| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Mt. Isolation, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Rocky Branch Trail, bushwhacks, Davis Path, Isolation Spur |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Monday, December 8, 2025 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Only car today. Space for many. Lot was unplowed when we arrived and partially plowed when we left. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Snow - Packed Powder/Loose Granular, Snow/Ice - Frozen Granular, Snow - Drifts |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
Snowshoes |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
The crossing on ISO Express is partially bridged. We used poles and tried to stay mainly on the rocks as the ice thickness is a little too thin for comfort. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
One step over on lower part of Rocky Branch (I think it’s a large limb that could be dragged aside if it weren’t frozen to the ground), one larger tree down further up Rocky Branch. Folks have gone around it on the right. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
The forecast called for cold and wind so we chose Isolation to stay protected. Snowshoes went on at the car and stayed on all day… no way was I going to be fiddling with bindings in this cold. A few inches of new snow and lots of blowing meant that we had a pretty clean slate, though the trough was there and solid underneath. On Engine Hill, there were a few places where the trough split. We chose to go right every time and I think it was the correct choice. Engine Hill pops out directly across from the entrance to ISO Express, which follows a nice route (up the right side). Davis Path was drifted in and hadn’t seen any traffic heading north at all. We layered up at the sign for the spur and then popped out to the summit for a few minutes. Jon’s reading on the Kestrel was 3°F with a windchill of -30°. The winds were far less than had been forecast, thankfully. |
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 | Name: |
WanderingSoules |
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 | E-Mail: |
soules@writeme.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2025-12-08 |
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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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