Isolation...the hard way

Activity Type: Hiking, Local Walks, & Trail Running | Hiking
Difficulty: 6 - Strenuous
Trip Leader(s): Peter Osler, Katie Colleran
Registration Type: Application
Please Click Here to RSVP: https://activities.outdoors.org/a5UVX000001Jxv3
Audience: Everyone

Description: Isolation Via Mizpah and Dry River Wilderness
DATE: Saturday, October 24, 2026. Join Katie and Pete for a fast-paced romp across the southern Presidentials, the Dry River Wilderness, and the Montalban Ridge to peak bag Mt Isolation. For those of you not familiar with Mt Isolation, there are two major approaches–via Rocky Branch and over Boott Spur–the first legendarily swampy, and the second involving 700 feet of ascending MORE than Mt Washington(despite the mountain being barely 4000 ft)! Add in the 3rd seldom used approach: Davis Path out of lower Crawford Notch–a looong way to get it. However, there is a 4th approach that I’ve come to regard as superior over my 18 times out there: Out of Crawford Notch at the Highland Center, past Mizpah hut and down into the Dry River Wilderness on some of the least used trails in the Whites, ascend the Montalban Ridge via the Mt Isolation Trail West, then out to Isolation on the Davis path–the round trip is 18.5 miles, 6200 ft ascending, a big day by anyone’s standard…But–Oh the beauty! You’ll be walking on seldom used trails along beautiful mountain streams seldom visited in the midst of the Dry River Wilderness to which no-one goes–because it is so hard to get to!
And Mt Isolation itself? Barely 4000 ft, but with stunning views of Mt Washington, Boo–tay Spur, the southern Presidentials, and views into the seldom seen Oaks Gulf. Many a time I’ve lounged on the sun drenched rocks by myself admiring that view asking myself: Is there a better view in the Whites? (And more than a couple of times where I’ve dived for cover telling myself that I need to hot-foot it out of there lest I’m reading about myself in the New Hampshire Union Leader the next day!)
We’re doing this in late October, so nominally you’re going to need shoulder season gear–hiking tights, base/mid layers, puffy, hat and gloves. Of course you’ll need rain gear. If things go really south you’re going to need micro spikes and gaters. The qualifying candidate is going to know what they need :-)  Anyway, this is where you need to start paying attention: Both Katie and I like to keep moving at between 2 and 2.5 MPH–up and down–the whole way, with a nice stop at the objective weather permitting. You should be able to do the same. The qualifying candidate for this hike should meet the following criteria: Pre-approval from Pete or Katie (like you’ve been on one of our other trips); OR Times/distances/elevation gains from similar recent trips (like strava data!); OR A really, really good story

Reminder: Please click the RSVP link above to register!