh snow ranging from an inch down low to 3 or 4 inches up high. Plenty of new drifts on Davis Path as well. We could tell the warm temperatures had done a toll on the trail the past few days (tons of deep post holes) but I think the bit of snow we got this morning along with 10 snowshoe hikers has helped smooth out the trail quite a lot. There were a dozen or so hikers today and only 2 did not wear snowshoes. As we hiked down I was pleasantly surprised at how nice the trail had become. The new snowfall gave enough substance to smooth out the trail.
We took a few wrong turns but the most notable one is 3/4 through the Engine Hill bushwhack where we were looking for a way around a bunch of thick fir trees. We ended up backtracking a ways but unfortunately everyone behind us understandably did not realise what we had done and thus now there are 2 or 3 false and packed out tracks. Otherwise we pretty much made our own track through this section and I'm not sure if it is close to the established path from before today or not. We made a fairly direct path along the countour (except that section I noted above) from Rocky Branch Tr to Isolation Tr.
That last steep rock to the summit was quite snowy but fairly easy to climb (last time it was icy an tricky). Summit was very windy today. The wind will probably drift over many sections of the trail and tomorrow may have to be another route finding adventure for the first hikers.
All in all a pleasant and fun day in the Whites. Get it before the temps rise again if you can. |
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 | Name: |
Ryan |
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 | E-Mail: |
rk219@yahoo.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2021-03-13 |
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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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