Isolation day-hike from Highland Center...

[Scubahhh]

I'm thinking about Crawford Path/Mizpah Cut-off/Dry River Cut-off/Isolation Trail/Davis Path; returning either the same way ( something like 17 mi., 5000'?) or staging my bike at the Cog Station and making a loop of it via Boott Spur and Lakes (a little longer).

Anybody done this walk, and/or have suggestions?

 

[wardsgirl]

Isolation Trail from the Dry River Trail to the Davis Path is closed as far as I know.

Here, I just checked- yes it is closed: http://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/whitemountain/home/?cid=stelprdb5371104

It is a bear of a trail under the best of conditions anyway.

Why not go Glen Boulder/Davis Path to Isolation and return via Davis Path/Boott Spur? The roadwalk is minimal and it's a very nice beefy loop for an Isolation dayhike.

Or if you wanted to go up Isolation from Crawford, take Ammo to Davis Path and return via the same way.

 

[Scubahhh]

Duh... Thanks! It would've sucked to learn that the hard way. Funny... I walked the southern Presidentials in the rain a couple weeks ago and saw the signs at the Crawford Path/Eisenhower Trail junction, saying The Dry River Trail south of the Dry River Cut-Off was closed, but the western half of Isolation just never occurred to me.

I don't want to drive Ll the way around to Pinkham, so I guess Ammo. Ravine and Boott Spur it is... or I might actually pay attention to the weather for a change and climb Mt. Mansfield instead.

Anyway, thanks again for your attentiveness and dedicated trail work. Happy trails...

 

[DougPaul]

I guess Ammo. Ravine and Boott Spur it is...

I did it via this route and liked it. The Camel trail leads through a unique area.

It also saved me from having to drive around to Rte 16...

Doug

 

[TJsName]

If you have a bike I'd say drop it at the Edmunds Path, then hike up Ammo > Camel > Davis. On the way back, keep going down Crawford and head down Edmunds and bike back to the car. It'll make for a more gentle descent, some novel trail, and you'll get to enjoy that awesome stretch between Lakes and Eisenhower.

 

[Scubahhh]

TJ I did the out-and-back yesterday, and loved it! Leaving a bike at the bottom of Edmands would have made sense, or going Around and down Jewell to avoid swimming down the Ammo Ravine. It's a beautiful walk, though, and I highly recommend it! Camel and Davis in particular were awesome!

 

[TJsName]

Yeah, Ammo in the rain is a one-time experience. Jewell or Edmunds would have been a good choice.

That section of the Davis Path is quite nice! I really liked the trail from the Isolation Trail until Boott Spur. I did it on a perfect June day last year, so the anticipation really builds as you break through tree line and head up. I hope you got some nice views in before the rain!

 

[Scubahhh]

You're right about the ravine in the rain... Especially with worn out trail runners and slick soles!

Camel and the area around Boott Spur were the highlights of the day with the great views, always changing weather and often dramatic lighting; and Davis Path down to Isolation was great too: the trail itself is really cool and even though there aren't many real views per se, the scenery is magnificent even though it was a lot more downhill than I expected. The work they've done on it since Irene is really impressive, and makes it hard not to ignore the "closed" signs and explore the Isolation Trail west ( but I've resisted... so,far!)

I did run into a camp counsellor on Isolation- from a Cardigan Mountain School group I think- who said Davis from Stairs to Isolation was the worst trail he'd ever seen... Can't wait to check it out and see just how bad it could be. I hear that's one of the trails that's not getting needed work because of governmental,wrangling...

The best thing about this day out, as usual, was tha it turned me on to two or three more trips that I "just gotta do!"