Saturday, March 1, 2025
Summits: Isolation
Start/Finish: Rocky Branch North TH
Miles: 11.02
Elevation gain/loss: 4029′
After Owls Head, I drove over to Rocky Branch for my 2nd hike of the day. Iso was a lesson in extremes – it was 40 degrees and sunny when I started, sweating in a t-shirt and in less than 3 hours, it was 18 degrees with 30 MPH winds and moderately heavy snow. I ended up needing my big insulated mitts, since my damp hands nearly froze when the temperatures dropped and the wind picked up.
However, the Iso Express track set was one of the smoothest routes I’ve seen, and the Engine Hill track was excellent as well. The snow was firm and held my weight, so it was spikes door-to-door. It was also nice to say hi to Phil Carcia as he was finishing Iso as I was starting.
Transcending Mountains 