Jazzbo
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Isolation Via Rocky Branch 7/4/08
July 4, 2008
Isolation Hike via Rocky Branch
This hike has been on my list for a long time. I’ve always wanted to hike to Mount Isolation via the Rocky Branch Trail including the Engine Hill bushwhack and to do it with esteemed Ed and Becca made it really special. We were on the trail at 8:04 and I was nominated to set the pace.
We take a short break at the height of land at Engine Hill and start the bushwhack. My compass is out and I ask Ed the bearing, but he just laughs. I soon found out why. We pick our way carefully at first through a poorly drained area where water issues from the base of slopes above the saddle. We worked up 100 feet in elevation and emerge on to the slopes of a marvelous birch glade that seems to go on for ever. Who needs eye protection for a fern walk like this? We follow the contour at 3280 elevation and can see our objective across the Rocky Branch Valley. The birch glade morphs back into spruce-fir forest after a mile of so and we pop out on the regular trail. (Ed later advised me to use 340 CB on way out and 160 CB on the way back.)
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The glade looks like a prime moose habitat. We come across a classic moose rutting pit complete with a herd path leading up to it.
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Although I observe a few tracks and scat, there isn’t a great deal of moose tracks or other signs of recent activity. They must spend their time elsewhere this time of the year. There’s not much in the way of food for a moose in this glade since the under-story is composed primarily of ferns. I can’t imagine what ecological forces work to maintain this area in open birch and ferns. My logging RR book indicates the Rocky Branch valley experienced big fires in 1912. But that's a long time ago and ecological succession should have returned this are back to forest a long time ago.
We take a short break and proceed up the trail where ¼ mile later we reach the Rocky Branch. Ed declines to cross here and leads us along a herd path to show us a bypass for use when the river is high. We make this last water crossing just before noon. The trail is noticeably less maintained beyond this point. There are numerous wet spots and drainage opts to follow the trail in many spots. It’s a long way to come to build waterbars.
The trail becomes less defined as we approach the junction with the Davis Path. Spruce forest at 3700 elevations is subject to blow-downs and as typical of this terrain blowdowns begin to dominate and close in on the trail. It’s easy to see why people lose the trail hiking this section during the winter. Ed points out an area perhaps ¼ mile from the junction with Davis Path that Ed says is particulary hard to follow the trail in winter. He suggests route to whack around this the south and back to the north to bypass this area. Perhaps a candidate for a re-route???
After a short break at the junction with Davis Path, the remaining 9/10 mile to the summit spur path goes quickly and we arrive at the summit in high spirits. This is Mona’s #48th NH 4K so she leads the final ascent. This was Ed’s 50th NH 4K. The weather could not have been better. A cold front came though the night before and we long distance views in all directions. We linger a good 40 minutes.
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Return trip goes quick. We return to starting point of the bushwhack at 3:00 or so and Becca leads the way using her new GPS and closely follows the route indicated from the way in. We succeed in re-tracing the route pretty well even including coming back to the moose rutting pit. We returned to the trailhead by 6:00 where Ed raises spirit of hospitality to new levels by treating the group to a round of PBR’s on ice from the back of his truck. Many thanks to Ed for generously sharing his time and wealth of experience with hiking cummunity.
My pics are here: Hike Pics
July 4, 2008
Isolation Hike via Rocky Branch
This hike has been on my list for a long time. I’ve always wanted to hike to Mount Isolation via the Rocky Branch Trail including the Engine Hill bushwhack and to do it with esteemed Ed and Becca made it really special. We were on the trail at 8:04 and I was nominated to set the pace.
We take a short break at the height of land at Engine Hill and start the bushwhack. My compass is out and I ask Ed the bearing, but he just laughs. I soon found out why. We pick our way carefully at first through a poorly drained area where water issues from the base of slopes above the saddle. We worked up 100 feet in elevation and emerge on to the slopes of a marvelous birch glade that seems to go on for ever. Who needs eye protection for a fern walk like this? We follow the contour at 3280 elevation and can see our objective across the Rocky Branch Valley. The birch glade morphs back into spruce-fir forest after a mile of so and we pop out on the regular trail. (Ed later advised me to use 340 CB on way out and 160 CB on the way back.)
The glade looks like a prime moose habitat. We come across a classic moose rutting pit complete with a herd path leading up to it.
Although I observe a few tracks and scat, there isn’t a great deal of moose tracks or other signs of recent activity. They must spend their time elsewhere this time of the year. There’s not much in the way of food for a moose in this glade since the under-story is composed primarily of ferns. I can’t imagine what ecological forces work to maintain this area in open birch and ferns. My logging RR book indicates the Rocky Branch valley experienced big fires in 1912. But that's a long time ago and ecological succession should have returned this are back to forest a long time ago.
We take a short break and proceed up the trail where ¼ mile later we reach the Rocky Branch. Ed declines to cross here and leads us along a herd path to show us a bypass for use when the river is high. We make this last water crossing just before noon. The trail is noticeably less maintained beyond this point. There are numerous wet spots and drainage opts to follow the trail in many spots. It’s a long way to come to build waterbars.
The trail becomes less defined as we approach the junction with the Davis Path. Spruce forest at 3700 elevations is subject to blow-downs and as typical of this terrain blowdowns begin to dominate and close in on the trail. It’s easy to see why people lose the trail hiking this section during the winter. Ed points out an area perhaps ¼ mile from the junction with Davis Path that Ed says is particulary hard to follow the trail in winter. He suggests route to whack around this the south and back to the north to bypass this area. Perhaps a candidate for a re-route???
After a short break at the junction with Davis Path, the remaining 9/10 mile to the summit spur path goes quickly and we arrive at the summit in high spirits. This is Mona’s #48th NH 4K so she leads the final ascent. This was Ed’s 50th NH 4K. The weather could not have been better. A cold front came though the night before and we long distance views in all directions. We linger a good 40 minutes.
Return trip goes quick. We return to starting point of the bushwhack at 3:00 or so and Becca leads the way using her new GPS and closely follows the route indicated from the way in. We succeed in re-tracing the route pretty well even including coming back to the moose rutting pit. We returned to the trailhead by 6:00 where Ed raises spirit of hospitality to new levels by treating the group to a round of PBR’s on ice from the back of his truck. Many thanks to Ed for generously sharing his time and wealth of experience with hiking cummunity.
My pics are here: Hike Pics
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