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, July 8, 2023 |
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| Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Plenty at the end or Jericho road |
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| Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Mud - Significant |
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| Recommended Equipment: |
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| Water Crossing Notes: |
I was able to keep my boots on over the MANY crossings on Rocky Branch, but one crossing were the massive eroded cliffs were I had to venture upstream about 1/4 mile to find a log to shimmy across |
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| Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Rocky Branch is hanging on by a thread in some areas between Stairs col and Isolation trail. Washouts galore. One area between 5 and 6 miles in was the worst where the trail was completely washed away in parts |
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| Dog-Related Notes: |
Not recommend at all for this trail. Too many deep river crossings |
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| Bugs: |
Swarms of mosquitoes on the lower part of rocky Branch before the washed out bridge |
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| Lost and Found: |
I found plenty of solitude on this route |
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| Comments: |
What a day in the wilderness! Starting from the end of Jericho road I took Rocky Branch from the south. The first part of this trail is a closed (indefinitely) road to a washed-out bridge about 2 miles in. After the bridge the trail is an older closed road to the former trailhead. From that point it follows an old railroad bed that was an easy hike. After the shelter by the junction of stairs col things started to get a bit more interesting. The trail follows the old railroad bed but there are numerous washouts and trail relocations to be aware of. I do not recommend taking this part without a reliable GPS and keen sense of trail finding. In many places the trail will literally vanish before you're eyes. It's amazing to see the damage caused by hurricane Irene back in 2011. The water crossings were numerous and difficult due to all the silt in the river, many times I had no idea how deep the water was under the rocks. One crossing in particular where the landslides are required me to shimmy across a log far upstream and bushwack my way back to the trail. Isolation trail was its usual slippery rocky mess. Then Davis path up to Isolation was the usual mud pit (this part of the trail is in desperate need of some bog bridges) From the summit of Isolation I took Davis path south to the beautiful summit of Mt. Davis and onto Stair Col trail. Nothing too special to talk about there, maybe 2 or 3 good size blow downs that need some attention and the overgrowth for that part of Davis path. Going down Stairs col was a bit rough at first and it quickly smoothed out to a beautiful path through the hardwood forest. Then back to Rocky Branch and the closed part of Jericho road back to the car 23 miles later. This was definitely a trip deep into the wilderness that requires top notch navigation skills and a sense of adventure, but the sense of solitude was amazing! I only saw 2 others all day, and for a sunny summer Saturday in the whites that pretty rare. I would not recommend this hike for a novice hiker even with GPS due to the extreme remoteness and challenging trail conditions this route presents |
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| Name: |
Bluecollar4khiker |
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| E-Mail: |
Echam81@gmail.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2023-07-09 |
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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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