Lucky Laura
Active member
My grade school buddy, Daphne, her husband, Boz and the Queen of Zena desperately wanted to hike Isolation Saturday, especially after I promised them there is no worse time to do this trail than in Spring. Mud, rotten snow bridges, daunting river crossings... the more nutty I portrayed it, the more adament they were to do it.
We spotted a car at Rocky Branch, just in case they really, really wanted to descend down the "adventurous" way and we headed up to Glen Ellis Trailhead. I had driven up from Manchester in drizzel and gray skies, but a patch of blue sky looked promising overhead. We set off just past 7am up the Glen Boulder Trail. Queen Zena, a 60 pound spirited black lab, needed a little carry here and there up some of the scrambles down low, but soon thereafter, was bounding up the trail and cooling herself off on any snow patches available. The passing views were getting better and better- blanketing Washington and Boot Spur one moment then disrobing before our eyes. Zena attempted to push the mighty Glen Boulder down to Route 16 with her two front paws but we chided her in time to prevent its rolling away.
At 5100 feet or so, we intersected the Davis Path and it was the first of a few times I heard, "why did we climb up to 5100 feet when our peak is down below us at 4000"? Revenge was going to be sweet later. The route down Davis path is fine- a few blow downs here and there, some hardened snow stretches and some really rotten ones too- the minefields. Which bridge is gonna give? We all had traction but never bothered. It was so much more fun to slip and fall, which we all did in great form. The mud and water soon began in earnest as we reached the junction and headed off the last .9 to Isolation. One really cool "pot hole" in the middle of a massive snow bridge tempted Daphne but she resisted its lure. 5 leisurely hours after we started, we relaxed on Isolation, enjoying great views, with some entire ridges clouded over and others shimmering in the sun.
Back at the Davis Path/Rocky Branch junction, I was outvoted to return the same way in spite of fair warning. Boz kept commenting on how he had adequately waterproofed his boots. Uh, huh. You think you've seen mud and water up to this point, do you? The real fun began as we turned down the Rocky Branch Trail (how many recent posts up RB?). Big thick stretches of snow undermined by the ample streams underneath them. It was not a question of if you would break through- just when. Shortly before the first river crossing, we met someone coming up! Holy moly. "How was the trail below," we asked? He was too interested in how the route out Glen Boulder was to respond to us.
First river crossing- a breeze. Things were not spicy enough, and I worried that this hike would be too dull. Boz had never bushwacked before that he knows of, so I tricked them into the Engine Hill bushwack -"we'll cut off a half mile and save us two river crossings". Who cared? Our feet could not get any wetter from the river than they already were. "It'll be fun!" That line worked. We climbed up 100 feet shortly after the water crossing and found pretty good terrain. It was spongy but not horrible and we found the pretty glades to walk through. Those who use this in winter know there is no easier way to get Isolation than this route when snow covered. Things went pretty well, Boz was serenading Daphne with the Lonely Goatherd and other SOM songs... But I sort of underestimated the length and time of the bushwack. Another tenth or so... another tenth or so... long story short, even I got nervous and started to think we might have to shoot a moose for our burgers since the kitchen at the Red Parka Pub would be closed by the time we got there. Alas, after some hair raising moments, we emerged to Rocky Branch trail well EAST of the col. Not my best bushwack and first time I came out way the heck down there, but everyone got happy and some hard stuff was drank on the spot to revive flagging spirits.
Well, it was a long boring descent down Rocky Branch after that- I couldn't think of anything to spice up the descent and Boz was looking a little pathetic now. Even Queen Zena wasted no energy running ahead and returning. She was all about conserving energy now. But what better way to spend 10 hours on an otherwise gray Saturday? Unless it's to ice the cake afterwards with beer and burgers at the pub in Glen, maybe?
We spotted a car at Rocky Branch, just in case they really, really wanted to descend down the "adventurous" way and we headed up to Glen Ellis Trailhead. I had driven up from Manchester in drizzel and gray skies, but a patch of blue sky looked promising overhead. We set off just past 7am up the Glen Boulder Trail. Queen Zena, a 60 pound spirited black lab, needed a little carry here and there up some of the scrambles down low, but soon thereafter, was bounding up the trail and cooling herself off on any snow patches available. The passing views were getting better and better- blanketing Washington and Boot Spur one moment then disrobing before our eyes. Zena attempted to push the mighty Glen Boulder down to Route 16 with her two front paws but we chided her in time to prevent its rolling away.
At 5100 feet or so, we intersected the Davis Path and it was the first of a few times I heard, "why did we climb up to 5100 feet when our peak is down below us at 4000"? Revenge was going to be sweet later. The route down Davis path is fine- a few blow downs here and there, some hardened snow stretches and some really rotten ones too- the minefields. Which bridge is gonna give? We all had traction but never bothered. It was so much more fun to slip and fall, which we all did in great form. The mud and water soon began in earnest as we reached the junction and headed off the last .9 to Isolation. One really cool "pot hole" in the middle of a massive snow bridge tempted Daphne but she resisted its lure. 5 leisurely hours after we started, we relaxed on Isolation, enjoying great views, with some entire ridges clouded over and others shimmering in the sun.
Back at the Davis Path/Rocky Branch junction, I was outvoted to return the same way in spite of fair warning. Boz kept commenting on how he had adequately waterproofed his boots. Uh, huh. You think you've seen mud and water up to this point, do you? The real fun began as we turned down the Rocky Branch Trail (how many recent posts up RB?). Big thick stretches of snow undermined by the ample streams underneath them. It was not a question of if you would break through- just when. Shortly before the first river crossing, we met someone coming up! Holy moly. "How was the trail below," we asked? He was too interested in how the route out Glen Boulder was to respond to us.
First river crossing- a breeze. Things were not spicy enough, and I worried that this hike would be too dull. Boz had never bushwacked before that he knows of, so I tricked them into the Engine Hill bushwack -"we'll cut off a half mile and save us two river crossings". Who cared? Our feet could not get any wetter from the river than they already were. "It'll be fun!" That line worked. We climbed up 100 feet shortly after the water crossing and found pretty good terrain. It was spongy but not horrible and we found the pretty glades to walk through. Those who use this in winter know there is no easier way to get Isolation than this route when snow covered. Things went pretty well, Boz was serenading Daphne with the Lonely Goatherd and other SOM songs... But I sort of underestimated the length and time of the bushwack. Another tenth or so... another tenth or so... long story short, even I got nervous and started to think we might have to shoot a moose for our burgers since the kitchen at the Red Parka Pub would be closed by the time we got there. Alas, after some hair raising moments, we emerged to Rocky Branch trail well EAST of the col. Not my best bushwack and first time I came out way the heck down there, but everyone got happy and some hard stuff was drank on the spot to revive flagging spirits.
Well, it was a long boring descent down Rocky Branch after that- I couldn't think of anything to spice up the descent and Boz was looking a little pathetic now. Even Queen Zena wasted no energy running ahead and returning. She was all about conserving energy now. But what better way to spend 10 hours on an otherwise gray Saturday? Unless it's to ice the cake afterwards with beer and burgers at the pub in Glen, maybe?
