| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
North Isolation, NH |
|
 | Trails: |
Rocky Branch Trail, bushwhacks, Isolation Trail, Davis Path |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Tuesday, January 17, 2023 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Lot plowed with lots of spaces. One other car present at 9AM, no others on return |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Snow - Spring Snow |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Light Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Lots of rock hops, step over, shallow walk throughs on all trails, followed herd path that avoided 2 of the 3 post EH remaining water crossings on Isolation trail. Third Isolation trail water crossing was OK, however not sure how much longer the ice will hold weight. |
|
 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
One blow down on Davis trail - formed herd path around |
|
 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Piper had a great time, but turned back on Isolation trail (had enough for today). Trails would be easy for most pups, but the sticky snow may be an issue for dogs with longer fur, like Coop. He stayed home. Plenty of water on the trails for the most thirsty pups. |
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 | Bugs: |
N/A |
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 | Lost and Found: |
N/A |
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|
 | Comments: |
Goal for today was to bag North Isolation for the TW72 list. Started with spikes on Rocky Branch, but going was slowed by balling right from the get go. Switched to snowshoes after the early climb and kept them on through the EH BW. This helped smooth out the BW which was a little uneven. But, the additional weight from all the snow accumulating with each step made for a challenging hike. The current EH BW path passes high to avoid open water and the exposed swampy area. Many patches of water on the later section of the RBT (before EH BW), as well.
Removed all traction and barebooted the Isolation Trail since this was relatively level. By today it was packed, but there were numerous areas with open running water, step overs, leap overs, slippery mud, and that warming unstable ice that could break with each step. Fortunately, a herd path has formed to avoid 2 of the 3 water crossings.
We had to break trail up the Davis trail to the North Isolation summit. It mostly consisted of crusted over snow, but every so often, the crust would even support ones weight; mostly we were sinking into 6-8" of snow. We passed over the HOL, but returned to a lower elevation to enter the woods and BW to the true summit. Could not find any markings or indications of a herd path, so we just plowed right into the brush. Wandered around a bit to ensure we were on the true summit. Nice view towards Washington. The return trip was quick. |
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 | Name: |
CookiesOnTop |
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 | E-Mail: |
schwarzmc at yahoo dot com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2023-01-17 |
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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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