u/mr0bungle

This week I backpacked mount isolation. After hiking it nineteen times isolation is still my favorite mountain. I went up glen boulder, Down Davis path, and out isolation trail and Rocky branch. I stayed at a signed tentsite and watched the sunset AND sunrise! Both were amazing. The glen boulder trail still had a lot of snow above the spring spur. The Davis path did too. I would give that route more time to melt. Isolation trail and rocky branch were wet and muddy like usual. I didn’t take any of the popular bushwhacks. The uppermost water crossing on isolation trail was rock hoppable. The other crossings I bypassed by following herd paths. Otherwise I probably would have waded through in water shoes. I saw a rabbit. There was only one other group out.

last week I backpacked a three day extended Pemi loop. I dealt with a wide range of weather and trail conditions. There was a mix of dry trail, snow and puddles. Microspikes were needed for several sections. On day one I hiked flume, liberty, Lincoln, Lafayette and Garfield. There was rain at first but things improved a lot as I reached the ridge. I stayed at the Garfield ridge campsite. On day two I hiked galehead, south twin, north twin, and Zealand. There were snow squalls on and off all day and some high wind gusts around guyot. I stayed at the guyot campsite. From my tent platform I had a view of the sunrise and had a pine marten encounter. On day three I hiked west bond, bond and Bondcliff. 

I encountered winter conditions on willey tom and field today! there was up to an inch of new snow. Winters back for now.