Hiking in the White Mountains: Isolation Trail

Date of Hike: 3/7/15

Rocky Branch Trail: 2.9 miles / Engine Hill Bushwhack: 1.0 miles / Isolation Trail: 1.9 miles / Davis Path: 1.4 miles / 1.9 miles / Engine Hill Bushwhack: 1.0 miles / Rocky Branch Trail: 2.9 miles
Total Miles: 13.0 miles (3,360 feet elevation gained)

Trip Report:
- Whitney was supposed to work a double on Saturday but was able to finagle her way into just working the closing shift so she was able to fit in a hike. We got up extra early and headed over to the Rocky Branch trailhead and jumped on the trail at 6:30 a.m.. The reason for the early start was the unpredictable trail conditions, we knew the trail had been broken out on Wednesday but what we didn't know was if the track had been wind blown over through the birch glades or along the Davis Path.
- The first mile and a half of the Rocky Branch is the crux of most of the steep stuff, which really isn't that steep, it's just a constant uphill climb before leveling off followed by minor ups and downs as it passes by the Dry River Wilderness Boundary and over to the 'T' junction for the start of the Engine Hill Bushwhack.
- The Engine Hill Bushwhack is taken in the winter for a few reasons, it cuts some mileage off of the whole route, bypasses river crossings, and most importantly heads through one of the finest Birch glades in the White Mountains. Luckily for us the tracks from previous hikers were only slightly drifted over in a few spots and we had no issues heading through the glades before dropping down to intersect the Isolation Trail. The whack popped out on the Isolation Trail lower than usual but it was still a good re-entry point as the Isolation Trail is easy hiking as it barely gains any elevation until after the last water crossing.
- After the water crossings we made our way up to the Davis Path. The packed trail we were on took a shortcut saving a few tenths of a mile in the process as it gained the ridge just south of the trail junction of the Davis Path. From here we made great time over to the summit as sun filled snow flurries fell around us. The snow pack on the Davis Path is so deep that it opened up some bigger views than there usually are. The only downside was the high snow pack meant tree branches to the face and arms.
- It was a little windy on the summit but it wasn't too bad so we took a few pics, roamed around, and located the summit marker that is nailed to a tree.
- The hike out was as good as it gets, we finally encountered other hikers as we hooked back onto the bushwhack. We ran into our friend Matt who was hiking with a group that were all enjoying the hike over to Isolation. The walk back through the birch glades was one of the best ever, the sun was beating down on us, the wind was audible, and the views were excellent.
- Once we excited the Birch glades we beat feet back down to the parking lot, quickly stopping to chat with Franco who was heading up to enjoy the afternoon in the Birch glades on his way to Isolation, nice running into you again Franco!
- We made it back to the trailhead at 12 p.m. as the temps crept over thirty degrees which almost feels like t-shirt weather since this has been the winter from hell frozen over!

So this was going on at the Rocky Branch Parking lot at 6:30 in the morning! Love the old school plastic suitcases!

Heading up to the Wilderness Boundary on the Rocky Branch Trail

Entering the Birch glades on the bushwhack

Open birch glades line the way of the Engine Hill Bushwhack

Beautiful track through the glades

Crossing the Rocky Branch. After the last crossing there was a huge drift, luckily it was broken down a few days back

Heading up the Isolation Trail and Davis Path

Davis Path with Mount Isolation in view

Mount Isolation summit

Heading back along the Davis Path with the Presidential Range in view

Back through the Birch glades

Whitney makes tracks through the wide open glades

Heading back down to the car

Route for the day, click here for details

Engine Hill Bushwhack last winter (red) compared to this winter (yellow)

Date of Hike: 1/5/14

Rocky Branch Trail: 3.0 miles / Engine Hill Bushwhack: 1.3 miles / Isolation Trail: 1.3 miles / Davis Path: 1.8 miles / Isolation Trail: 1.3 miles / Engine Hill Bushwhack: 1.3 miles / Rocky Branch Trail: 3.0 miles
Total Miles: 13.0 (3,922 feet elevation gained)
Click here for trail descriptions

Trip Report:
- What a difference a couple of days make! Last Monday, the hike to Isolation was filled with snow as high winds swept across the birch glades and almost knocked the group I was with off the summit (Click here for that trip report). On Sunday, the trail was a highway with nicely packed down snow, no wind, and abundant sunshine!
- Like I stated in my previous post I am a 'Orphan Hiker' for the time being and was happy to see that for Sunday's hike we adopted another hiker, Nicole, who was looking for a group to head up Mount Isolation with. Our group today consisted of Bob & Geri, Tony & Kelsey, Steven & myself, and Nicole!
- Nicole set a great pace over the first three miles to the height of land and the start start of the Engine Hill Bushwhack. As we hiked over the old logging roads she spotted a Turkey Vulture high up and the tree. I had actually never seen one while hiking, usually they are spotted on the side of the roads. It was a pretty cool sight to see and the only wildlife we saw the whole day.
- The hike to Isolation is very moderate with not one steep section until the one hundred yard dash up to the summit from the Davis Path. When the weather is tame in the winter it is actually a much easier hike than in the other three seasons as the boot-sucking mud, standing/running water in the trail, water crossings, rocks, roots, and rotted bog bridges are covered up nicely with snow.
- It was interesting to do the hike again less than a week after just doing it. I kept looking at my GPS watch (awesome Christmas gift from my mom!) comparing how the time was quicker than before because of not having to break the whole trail out!
- The real gem of the hike are the birch glades that are traveled through on the 'Engine Hill Bushwhack.' The bushwhack is used in the winter to cut a couple miles off the trip and avoids a few water crossings. It starts about three miles in at a 'T' carved into a pine tree. It was such a great day out that we took our time heading through the glades taking it all in as it was the first time Tony, Kelsey, Steven, and Nicole had been through it. I hope to head here in the fall to check out the glades at peak foliage, it'll be really muddy and wet in places but must look amazing in early October.
- After the birch glades we went full speed ahead to the Davis Path Junction. As we passed one of the designated campsites we saw that a previous hiker we had passed had spent a planned night there, that must have been really chilly but really cool spending a night under the stars in the dead of winter.
- Once we gained the ridge I told Kelsey I really like to push it along the ridge to the spur path below the summit so we took off until a partial clearing of a great view just below the summit. Soon after we were all back in a group as we went up the final steep section to the open summit where we were greeted with phenomenal views and no wind! We took a bunch of pictures and had lunch and enjoyed a perfect bluebird day on Isolation.
- After a nice break we hiked back out, while Nicole and Bob took off as Bob took pictures of Nicole while she sledded sections with her plastic butt sled! We all met up back at the 'T' tree at the beginning of the Engine Hill Bushwhack with just under three miles back to the car.
- Bob, Nicole, and Tony took off there snowshoes and I said I was going to try and beat them to the trailhead with my snowshoes on. So I took off sprinting down the rest of the way, figuring they were chasing me, of course no one was! It felt great to run, even in snowshoes, the Tubbs Flex Alp aren't great to run in but over five years of owning two pairs I've figured out how to. I blitzed down the mountain, picking up a fallen map along the way and passing two guys we had previously seen as they were enjoying the last mile back to the car. I was out of breath by the parking lot, which was a great way to finish up Isolation.
- I changed and waited for the others, talking to the two guys who are on Hike-NH, they are closing in on their Winter 48. Tony came out of the woods first followed shortly by Kelsey, followed by Bob and Nicole, with Geri and Steven popping out a few minutes after them.
- It was another great hike of Isolation with a really fun group. I hope Nicole enjoyed our goofy banter (Making fun of my dating adventures and Steven's love of his life that he has yet to meet!).
- After saying our goodbyes I took off back to RI and just missed out on the nasty weather and caught a great sunset drive through the notches!