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| Gray Jays of the Lower Ledge, Summit, Mount Isolation |
Anxious to get up to the mountains after many months in the mid-Atlantic, APC and I decided to put together a somewhat last-minute visit to the Whites in order to tackle two of the most remote 4000 footers on our respective lists - Owl's Head and Isolation. In the end, the four-day trip (including two travel days) was way too ambitious. We managed to bag only one.
But, man alive, is it one great mountain.
Although we arose quite early (4:30 AM) on our first planned hiking day, we lollygagged around longer than normal and finally hit the road more than an hour later. En route, we realized that we had forgotten a main component of our lunch and had to stop at an Irving mini mart for supplies. When we finally reached the Rocky Branch Trail parking area in Pinkham Notch, it was nearing 7:00 AM - way too late by our standards. As the first downpour of the morning started, we put on rain gear and slogged out through the muck bound for Mount Isolation. At the 1/2 mile mark, however, we read each other's minds and decided that we would call this one a "false start." Over the years, we've learned to heed the mountain gods -- if the signs point to a crappy day ahead, you have to listen to them.
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| Davis Path to Mount Isolation Summit |
In the end, it was the right decision. The following day afforded blue bird weather and we were back on the same trail -- this time by 5:30 AM. A short warm up hike up Mount Willard in Crawford Notch the afternoon before gave us our trail legs and we zipped up the Rocky Branch Trail at a quick clip... making particular note of the turn around point from the depressing day before. A long, fairly steady climb brought us to the height-of-land along Rocky Branch Ridge, which affords views across a narrow col to the summit of Isolation. By 10:30 AM, the looping route via the Isolation Trail and Davis Path had taken us to the summit, where we shared the amazing space with several other early rising hikers and a pair of gray jays eager to see what we had brought for lunch. All in all, the round trip clocked in at a long, but not that strenuous, nine hours of trail time.
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| Summit Cairn and USGS Marker, Mount Isolation |
The summit is one of the best, with striking views into the Presidential Range and a sweeping sense of, well, total isolation. With steady climbs, mossy landscapes, babbling brooks, and great vista points, Mount Isolation - though tied with Tecumseh as the smallest of the 4000 footers - definitely ranks as one of my top five.
Peak: Mount Isolation
Elevation: 4,003 feet (Gain: 3,600 feet)
Distance: 14.6 miles
Route: Up and back, Rocky Branch Trail, Isolation Trail, Davis Path
Conditions: Sunny, 70 degrees F
