NH Tramper
Member
Date of Hike: May 31, 2014
Trail Conditions: Once above treeline, the Glen Boulder Trail gave us great rock on which to climb, it's so nice going that way. The Boulder itself is still unmovable (I admit I always try to roll it down to Route 16... but I always fail). All trails were wet in places, and offered up many blowdowns, though none were really problematic. All trails gave us some mud, and had either ice or snow on them. Davis Path had a surprising depth of snow in places (but, really, you can leave your snowshoes home). After my recent trip up Valley Way with its northern aspect, I was really quite surprised to see that much snow in areas that get good midday sun, at a lower elevation, and further south. Wow. Mt Isolation Trail and Rocky Branch Trail were both, in typical fashion, tough transits, with lots of water and slippery rocks on them making the going slower. Oh, and watch for those patches that look solid. The river crossings weren't bad, though I'd suggest carrying trekking poles. They would be more challenging without. We didn't see all the crossings because we took the "Engine Hill Bushwhack," but it was reported by others that the first crossing was the worst.
Special Equipment Used: We brought trekking poles and found them useful for the crossings and general trail negotiation. We barebooted the entire trek; absolutely no need for traction, though some in my party did bring spikes. I mentioned there was a great depth of snow in places -- like one to two feet -- but these stretches were extremely short in length. Time to walk on top or just bust it up. We brought bug spray, and there were some black flies out at the end of the day near the exit, but we just kept moving. I strongly suggest bringing it, though, because its going to be bad soon. A hat that doesn't obstruct your view and safety glasses would be a not-so-bad idea on the trails mentioned; there are lots of eye pokers and head bangers out there. Beware.
Comments: I hiked this with Steff and Sparky, as well as some friends: Brian and Mary, and Rick and Lisa. It's annual thing for us and I always look forward to it. They are good people! We had a great day. We had light sprinkles about three times but we were prepared, acted quickly to protect ourselves and our gear, and the events were short-lived so we stayed dry. The foggy ascent was breezy and cool and we loved it; great hiking weather. After Slide Peak we started getting more views, and on Mt Isolation, we actually saw the Mt Washington summit. It was sunny and hot for our descent.
Add: Thanks to whoever has been doing trail work out there. That's a long way and a lot has been done. It is appreciated!
Mike "Tramper" Cherim
North Conway NH
Trail Conditions: Once above treeline, the Glen Boulder Trail gave us great rock on which to climb, it's so nice going that way. The Boulder itself is still unmovable (I admit I always try to roll it down to Route 16... but I always fail). All trails were wet in places, and offered up many blowdowns, though none were really problematic. All trails gave us some mud, and had either ice or snow on them. Davis Path had a surprising depth of snow in places (but, really, you can leave your snowshoes home). After my recent trip up Valley Way with its northern aspect, I was really quite surprised to see that much snow in areas that get good midday sun, at a lower elevation, and further south. Wow. Mt Isolation Trail and Rocky Branch Trail were both, in typical fashion, tough transits, with lots of water and slippery rocks on them making the going slower. Oh, and watch for those patches that look solid. The river crossings weren't bad, though I'd suggest carrying trekking poles. They would be more challenging without. We didn't see all the crossings because we took the "Engine Hill Bushwhack," but it was reported by others that the first crossing was the worst.
Special Equipment Used: We brought trekking poles and found them useful for the crossings and general trail negotiation. We barebooted the entire trek; absolutely no need for traction, though some in my party did bring spikes. I mentioned there was a great depth of snow in places -- like one to two feet -- but these stretches were extremely short in length. Time to walk on top or just bust it up. We brought bug spray, and there were some black flies out at the end of the day near the exit, but we just kept moving. I strongly suggest bringing it, though, because its going to be bad soon. A hat that doesn't obstruct your view and safety glasses would be a not-so-bad idea on the trails mentioned; there are lots of eye pokers and head bangers out there. Beware.
Comments: I hiked this with Steff and Sparky, as well as some friends: Brian and Mary, and Rick and Lisa. It's annual thing for us and I always look forward to it. They are good people! We had a great day. We had light sprinkles about three times but we were prepared, acted quickly to protect ourselves and our gear, and the events were short-lived so we stayed dry. The foggy ascent was breezy and cool and we loved it; great hiking weather. After Slide Peak we started getting more views, and on Mt Isolation, we actually saw the Mt Washington summit. It was sunny and hot for our descent.
Add: Thanks to whoever has been doing trail work out there. That's a long way and a lot has been done. It is appreciated!
Mike "Tramper" Cherim
North Conway NH
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