Curious1
New member
- Joined
- May 21, 2009
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I've been reading trip reports on here for a year now and have been waiting for a good hike to write my first. Met DoubleBow and three others for a hike to Isolation Saturday morning. 9:30 am - bit of a late start for a long hike but I don't know if I could have got up earlier than 4:30 to make it there! The weather was questionable for the day with showers and thunderstorms predicted so DoubleBow had asked that we bring a sense of humor, sandals and a canoe.
I really should have brought the canoe!! We started up Rocky Branch Trail and though it was humid, the weather was nice with a slight breeze. Almost flat trail (though lots of water on the trail) had us feeling relaxed and mellow until the thunder and pouring rain came and we hustled to Rocky Branch Shelter #2. First stream crossing was about knee level for most of us but went well. In the shelter thunder was really close and the rain came down hard, good timing for us to eat lunch and change out of wet socks. With sun coming out in spots and the rain stopping we headed for the summit, two of us very smart hikers in sandals (see pics)!
The mud and water on the trail got deeper from there, it was like walking up a stream bed. After a few more deep stream crossings in the rain we were all quite wet. Those in boots were giving up avoiding mud and puddles and just going through, us in sandals were acting like kids playing in the mud! I had the pleasure to meet LRiz on the trail and also Trish and Alex on the summit (not sure but think they were with another VFTT hiker). The rain stopped when we got to the summit and DoubleBow made a rainbow for us - those of you who know him know he said that! Just another reason is it great to hike in the rain!!
Met a great guy doing trail work all day in the mud and rain on Isolation Trail- thanks Voyager!! Put his pic in a post too, he deserved a picture after all he did. Trail on the way down was a full river now, no more rocks to hop on, just trudging through the water and mud now. Stream crossings late in the day were now waist high and extremely fast moving - I wondered how Alex faired with those ( she is a trooper though). We didn't bother to take off boots for crossings anymore so that saved some time and the squishy sounds are always fun. After our last crossing it was getting dark, our headlamps went on and we made it to the cars at 11:45pm.
With every hike I find I learn something new; on this one I learned sandals are good in wet weather, wear a bathing suit under my hiking clothes when it is going to really rain would have been nice and I need a better headlamp!
I really should have brought the canoe!! We started up Rocky Branch Trail and though it was humid, the weather was nice with a slight breeze. Almost flat trail (though lots of water on the trail) had us feeling relaxed and mellow until the thunder and pouring rain came and we hustled to Rocky Branch Shelter #2. First stream crossing was about knee level for most of us but went well. In the shelter thunder was really close and the rain came down hard, good timing for us to eat lunch and change out of wet socks. With sun coming out in spots and the rain stopping we headed for the summit, two of us very smart hikers in sandals (see pics)! The mud and water on the trail got deeper from there, it was like walking up a stream bed. After a few more deep stream crossings in the rain we were all quite wet. Those in boots were giving up avoiding mud and puddles and just going through, us in sandals were acting like kids playing in the mud! I had the pleasure to meet LRiz on the trail and also Trish and Alex on the summit (not sure but think they were with another VFTT hiker). The rain stopped when we got to the summit and DoubleBow made a rainbow for us - those of you who know him know he said that!
Just another reason is it great to hike in the rain!!Met a great guy doing trail work all day in the mud and rain on Isolation Trail- thanks Voyager!! Put his pic in a post too, he deserved a picture after all he did. Trail on the way down was a full river now, no more rocks to hop on, just trudging through the water and mud now. Stream crossings late in the day were now waist high and extremely fast moving - I wondered how Alex faired with those ( she is a trooper though). We didn't bother to take off boots for crossings anymore so that saved some time and the squishy sounds are always fun.
After our last crossing it was getting dark, our headlamps went on and we made it to the cars at 11:45pm. With every hike I find I learn something new; on this one I learned sandals are good in wet weather, wear a bathing suit under my hiking clothes when it is going to really rain would have been nice and I need a better headlamp!
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