Isolation via Rocky Branch (out and back), 14.6 miles, 3400', 3:30 out, 3:15 back, 6:45 actual hiking time.
After a flurry of e-mail exchanges, Roxi, Larry ("the ex" and my regular hiking partner) and I agreed to Isolation via Rocky Branch for Wednesday August 22, 2007. I was coming from Maine, and met them at the trail head. During my warm up and stretch, I met two gentlemen in their early sixties - Ed and Guy. They left Ed's car there and went up to Glenn Boulder. Ed casually mentioned this would be his 45th trip to Isolation. After they left, I noticed his license plate suggested he'd done two rounds of the 48 in every month. I did the math and came up with 1152 trips, minimum, plus 42 previous trips to Isolation. We did bump into them on the Davis path on our way down. I'm sure that Ed is a locally famous individual, but he never gave me his last name.
By 8:30, we were on our way up the Rocky Branch. Last week while doing Cabot, Roxi could not stop talking about Isolation, and I was pretty excited about it myself. The first half mile or so is very moderate and allows for a gentle warm up. For a short while, the trail coincides with a back country ski trail, which is blazed with blue diamonds. Then next two miles or so are the steepest, until cresting Engine Hill, after which there is about 250 feet of downhill before crossing the Rocky Branch. This is the halfway point, and we paused to enjoy the crossing. For the first of many times today, we bumped into a father-son duo from CT who were working on their list.
After the first crossing, we turned north (right) on the Isolation Trail where things got wetter and muddier. The Isolation trial follows the river for a while, crossing it twice more, before angling up towards higher ground. For a while, the soothing river sounds vanish leaving only the sounds of boots, poles, and red squirrels. After the final crossing, the trail gets gets a bit steeper as it turns west and attacks the ridge. About here the game of rock hopping begins. While still wet and muddy, it was nowhere near as wet and muddy as just a month ago (Roxi's first climb.) The woods change from more hardwoods, birches and open areas into a scrub forest, and the trail twists around the gnarled roots of the evergreens.
Finally, the Isolation Trail ends at the Davis Path where a left turn takes you south towards Isolation. Just after this junction, we encountered a family of grouse. The chicks seemed unable to fly, but the mother was above us in the trees keeping an eye on things. Both curious and shy, the chicks popped in and out of the low cover to check us out, peck at some food, and run back in. The Davis path descends for a bit across a sag in the ridge, before heading up again towards the Isolation spur path. The trail here is not steep at all, rather wide (for wilderness anyway) and the footing is excellent. A small cairn on the right side marks the spur path to the summit ledges. It takes 3-5 minutes to ascend this final spur and after which you come out on the ledges facing the Southern Presidentials.
In a word: Wow. Perfect weather, excellent visibility, and an incredible view. Isolation could be described as "The Southern Presidentials in High Definition.". The views to the west, north, and east are spectacular and unobstructed, while the views to the south are had by peering through the scrub. Carrigain and the Twins tower over the trees, but views to the south are clearly not the main attraction.
After a hard-earned lunch, we lounged around longer than usual (45 minutes, perhaps), took some photos, and with some sadness, "turned off the television" 
The trip out reversed the trip in, so there isn't much to add, other than the final crossing (first cross on the way in, final on the way out) offered a nice break. On this crossing, we wandered downstream a hundred yards or so and were rewarded with a short cliff on which we sat and watched the water fall 6 feet or so, spraying downward and outward. If the water levels allow it, I recommend this short detour. Heck if you like boulder-hopping in rivers, I'm sure that you could explore quite a ways.
The complete album is here:
Tim
After a flurry of e-mail exchanges, Roxi, Larry ("the ex" and my regular hiking partner) and I agreed to Isolation via Rocky Branch for Wednesday August 22, 2007. I was coming from Maine, and met them at the trail head. During my warm up and stretch, I met two gentlemen in their early sixties - Ed and Guy. They left Ed's car there and went up to Glenn Boulder. Ed casually mentioned this would be his 45th trip to Isolation. After they left, I noticed his license plate suggested he'd done two rounds of the 48 in every month. I did the math and came up with 1152 trips, minimum, plus 42 previous trips to Isolation. We did bump into them on the Davis path on our way down. I'm sure that Ed is a locally famous individual, but he never gave me his last name.By 8:30, we were on our way up the Rocky Branch. Last week while doing Cabot, Roxi could not stop talking about Isolation, and I was pretty excited about it myself. The first half mile or so is very moderate and allows for a gentle warm up. For a short while, the trail coincides with a back country ski trail, which is blazed with blue diamonds. Then next two miles or so are the steepest, until cresting Engine Hill, after which there is about 250 feet of downhill before crossing the Rocky Branch. This is the halfway point, and we paused to enjoy the crossing. For the first of many times today, we bumped into a father-son duo from CT who were working on their list.
After the first crossing, we turned north (right) on the Isolation Trail where things got wetter and muddier. The Isolation trial follows the river for a while, crossing it twice more, before angling up towards higher ground. For a while, the soothing river sounds vanish leaving only the sounds of boots, poles, and red squirrels. After the final crossing, the trail gets gets a bit steeper as it turns west and attacks the ridge. About here the game of rock hopping begins. While still wet and muddy, it was nowhere near as wet and muddy as just a month ago (Roxi's first climb.) The woods change from more hardwoods, birches and open areas into a scrub forest, and the trail twists around the gnarled roots of the evergreens.
Finally, the Isolation Trail ends at the Davis Path where a left turn takes you south towards Isolation. Just after this junction, we encountered a family of grouse. The chicks seemed unable to fly, but the mother was above us in the trees keeping an eye on things. Both curious and shy, the chicks popped in and out of the low cover to check us out, peck at some food, and run back in. The Davis path descends for a bit across a sag in the ridge, before heading up again towards the Isolation spur path. The trail here is not steep at all, rather wide (for wilderness anyway) and the footing is excellent. A small cairn on the right side marks the spur path to the summit ledges. It takes 3-5 minutes to ascend this final spur and after which you come out on the ledges facing the Southern Presidentials.
In a word: Wow. Perfect weather, excellent visibility, and an incredible view. Isolation could be described as "The Southern Presidentials in High Definition.". The views to the west, north, and east are spectacular and unobstructed, while the views to the south are had by peering through the scrub. Carrigain and the Twins tower over the trees, but views to the south are clearly not the main attraction.
After a hard-earned lunch, we lounged around longer than usual (45 minutes, perhaps), took some photos, and with some sadness, "turned off the television"
The trip out reversed the trip in, so there isn't much to add, other than the final crossing (first cross on the way in, final on the way out) offered a nice break. On this crossing, we wandered downstream a hundred yards or so and were rewarded with a short cliff on which we sat and watched the water fall 6 feet or so, spraying downward and outward. If the water levels allow it, I recommend this short detour. Heck if you like boulder-hopping in rivers, I'm sure that you could explore quite a ways.The complete album is here:
Tim
