| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Glen Boulder, Mt. Isolation (attempt), NH |
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 | Trails: |
Diretissima, Glen Boulder Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Tuesday, January 15, 2019 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Plenty of parking at Pinkham Notch |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Ice - Blue, Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow - Unpacked Powder, Snow - Drifts, Snow/Ice - Monorail (Unstable) |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes, Light Traction |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
No issues |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Cleared a few small branches off Direttissima |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
DO NOT attempt Isolation via Glen Boulder! Set out late Monday morning for an overnight trip to Isolation. Direttissima trail was tracked out and is now broken decently. Still soft however. Glen Boulder is packed out nicely except for a small stretch that was post-holed by moose but still is unstable and requires snowhoes. Great going above treeline up to the Glen Boulder where Spikes were fine, just the occasional drift to rock hop around. Weather was great, I was making good time and then things got interesting. Once you hit krummholz and high scrub again after the steep ascent from Glen Boulder the going gets difficult. VERY difficult. I was following a pair of snowshoe tracks and into the forest I went. It started as meandering through a few snagging branches and ducking a few limbs. Then it got tighter and tighter, crawling on my knees at one point. It felt like small children were constantly grabbing my pack and pulling on it as I tried to walk forward. There was really no apparent trail for more than 50 ft or so at a time. The deeper in I got the deeper the snow got. I'd venture to say at least a 4-5 ft snow-pack. I saw one blaze at my feet and the others were most likely buried. I ventured in maybe a quarter mile until the snowshoe track ended. I was exhausted, getting wet from the snow laden trees, and at this point it was getting later in the day. I had no choice but to admit defeat. I turned back and made it back to alpine zone. I had planned for an overnight trip, and given the sun was due to set before too long, I wandered back into the trees off trail and found a small clearing to pitch my tent for the night. I fell short of my goal but still had a great night in the woods. I also caught an amazing sunrise. I would say that this route to Isolation is not feasible until we get a major snowmelt or not until spring. Even with great map and compass skills one would have to be a glutton for punishment to achieve this route. Looks like I'll be doing the engine hill buswhack as some point this winter. |
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 | Name: |
BK Noonan |
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 | E-Mail: |
scrapperbk@yahoo.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2019-01-15 |
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 | Link: |
 https:// |
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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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