Dry River Wilderness August 26-28, 2005
We decided to do this hike on a semi spur of the moment. We had both wanted to get into the Dry River area for years but just never seemed to get to it. We actually had other plans for the weekend but changed those plans two days before our other trip. The weather was looking great for the weekend with a chance of late day rain on Sunday, it hadn’t rained in a while and the summer so far had been pretty dry. These were all good signs for an area that has many river crossings, many of which can be treacherous when the water is high. It’s also an area of muddy trails (even in dry times) which worsens when the weather has been wet.
Day 1: We parked at the Dry River trailhead on a beautiful morning for a hike. There are warnings at the start of the trail regarding the suspension bridge over the Dry River being closed. We had no trouble rock hopping across the river just above the bridge. Didn’t even get our boots wet. Headed in about five miles or so and set up camp just beyond the start of the Dry River Cutoff trail, just across the stream crossing, five minutes or so from the junction of the Isolation Trail. After we set up camp, we headed back down the trail to the west end of the Isolation trail to Mt Isolation. There were no difficulties following the trail, however since this is a wilderness area, the trails don’t get the same care and attention as trails outside the wilderness receive. They were very brushy in spots, lots of blow downs and the trail itself needed work here and there. Made it to the summit and back without seeing a single person. In fact we saw only two people all day and they were headed out as we were making our way in earlier in the morning. A very nice first day in the Dry River Wilderness.
Day 2: We continued up the Dry River trail to Oakes Gulf to the end of the trail at Lakes of the Clouds hut. This trail was typical of the trails we had hiked yesterday. Brushy, blow downs and mud. In one spot June put her hiking pole in the mud to test its depth. The mud was over two feet deep! And this was after a mostly dry and warm summer. Some of the blow downs had been worked on but only to the extent of wilderness area standards. They most often cut the blow down so a single person can walk through it but other than that they leave the blow down right there. It is not moved off the trail or is not cut wide enough that you don’t touch the ends on the way through. We were finding this particular wilderness to be very primeval in all aspects. It just felt totally different from most areas in the Whites.
When we reached shelter #3 we saw many herd paths in the area. Just be aware that the trail crosses the river about 50-60 yards on the right as you leave the shelter and you’ll be all set.
When we hiked Isolation the day before, we could see Oakes Gulf in the distance. Now we were actually hiking in it and it is beautiful. Lots of flowers in bloom, the summit of Mt. Monroe just peaking over the top and the rocky headwall in front of us. We passed by the relocation of the trail where the trail used to take hikers right through the home of the dwarf cinquefoil. Now the trail takes a sharp right along the rim of the headwall and continues up and over dropping down to the lower lake and the hut.
We stopped at the hut for some soup and baked goods and ate some of the lunch we brought with us. Feeling fortified, we climbed Mt. Monroe and continued down the Crawford Path to the junction with the Mt. Eisenhower trail. Here we turned back into the Dry River Wilderness and the path took us back to our camp. The people count today in the wilderness area itself was zero. The only place we saw others was at the hut and along the Crawford Path. Once again we discovered that the trails in the wilderness area are very primitive and rough. But we like that!
Day 3: Time to break camp and take off for our last loop of the trip. We were going up the Dry River Cutoff to Mizpah Hut. It was overcast this morning as expected. Earlier weather forecasts had said late day rain was to be expected. We made it to Mizpah just as the rain started coming down. The weather forecast was right but their timing was off. We had lunch at the hut---they had awesome baked goods that we enjoyed. Not many people in Mizpah this morning. The rain or forecast of rain must have kept everyone away. Or maybe it’s just that Mizpah is off the beaten path. We saddled up and hiked the last six plus miles back to the car in the rain. The Mt. Clinton trail which intersects the Dry River Trail was very primitive. The first half to one mile is incredibly brushy. There are many river crossings. The last crossing before you hit the Dry River Trail is, we think, more difficult than the crossing by the bridge. At least we thought so on this day.
Just before crossing the river by the closed bridge, a backcountry ranger caught up to us. We made the crossing together. He said the river had already risen about 3-4 inches since he had crossed it earlier that morning. (And we’ve had a lot more rain in the days since.) I imagine the crossing is quite a bit trickier now with the higher water levels. The ranger told us of many harrowing adventures over the years regarding various river crossings in the Dry River area. A few people have drowned so the crossings are not to be taken lightly. The ranger also told us that the WMNF was planning on replacing the bridge. People count in the wilderness area today (excluding Mizpah hut) was on the high side---six. Total people sightings in three days in the wilderness area itself---eight. About 28 miles of hiking in the wilderness area and only eight people. Sweet.
The not so sweet part was when we got back to the car, the car battery was dead. Couldn’t start the car. We had left one of the interior lights on and it drained the battery. Took a walk down to the Dry River campground, called AAA, got the car jump started and we were on the road in less than an hour. Not as bad as it could have been. We could have been in the wilds of Maine someplace miles away from any civilized road!
Despite hiking out the last six miles in the rain and the car greeting us with a dead battery, we had a fantastic time in the Dry River Wilderness. We both felt a sense of remoteness, and wildness, uncommon to most parts of the Whites. Make sure you make this area part of your future hiking agenda. It’s not to be missed.
Photographs here: www.jj1.smugmug.com
We decided to do this hike on a semi spur of the moment. We had both wanted to get into the Dry River area for years but just never seemed to get to it. We actually had other plans for the weekend but changed those plans two days before our other trip. The weather was looking great for the weekend with a chance of late day rain on Sunday, it hadn’t rained in a while and the summer so far had been pretty dry. These were all good signs for an area that has many river crossings, many of which can be treacherous when the water is high. It’s also an area of muddy trails (even in dry times) which worsens when the weather has been wet.
Day 1: We parked at the Dry River trailhead on a beautiful morning for a hike. There are warnings at the start of the trail regarding the suspension bridge over the Dry River being closed. We had no trouble rock hopping across the river just above the bridge. Didn’t even get our boots wet. Headed in about five miles or so and set up camp just beyond the start of the Dry River Cutoff trail, just across the stream crossing, five minutes or so from the junction of the Isolation Trail. After we set up camp, we headed back down the trail to the west end of the Isolation trail to Mt Isolation. There were no difficulties following the trail, however since this is a wilderness area, the trails don’t get the same care and attention as trails outside the wilderness receive. They were very brushy in spots, lots of blow downs and the trail itself needed work here and there. Made it to the summit and back without seeing a single person. In fact we saw only two people all day and they were headed out as we were making our way in earlier in the morning. A very nice first day in the Dry River Wilderness.
Day 2: We continued up the Dry River trail to Oakes Gulf to the end of the trail at Lakes of the Clouds hut. This trail was typical of the trails we had hiked yesterday. Brushy, blow downs and mud. In one spot June put her hiking pole in the mud to test its depth. The mud was over two feet deep! And this was after a mostly dry and warm summer. Some of the blow downs had been worked on but only to the extent of wilderness area standards. They most often cut the blow down so a single person can walk through it but other than that they leave the blow down right there. It is not moved off the trail or is not cut wide enough that you don’t touch the ends on the way through. We were finding this particular wilderness to be very primeval in all aspects. It just felt totally different from most areas in the Whites.
When we reached shelter #3 we saw many herd paths in the area. Just be aware that the trail crosses the river about 50-60 yards on the right as you leave the shelter and you’ll be all set.
When we hiked Isolation the day before, we could see Oakes Gulf in the distance. Now we were actually hiking in it and it is beautiful. Lots of flowers in bloom, the summit of Mt. Monroe just peaking over the top and the rocky headwall in front of us. We passed by the relocation of the trail where the trail used to take hikers right through the home of the dwarf cinquefoil. Now the trail takes a sharp right along the rim of the headwall and continues up and over dropping down to the lower lake and the hut.
We stopped at the hut for some soup and baked goods and ate some of the lunch we brought with us. Feeling fortified, we climbed Mt. Monroe and continued down the Crawford Path to the junction with the Mt. Eisenhower trail. Here we turned back into the Dry River Wilderness and the path took us back to our camp. The people count today in the wilderness area itself was zero. The only place we saw others was at the hut and along the Crawford Path. Once again we discovered that the trails in the wilderness area are very primitive and rough. But we like that!
Day 3: Time to break camp and take off for our last loop of the trip. We were going up the Dry River Cutoff to Mizpah Hut. It was overcast this morning as expected. Earlier weather forecasts had said late day rain was to be expected. We made it to Mizpah just as the rain started coming down. The weather forecast was right but their timing was off. We had lunch at the hut---they had awesome baked goods that we enjoyed. Not many people in Mizpah this morning. The rain or forecast of rain must have kept everyone away. Or maybe it’s just that Mizpah is off the beaten path. We saddled up and hiked the last six plus miles back to the car in the rain. The Mt. Clinton trail which intersects the Dry River Trail was very primitive. The first half to one mile is incredibly brushy. There are many river crossings. The last crossing before you hit the Dry River Trail is, we think, more difficult than the crossing by the bridge. At least we thought so on this day.
Just before crossing the river by the closed bridge, a backcountry ranger caught up to us. We made the crossing together. He said the river had already risen about 3-4 inches since he had crossed it earlier that morning. (And we’ve had a lot more rain in the days since.) I imagine the crossing is quite a bit trickier now with the higher water levels. The ranger told us of many harrowing adventures over the years regarding various river crossings in the Dry River area. A few people have drowned so the crossings are not to be taken lightly. The ranger also told us that the WMNF was planning on replacing the bridge. People count in the wilderness area today (excluding Mizpah hut) was on the high side---six. Total people sightings in three days in the wilderness area itself---eight. About 28 miles of hiking in the wilderness area and only eight people. Sweet.
The not so sweet part was when we got back to the car, the car battery was dead. Couldn’t start the car. We had left one of the interior lights on and it drained the battery. Took a walk down to the Dry River campground, called AAA, got the car jump started and we were on the road in less than an hour. Not as bad as it could have been. We could have been in the wilds of Maine someplace miles away from any civilized road!
Despite hiking out the last six miles in the rain and the car greeting us with a dead battery, we had a fantastic time in the Dry River Wilderness. We both felt a sense of remoteness, and wildness, uncommon to most parts of the Whites. Make sure you make this area part of your future hiking agenda. It’s not to be missed.
Photographs here: www.jj1.smugmug.com
