| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
South Engine Hill, NH |
|
 | Trails: |
Rocky Branch Trail, bushwhack |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, February 19, 2022 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Large plowed lot for a couple dozen cars maybe. We got there shortly before 8am and there was plenty of room. Still some spots when I returned at noon. |
|
 | Surface Conditions: |
Ice - Breakable Crust, Snow - Unpacked Powder, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular |
|
 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Light Traction |
|
 | Water Crossing Notes: |
None |
|
 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
I don’t recall any blowdowns on Rocky Branch Trail. The trail is blazed in yellow below the wilderness boundary except where it briefly coincides with a ski trail which is marked by blue diamonds. Be sure to stick on the trail and not diverge on the ski trail. The trail is easy to follow when broken out of course but can be difficult in the hardwoods if breaking trail as the blazes aren’t consistently placed. |
|
 | Dog-Related Notes: |
We had one with us that did okay. He struggled a little bit off trail. |
|
 | Bugs: |
None |
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 | Lost and Found: |
None |
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|
 | Comments: |
Day 111, Peak 94. Started out sunny and somewhat cold but not as windy as I would’ve figured. By the time we finished it was snowing fairly hard. Terrific to meet Robert, Gordon, and Francine in the parking lot :)
We hiked up Rocky Branch Trail to JUST beyond the wilderness boundary. Perfect conditions for spikes but because I’m too lazy to attach snowshoes to my pack, guess what I used ???? From just beyond the wilderness boundary, my friend threw on his snowshoes while I enjoyed a quick break. We took a bearing and headed into the woods in an open spot. The idea was to contour until we crossed the drainage (Miles Brook), then slab up. Of course we gained a little elevation as we “contoured” but we had very nice woods. There were some views from a little birch glade in these nice woods as well :) We soon began to see some thicker woods above us, just as I wanted to begin to head more directly toward the peak. We walked along the edge of them until I found a good spot to begin slabbing up. Though the woods transitioned to softwoods they were still semi-open. I could see why coming straight up from the HOL might be thick though. Just before this, while in the open glades, was the only spot that we really sank deep in the snow. Generally speaking, we only sank a couple inches. Quite a nice change from many of my recent hikes!
Things become thicker around the summit with some spruce but we ran into someone else’s tracks who was there only a few days prior and it was pretty easy to avoid. May be a bit more difficult in summer. We found the register without trouble, signed in, and checked out some nearby views (not had in summer) and bumps before heading back down. We descended in our tracks for a ways, until my friend took a line to get him closer to the HOL to bag Isolation whereas I followed our path in toward the wilderness boundary. Met lots of people headed up as I descended.
The hike was about 6.25mi with around 2100ft of gain taking just under 4hrs to complete. 254 more days and 271 more peaks to go… |
|
 | Name: |
Liam Cooney |
|
 | E-Mail: |
liamcooney96@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2022-02-22 |
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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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