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Ski
Hiking Trail Conditions Report
Peaks
Peaks Stairs Mountain, Mt. Davis, Mt. Isolation, NH
Trails
Trails: Rocky Branch Trail, Stairs Col Trail, Davis Path, Stairs Spur, Davis Spur, Isolation Spur, Isolation Trail
Date of Hike
Date of Hike: Friday, November 18, 2016
Parking/Access Road Notes
Parking/Access Road Notes: Parked at the Rocky Branch Rte 16 trailhead. No issues. 
Surface Conditions
Surface Conditions: Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Significant, Leaves - Significant/Slippery 
Recommended Equipment
Recommended Equipment:  
Water Crossing Notes
Water Crossing Notes: The initial Rocky Branch crossing at the Isolation Trail junction was hoppable. The Rocky Branch between Shelters 2 (no longer there) and 1 was much tougher. We had to cross the river approximately 6 times (felt like 100 times) and perhaps due to the rerouting of the trail, none of these crossings were "hoppable", especially with overnight packs. Thankfully the air temperature was warm - and with that in mind, we opted to roll up our pants and ford the river at each crossing. The river was flowing rapidly and the water levels were a bit higher due to a combination of recent rain and warmer temps - with that said, I still think this section would offer challenges unless we were in drought conditions. At one point, we ended up fording the river onto a substantial rock slide and then ahd to backtrack down to the river and over to the cairn that marked the trail (they wanted us to cross where??). Needless to say, no amount of dry socks were going to help us on this trip. We would not have attempted these crossing if the air temp was much lower. You might be able to bushwhack in order to avoid some of these crossings, but we were short on day light and didn't want to waste too much time. All in all, this section of the trail made for a very interesting trip. 
Trail Maintenance Notes
Trail Maintenance Notes: Much thanks to the maintainers who rebuilt Rocky Branch after Irene. You can see that much work went into the reroutes and trail cleanup. Most of the blowdowns from Irene have been removed or cut away. With that said, there were several points between Shelters 2 and 1 when we lost the trail. There are no trail markers or blazes for the most part and since this section of the trail has not seen a lot of traffic, the trail is less than noticeable at points. This was made more difficult by a substantial ground covering of leaves. We never wandered too far from the trail and were able to get back on track within a few minutes (maps and GPS did help). The trail was a little weak in parts near the river's edge - at one point the side of the trail gave way and I took a slight digger, losing my Nalgene and hiking poles downstream. Thankfully, my boyfriend was able to grab them. Davis path was wet and a little confusing to follow between Stairs and Davis, but other than that no real issues.  
Dog-Related Notes
Dog-Related Notes: The water crossings between Shelters might be difficult for some dogs. 
Bugs
Bugs:  
Lost and Found
Lost and Found:  
 
Comments
Comments: This was an overall awesome trip. We wanted to do a loop backpacking trip and this worked out well, even though the water crossings were mentally exhausting. The trip ended up being just shy of 25 miles. Camping on Stairs Mountain is absolutely amazing. There are three spots on top of the mountain and since we were the only ones up there, we were able to grab the spot closest to the summit ledge. There is no water source on Stairs, but that didn't pose an issue since we carried up extra. There are several opportunities to refill on Davis Path and Isolation Trail if need be. If we were do this trip again we would most likely skip Rocky Branch between shelters and either do this as a two car traverse or an out and back via the Rocky Branch trailhead at Jericho Road or Davis Path.  
Name
Name: Leeanne 
E-Mail
E-Mail: nagle_lm@comcast.net 
Date Submitted
Date Submitted: 2016-11-25 
Link
Link: https:// 
Bookmark and Share Disclaimer: Reports are not verified - conditions may vary. Use at own risk. Always be prepared when hiking. Observe all signs. Trail conditions reports are not substitutes for weather reports or common sense.

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