BIGEarl
Well-known member
May 13, 2009: Isolation
Trails: Glen Boulder Trail, Davis Path, Isolation Spur
Summits: Isolation
Hikers: Sue and me.
Hiking a list helps when it comes to deciding which hike to do. Sue and I generally try to hike mountains that are important to both of us. This was the case with Isolation. Sue is finishing her third trip through the list and I needed Isolation for my list-chasing goals as well. A mid-week hike with Sue is very unusual but she’s in the middle of a one-week vacation and wanted some fresh air.
After a quick stop at the Pinkham Notch Visitor Center we headed to the Glen Ellis parking area. This place is still closed but we pulled off the entry road and started from there – what’s a few extra feet? We have hiked Isolation before but the Glen Boulder Trail is new to Sue and one of my favorites. I think we were both really looking forward to the hike. A little before 9:00am we were on-trail heading for Glen Boulder. Our plan was to hike a round trip via Glen Boulder Trail, the Davis Path, and the Isolation Spur.
We had terrific hiking conditions – sunny, mild temperature, light breeze, and generally dry trail at the start. The Glen Boulder Trail provides a great warm-up gaining 3200 feet in elevation over the 3.2 miles in length. The trail has some relatively steep sections but they include stone stairs or similar features making the climb easier with secure footing. It’s important to recognize easier isn’t necessarily easy. Our first milestone was the treeline. One of the great features of the Glen Boulder Trail is the amount of trail which is above the treeline, and the views are outstanding. Somewhere around 3000 feet we came upon the start of snow and ice patches. Sue decided it was time to build a snowman. Once finished she decided it should be left at Glen Boulder. So, Sue hiked the remainder of the way to Glen Boulder with a snowman in her hand. As we worked our way closer to the treeline the on-trail snow and ice became more significant but it was very stable and easy to hike on. Just before the treeline the snow was gone.
We made our way to Glen Boulder with a few stops along the way to take pictures. Nearby was a cairn that was a perfect place for the snowman. I was a little concerned he wouldn’t be there when we returned. A quick break at Glen Boulder and we were off for the ridge above,which we would hike to Slide Peak. On the ridge leading to Slide Peak, the trail passes through a very thick stand of spruce. We made our way into the spruce and found more snow. The ridge-walk to Slide Peak was generally a balancing act on a very narrow monorail with very deep snow on either side. Both Sue and I left our snowshoes behind feeling they would not be needed. Most of our planned route has a southern exposure and we assumed the trails would be mostly clear. We made our way to Slide Peak and managed to lose around 30 minutes to the trail conditions. Snowshoes would have been very helpful.
From Slide Peak to the Davis Path covers .6 miles and 350 feet of elevation and was clear sailing. We found a few patches of snow and ice but nothing to cause problems. As we reached the Glen Boulder – Davis Path trail junction the clouds were building and the wind had picked up a little – all part of the forecast for the day and still great conditions. A few quick pictures and we decided to hike back below the treeline before our lunch break. From this trail junction we could clearly see the remainder of our hike to Isolation, and the amount of elevation we would give up on the way (1000 feet+). In other words, this route requires a climb significantly higher than the actual target summit.
We set off south on the Davis Path enjoying the great views. Dropping into the spruce at the treeline we were first treated to less wind, and then snow - a huge amount of snow. We found a narrow monorail with deep snow extending to both sides of the trail. We decided light traction would probably help us stay on the monorail. Sue had MicroSpikes and I had Stabilicers. They worked as expected but the rotting snow offered little support and we regularly found ourselves in a waist-deep posthole. These conditions generally continued all of the way to the Isolation Spur. There were a few short sections of clear trail and a few short sections where we could hike on the side of the trail – but very few of both. To make things even more interesting we had blowdowns. Dozens of blowdowns littered the Davis Path. In several places the trail was completely hidden by large areas of blowdowns. We spent a good amount of time searching for the trail after bushwhacking around these areas. The Davis Path also has large sections that are deep troughs caused by erosion. In these places there is a stream hidden under the snow. It’s always nice to posthole and wash you feet at the same time. The Davis Path was a tough hike. I decided to wear shorts on the hike. Bushwhacking in shorts and postholing in shorts deliver similar results. If anybody wants to send samples of the red snow to the lab for testing, save your efforts – it’s Type B.
The Isolation Spur was in fact the only section of trail that I expected to be a problem. It was simply more of the same. But, it’s a short climb to the summit and soon we were at the summit clearing snapping pictures. Recognizing we would spend more time hiking out than planned we soon set off for our exit. We decided to change our hike plan and exit via the Isolation and Rocky Branch trails then road walk back to the truck. The logic behind that decision was the assumption we would be out of the snow after giving up a little elevation and the hike to the Rocky Branch trailhead would go much quicker.
We reached the turn for Isolation east and made it. We followed the trail to the area of the tent sites and then the blazes stopped. Since the trail had not been tracked out and there were no blazes to work with we eventually decided to go back to the Davis Path and our original plan. Before heading back to the Davis Path we spent a couple hours searching for blazes without success.
Back on the Davis Path we set off for more monorail. We knew what was coming which made the return hike a little less difficult than our hike in. Slowly we made our way through the blowdowns, small bushwhacks, and postholes back to the treeline. Along the way we pulled out our headlights, stopped a couple times for refreshment, etc. and generally tried not to get aggressive with the conditions – there was no way to win that fight.
Slowly, as darkness set in the stars took over. We were treated to a completely clear sky and wall-to-wall stars, plus a late moonrise. I guess this was the silver lining. At the treeline we packed away our light traction and headed to the Glen Boulder trail junction. We made this final turn and started our final 3.2 miles out. I was a little curious about how hiking the Glen Boulder Trail in the dark would be – and we were about to find out.
The hike to Slide Peak was quick and included a few stops to enjoy the views. The star-filled sky and in the distance were lights from Jackson, N. Conway, and Conway. The wind was still up and generally kept us moving. Just past Slide Peak we went back into the spruce for the ridge walk. This time we stopped to go with light traction. It helped, a little. We still lost time to the conditions but not as much as earlier when we bare booted this section.
Finally, we’re heading down toward Glen Boulder. We stopped to pack our light traction away for the last time and set off. Hiking down that section of trail the dark is an interesting experience. My primary headlight had weak batteries so I pulled out my backup. This was the first time I have used the backup and it works so well it may become my primary. We slowly went cairn-to-cairn being careful to stay on-trail. In a short time we were passing Glen Boulder. Then, we passed the cairn with the snowman to find only his left arm remained. Before long we came to the treeline, made our way past the few snow/ice patches, and wasted no time covering the final 1.6 miles to the trailhead.
What a hike! It’s going to take a couple days to dry my boots and a few more to get the initial healing out of the way for my legs. Often Sue and I are saying hello to each other at 4:30am, on this one we were saying goodbye. Thanks Sue, this adventure was different – and not just a little bit.
I’ve posted some pictures from the hike.
BIGEarl's Pictures
Straight to the slideshow
Trails: Glen Boulder Trail, Davis Path, Isolation Spur
Summits: Isolation
Hikers: Sue and me.
Hiking a list helps when it comes to deciding which hike to do. Sue and I generally try to hike mountains that are important to both of us. This was the case with Isolation. Sue is finishing her third trip through the list and I needed Isolation for my list-chasing goals as well. A mid-week hike with Sue is very unusual but she’s in the middle of a one-week vacation and wanted some fresh air.
After a quick stop at the Pinkham Notch Visitor Center we headed to the Glen Ellis parking area. This place is still closed but we pulled off the entry road and started from there – what’s a few extra feet? We have hiked Isolation before but the Glen Boulder Trail is new to Sue and one of my favorites. I think we were both really looking forward to the hike. A little before 9:00am we were on-trail heading for Glen Boulder. Our plan was to hike a round trip via Glen Boulder Trail, the Davis Path, and the Isolation Spur.
We had terrific hiking conditions – sunny, mild temperature, light breeze, and generally dry trail at the start. The Glen Boulder Trail provides a great warm-up gaining 3200 feet in elevation over the 3.2 miles in length. The trail has some relatively steep sections but they include stone stairs or similar features making the climb easier with secure footing. It’s important to recognize easier isn’t necessarily easy. Our first milestone was the treeline. One of the great features of the Glen Boulder Trail is the amount of trail which is above the treeline, and the views are outstanding. Somewhere around 3000 feet we came upon the start of snow and ice patches. Sue decided it was time to build a snowman. Once finished she decided it should be left at Glen Boulder. So, Sue hiked the remainder of the way to Glen Boulder with a snowman in her hand. As we worked our way closer to the treeline the on-trail snow and ice became more significant but it was very stable and easy to hike on. Just before the treeline the snow was gone.
We made our way to Glen Boulder with a few stops along the way to take pictures. Nearby was a cairn that was a perfect place for the snowman. I was a little concerned he wouldn’t be there when we returned. A quick break at Glen Boulder and we were off for the ridge above,which we would hike to Slide Peak. On the ridge leading to Slide Peak, the trail passes through a very thick stand of spruce. We made our way into the spruce and found more snow. The ridge-walk to Slide Peak was generally a balancing act on a very narrow monorail with very deep snow on either side. Both Sue and I left our snowshoes behind feeling they would not be needed. Most of our planned route has a southern exposure and we assumed the trails would be mostly clear. We made our way to Slide Peak and managed to lose around 30 minutes to the trail conditions. Snowshoes would have been very helpful.
From Slide Peak to the Davis Path covers .6 miles and 350 feet of elevation and was clear sailing. We found a few patches of snow and ice but nothing to cause problems. As we reached the Glen Boulder – Davis Path trail junction the clouds were building and the wind had picked up a little – all part of the forecast for the day and still great conditions. A few quick pictures and we decided to hike back below the treeline before our lunch break. From this trail junction we could clearly see the remainder of our hike to Isolation, and the amount of elevation we would give up on the way (1000 feet+). In other words, this route requires a climb significantly higher than the actual target summit.
We set off south on the Davis Path enjoying the great views. Dropping into the spruce at the treeline we were first treated to less wind, and then snow - a huge amount of snow. We found a narrow monorail with deep snow extending to both sides of the trail. We decided light traction would probably help us stay on the monorail. Sue had MicroSpikes and I had Stabilicers. They worked as expected but the rotting snow offered little support and we regularly found ourselves in a waist-deep posthole. These conditions generally continued all of the way to the Isolation Spur. There were a few short sections of clear trail and a few short sections where we could hike on the side of the trail – but very few of both. To make things even more interesting we had blowdowns. Dozens of blowdowns littered the Davis Path. In several places the trail was completely hidden by large areas of blowdowns. We spent a good amount of time searching for the trail after bushwhacking around these areas. The Davis Path also has large sections that are deep troughs caused by erosion. In these places there is a stream hidden under the snow. It’s always nice to posthole and wash you feet at the same time. The Davis Path was a tough hike. I decided to wear shorts on the hike. Bushwhacking in shorts and postholing in shorts deliver similar results. If anybody wants to send samples of the red snow to the lab for testing, save your efforts – it’s Type B.
The Isolation Spur was in fact the only section of trail that I expected to be a problem. It was simply more of the same. But, it’s a short climb to the summit and soon we were at the summit clearing snapping pictures. Recognizing we would spend more time hiking out than planned we soon set off for our exit. We decided to change our hike plan and exit via the Isolation and Rocky Branch trails then road walk back to the truck. The logic behind that decision was the assumption we would be out of the snow after giving up a little elevation and the hike to the Rocky Branch trailhead would go much quicker.
We reached the turn for Isolation east and made it. We followed the trail to the area of the tent sites and then the blazes stopped. Since the trail had not been tracked out and there were no blazes to work with we eventually decided to go back to the Davis Path and our original plan. Before heading back to the Davis Path we spent a couple hours searching for blazes without success.
Back on the Davis Path we set off for more monorail. We knew what was coming which made the return hike a little less difficult than our hike in. Slowly we made our way through the blowdowns, small bushwhacks, and postholes back to the treeline. Along the way we pulled out our headlights, stopped a couple times for refreshment, etc. and generally tried not to get aggressive with the conditions – there was no way to win that fight.
Slowly, as darkness set in the stars took over. We were treated to a completely clear sky and wall-to-wall stars, plus a late moonrise. I guess this was the silver lining. At the treeline we packed away our light traction and headed to the Glen Boulder trail junction. We made this final turn and started our final 3.2 miles out. I was a little curious about how hiking the Glen Boulder Trail in the dark would be – and we were about to find out.
The hike to Slide Peak was quick and included a few stops to enjoy the views. The star-filled sky and in the distance were lights from Jackson, N. Conway, and Conway. The wind was still up and generally kept us moving. Just past Slide Peak we went back into the spruce for the ridge walk. This time we stopped to go with light traction. It helped, a little. We still lost time to the conditions but not as much as earlier when we bare booted this section.
Finally, we’re heading down toward Glen Boulder. We stopped to pack our light traction away for the last time and set off. Hiking down that section of trail the dark is an interesting experience. My primary headlight had weak batteries so I pulled out my backup. This was the first time I have used the backup and it works so well it may become my primary. We slowly went cairn-to-cairn being careful to stay on-trail. In a short time we were passing Glen Boulder. Then, we passed the cairn with the snowman to find only his left arm remained. Before long we came to the treeline, made our way past the few snow/ice patches, and wasted no time covering the final 1.6 miles to the trailhead.
What a hike! It’s going to take a couple days to dry my boots and a few more to get the initial healing out of the way for my legs. Often Sue and I are saying hello to each other at 4:30am, on this one we were saying goodbye. Thanks Sue, this adventure was different – and not just a little bit.
I’ve posted some pictures from the hike.
BIGEarl's Pictures
Straight to the slideshow
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