This is one I’ve been waiting to put together since I hiked it in March. The stars and the planets came into alignment, and so here it is. Share and enjoy! (And please don’t forget to hit the “like” button and subscribe!)
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An attempt at a trail is usually Type II fun. Obviously, you went there with a goal, but something happened. Powder snow. Step-slide, step-slide gets old quickly.
Most people hike Mt Isolation from the east, crossing Rocky Branch half a dozen times. But what about the west side, by the Dry River Trail?
Mud season put the kibosh on plans to hike elsewhere, so I hiked up to the fire tower on Red Hill in Moultonborough, NH
Mt Hale is a short hike to the summit. So how to bulk out the day? Add a couple other side-destinations, of course!
2 thoughts on “New Video! Mt Isolation”
Thank you for sharing the video. I have hiked some of the NH48 and am hoping to hike the Rocky Branch trail etc. to Mt. Isolation this summer. Do you have any advice?
Isolation via Rocky Branch can be a wet slog. Pick the day of your outing carefully. It can be a very wet trail indeed. That said, Isolation is also a hard trail, most certainly at least Type II fun. As such, after five times standing on its summit, it’s totally burrowed its way into my heart; a crazy, dysfunctional relationship… yep.
You’d never pick your favorite child, and in the same vein, every one of the 48 has its own special sauce. Owl’s Head is hard because of its inaccessibility. So too is Isolation. But the two almost couldn’t be more different. (Not the least, Isolation actually has a view that’s pretty freaking amazing. Owl’s Head’s view is more… sublime.) Take them on their own merits.
I actually liked the “back way” up the Dry River Trail (https://www.proteanwanderer.com/2020/09/25/3188/) but if you’ve not done Isolation at all yet, do it by the Rocky Branch trail, at least to say you did it that way. It’s the “trade route” but by no means an easy path. But then again, Isolation in particular doesn’t give up its secrets easily. Dedicate a whole day for it, and I recommend a notably dry day. There are water crossings, and they’re not usually simple. Plan a long day. It’s a lot of rough miles.
But stick it out, and you’ll be amply rewarded.