isolation92307

9/2-3/07
Mount Isolation 4003’

14.6 Miles 3250’ Elevation gain

Kevin, Judy and Emma

Remember when your dad would to tell you, "I used to walk seven and a half miles to school. Uphill both ways."? Well, he was talking about hiking to Mount Isolation along the Rocky Branch, Isolation Trail and Davis Path. We made an overnight hike to Isolation along this route. We had made this hike before, woefully unprepared on a rainy day. The visibility that day was about a hundred feet. We made an even longer trip there by taking the Dry River Trail to the Isolation Trail and Davis Path on a hot, hazy, humid day in June of '04. We could see the surrounding mountains, but the haze made the viewing less than satisfying. This time we had a perfect for viewing high pressure day to make the long trek. Starting out with fully loaded packs from the parking area on Rte.16, we made the long , gradual climb to the height of land on the Rocky Branch Trail, then the slow descent to the Rocky Branch, the river for which the trail is named. The trail begins to get "rocky" as you begin to descend, and you have to pick your way through rocks and mud. After crossing the river and turning north on the Isolation Trail, there are some good sections for the first mile or so, although there are still some muddy sections, but then the trail deteriorates into rocks, roots and mud, continuously getting worse the further along you go, all the while climbing at a very gradual pace. By this time we are very tired from hauling packs all this way and the constant weaving around and over the rocks and muddy sections. It is very slow going. Shortly before reaching the tentsites near the junction with the Davis Path, I was near certain we had gone astray and missed our turn off. Nothing looked familiar from our first hike that way. Soon I could see the rising landscape to our left that I was hoping was Mount Isolation, and we trudged on. It was much further to the junction with the Davis Path than I had remembered. All of a sudden, I caught a whiff of woodsmoke, and stopping to look around, I spied a tent in the woods. I thought,"If this isn't the tentsites, at least I can find out where the hell we are!" I was tired! Thankfully, the Davis Path was about a hundred yards past this. After that section of the Isolation Trail, the Davis Path was like walking on a city sidewalk. We soon put the 9/10ths of a mile to the summit behind us and dropped the packs for the first time that day. Searching around the summit I found a suitable, legal tentsite and quickly set up camp. After this, we climbed back up on the ledges and watched the sunset as we ate our dinner of sandwiches and cold drinks. It wasn't real cold, but the wind was picking up and the temps were dropping, and with the added wind chill we were glad to have our spot down in the trees. After sunset we climbed into the tent, exhausted from the days work of getting there with all our gear. It gave a new twist to the "Labor" Day weekend. After dark I ventured out to climb back up the ledge and see the stars.The moon wasn't up yet and the clear sky revealed the unfathomable universe in all its glory. The Milky Way stretched from northeast to southwest horizon and I had to remind myself that it was not wispy clouds but the light of millions of stars. There was a very bright planet visible in the south, Mars or Jupiter, I think, bright as an airplane's headlight. To the east I could see the Portland Headlight blinking on the horizon. I stood until the cold wind made me shiver so much I could hardly make the short trip back to the warmth of the tent and my sleeping bag. Emma had a restless night, and kept us awake a lot, coupled with the fact that the ground where the tent was pitched was bumpy and uneven, we had very little sleep between us. Just before dawn we rose, got dressed and made the short climb back up to the ledge to witness the thing that makes going through all this discomfort worthwhile. Sunrise from a spot like this is just indescribable. The pictures, though inadequate to portray the true majesty of sunrise from this remote spot, will have to suffice, as I cannot describe in words the glory of the dawn we witnessed on this day. Third times the charm, as they say. After sunrise we made tea and had some biscuits for breakfast, packed up our gear, and hit the long trail back with a renewed energy. It was as though the tough slog to the summit the day before and the sleepless night had been a thing of the distant past. The day was beautiful, and we were to again spend the day walking through the woods. Who cared if our burden was heavy and the way was long?