x's through Mounts Willey, Field and Tom means that I did them (last July); and I've done Jackson, Webster, Moriah, Adams, Madison, Jefferson and Wildcats A and D earlier this summer.
The trailhead parking area is just south of AMC's Pinkham Notch Visitor Center on Rt. 16. The BEST WAY is up 93 to the Kancamagus Highway (112), and then north on Bear Notch Rod to Bartlett on 302, then east to 16 North:
Once again, the drive-by views from two turnouts on Bear Notch Road are wonderful:
I take a picture of the trail descriptions:
It is a good idea to actually READ CAREFULLY the description!
so that you DO NOT take the trail at the SOUTH end of the parking lot!
So, I actually did take the trail at the south end of the parking lot - it was lovely:
and it allowed me to pick up some junk metal in one of our National Forests!
Good thing I had my work gloves, just in case I was going to do some bushwhacking. (We'll see, we'll see)
After a mile-and-a-half, I went back and got on the real trail at 1:30. It was nice through the woods
and fields
but it got tricky when it turned into ITS OWN STREAM!
After 3.7 miles, I was crossing over Rocky Branch:
Then north 2.6 miles on Isolation Trail, which crosses back and forth over Rocky Branch. The cairn on the right marks where I enter the woods after this crossing:
Final crossing of Rocky Branch (it is the Rocky Branch of the Saco River, and this is all in the Dry Creek Wilderness):
About a mile-and-a-half into Isolation Trail, this is what "blowdown" looks like. Severe storms/micro-bursts literally "blow down" a stand of trees. This blowdown did not block the trail (much), and it opens up the sky and views:
I made it up to Davis Path - Mount Isolation is a mile south (some "Isolation" - I have already seen 3 guys and a dog):
And, after chatting with an AMC worker, and a guy and his son camping on Isolation, I got my selfie on the top!
the views were much better than I expected
and my wife really likes this picture:
Back down from the mountain top, I was able to take a picture of the NEW SIGN:
It had just been put up by the worker guy I talked with. I asked him about bushwhacking straight down from Mount Davis, to get back to Rocky Brach Trail in about 1 mile, instead of hiking 5 miles back up-and-around? He asked if I had done it before? "If I had done it, I wouldn't be asking you about it."(all with a smile on my face)
I have not shown you my MapMyWalk hike, so here it is:
And this terrain-view shows the area down from Mt. Davis (red icon) east to Rocky Branch:
Hey, they even put a dotted line on the map, just for me!!
He said that he had never heard anyone doing that bushwhack; and I told him that I had just read a blog about it last week, but they went up from Rocky Branch to Mt. Davis, then up-and-around on the trails. Well, he said, it will be a Great Adventure> (NOTE: He DID NOT SAY NO). So I headed south on Davis Trail (to Mt. Davis) still not knowing what I was going to do.
I have never seen this amount of moss! This whole Area is very mossy - maybe because it is in the shadow of The Presidentials (the sun literally sets behind The Presidentials).
To quote the AMC White Mountain Guide, "... the south summit of Mt. Davis, which commands perhaps the finest view on Montalban Ridge and one of the best in the mountains." I might pay for it later, but I'm not going to let an extra one-hour-round-trip-hike deter me from that Mountain Peak!
As you can tell from the picture, the sun is going down behind me; and that forest stuff, in front of me, is what I would have to bushwhack through. I thought about it, prayed about it, finished my sandwich, and figured that Wendy would kill me if I told her that I had gone "off trail". So, discretion being the better part of valour, I retreated back down the mountain peak and retraced my steps 9 miles back to the car.
The sun set as I was trucking back to the trailhead - 20 minute miles, 18 minute miles - but I ran out of light before the end. For the 2nd-to-last mile, I was just able to make out the path; but when I hit 1-mile-to-go, it got black. I had plugged in my battery extender on Mt. Davis, and the MapMyWalk lady had been talking to me each mile back, so I pulled out my phone and turned it on - It Worked, and the screen lit up my path like a flashlight!! And I made my way easily down to the car by 9:00! Thank you God for an Excellent Adventure Day!
Thursday, August 13, 2015 (left Boston at 9 AM, Days Inn at 10 PM)
180 miles -- Boston to 93 North, then the Kancamagus Highway (112), and then north on Bear Notch Road to Bartlett on 302, then east to 16 North (3 hours)
17.74 miles -- hiking (7 hours 24 minutes)
1 hour -- checked into a new Days Inn in Tamworth, NH - I was tired, and it made Wendy Very Very Happy!
I switched to my purple nano, but continued to listen to all my songs, in alphabetical order. I listened to 85 songs
starting with a lovely acoustic
At The Zoo 2:32 Simon & Garfunkel Bookends
driving through Manchester-by-the-Sea as the sun was rising
through
Bip Bop / Hey Diddle 3:37 Paul McCartney & Wings Wingspan: History
At The Zoo 2:32 Simon & Garfunkel Bookends
Auctioneer (Another Engine) 2:44 R.E.M. Fables Of The Reconstruction
Autumn In New York 6:52 Bill Charlap Live At The Village Vanguard
Autumn Song 10:37 Van Morrison Hard Nose The Highway
Awkward Age 3:23 Joe Jackson Volume 4
Baba O'Riley 5:09 The Who Who's Next
Baby Don't You Do It 5:15 The Who Who's Next
Baby Girl 3:46 Nelly Furtado Whoa, Nelly!
Baby How Long 5:06 Jackson Browne Looking East
Baby Love 2:43 The Supremes Top Hits Of The Sixties P- Amazing Hits
The Baby Tree 1:45 Jefferson Starship Blows Against The Empire
Baby, Did You Hear? (Danger Mouse Remix) 3:32 Dinah Washington Verve Remixed, Vol. 3
Back Door Man 3:34 The Doors The Doors
Back In The USSR 2:43 The Beatles The Beatles (White Album) [2 cds]
The Back Of Love 3:16 Echo & The Bunnymen Songs To Learn & Sing
Back Of My Mind 4:08 O Positive Toyboat ToyBoAt Toyboat
The Back Seat Of My Car 4:30 Paul McCartney & Wings Wingspan: History
Back To The Ground 4:37 Jamie Cullum Catching Tales
Back Where I Come From 4:45 Kenny Chesney Live Those Songs Again
Back Where It All Begins 9:12 The Allman Brothers Band Where It All Begins
Backfield In Motion 2:35 Mel & Tim 25 Beach Music Classics
Backstabber 3:07 Ke$ha Animal
Bad 6:08 U2 The Unforgettable Fire
Bad 8:03 U2 Wide Awake In America [Live] [EP]
The Bad And The Beautiful / Laura 8:05 Michael Moore And Gene Bertoncini Two In Time
Bad Boy 2:21 The Beatles Past Masters, Vol. 1
Bad Company 4:50 Bad Company 10 From 6
Bad Karma 3:13 Warren Zevon I'll Sleep When I'm Dead (Anthology) (2 cds)
Bad Luck 6:29 Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes The Preppy Album
Bad Luck Streak In Dancing School 2:59 Warren Zevon I'll Sleep When I'm Dead (Anthology) (2 cds)
Badge [Live] 3:59 Cream Royal Albert Hall London May 2005
The Ballad Of Billy The Kid 5:27 Billy Joel Songs In The Attic
The Ballad of John and Yoko 3:00 The Beatles Past Masters, Vol. 2
Ballerina 9:45 Van Morrison Astral Weeks: Live At The Hollywood Bowl
Ballon Man 3:34 Robyn Hitchcock & The Egyptians Goodsongs
Band On The Run 5:13 Paul McCartney & Wings Wingspan: Hits [Disc 1]
Bandit 5:13 Neil Young & Crazy Horse Goodsongs
Bang The Drum All Day 3:36 Todd Rundgren Anthology
Barbara Ann (Single Version) 2:14 The Beach Boys Sounds Of Summer
Barcelona 10:08 Connor Garvey Songs Sung In Small Rooms
Bargain 5:34 The Who Who's Next
The Barricades Of Heaven 5:42 Jackson Browne Looking East
Barstool Blues 3:01 Neil Young- Crazy Horse Zuma
Basin Street Blues 9:09 Keith Jarrett At The Deer Head Inn
Bastard 5:25 Ben Folds Songs for Silverman
Bat 6:05 Pat Metheny 80/81 (2 cds)
Bawitdaba 4:28 Kid Rock Totally Hits
Be Good 3:53 Hothouse Flowers Songs From The Rain
Be Nice To Me 3:26 Todd Rundgren The Very Best Of Todd Rundgren
Be Thou My Vision 2:59 Maeve Whatever Befall
Be True To Your School (Single Version) 2:10 The Beach Boys Sounds Of Summer
Be Young, Be Foolish, Be Happy 2:07 The Tams The Preppy Album
Be Yourself 3:12 Graham Nash Songs For Beginners
Beach Party 1:50 Annette 25 All-Time Greatest Summer Songs
Beautiful Baby 4:27 Scarlet Haven 3
Beautiful Day 4:08 U2 All That You Can't Leave Behind
Beautiful Stranger 4:23 Madonna Totally Hits 2
Beautiful Surprise 2:29 india.arie Voyage to India
Been Down So Long 4:44 The Doors L.A. Woman
Been To Canaan 3:41 Carole King Goodsongs
Beer In Mexico 4:37 Kenny Chesney Live Those Songs Again
Behind Blue Eyes 3:42 The Who Who's Next
Behind My Camel 2:55 The Police Zenyatta Mondatta
Bein' Green 4:22 Van Morrison Hard Nose The Highway
Being Drunk's A Lot Like Loving You 3:34 Kenny Chesney When The Sun Goes Down
Believe 3:59 Cher Totally Hits
Beloved 4:24 Anoushka Shankar Versions
Beside You 5:59 Van Morrison Astral Weeks: Live At The Hollywood Bowl
The Best I Can Do 3:09 Joe Jackson Blaze Of Glory
The Best Is Yet To Come 2:56 Frank Sinatra The Very Good Years
The Best Of Everything 4:04 Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers Southern Accents
Best Of What's Around 6:19 Dave Matthews Band Live At Red Rocks 8.15.95 (2 cds)
The Best of What's Around 4:18 Dave Matthews Band Under the Table and Dreaming
Bette Davis Eyes 3:48 Kim Carnes VH1: The Best Of Where Are They Now?
Better Day 4:57 Ian Murray Waiting For The Wind
Better Days 3:52 Graham Nash Songs For Beginners
Between a Laugh and a Tear 4:33 John Cougar Mellencamp Scarecrow
Bi-Coastal 4:24 Peter Allen The Very Best Of Peter Allen (TBDU)
The Big Bright Green Pleasure Machine 2:51 Simon & Garfunkel Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme
Big Sky 4:02 Annie Lennox Songs Of Mass Destruction
Big Spender 2:05 Peggy Lee Ultra-Lounge: Vegas Baby!
Big Sur 3:07 The Thrills Music From The OC: Mix 2
Biloxi 4:43 Tom Rush Wrong End Of The Rainbow
Binga Banga Bongo-Percolator 4:45 Terry Snyder / Earl Palmer Ultra-Lounge, Vol. 8: Cocktail Capers
Bip Bop / Hey Diddle 3:37 Paul McCartney & Wings Wingspan: History
The list can be accessed here
It was a great drive into Boston, and up north in the morning, and the highlights include:
2 versions of "Bad" by U2 (the 6-minute studio version from The Unforgettable Fire, and then the 8-minute live version from Wide Awake In America)
Band On The Run by Paul McCartney & Wings
"Bandit" by Neil Young. This appeared on his Greendale album, on which every other song is a piece of awful. I was in the 3rd row for the Tweeter Center concert (7/1/2003) he did to support this album - he played the whole album, and the music and lyrics were so simple and dumb that I was dumbfounded. Neil is extremely talented, and an excellent craftsman, but this outing was one that should have definitely been missed. It was all worse-by-contrast, because this song (Bandit) came in the middle of the concert, just Neil sitting with his guitar; it was chills-and-tears. Again, to make the comparison worse, he (& Crazy Horse) did an EXCELLENT version of "Like a Hurricane" in the encore - music, lyrics, passion at his peak!
I actually started the next morning with "Beautiful Day" by U2, and the rest of the music took me home.
NOTE: if you enjoy this blog, you may like my other one about Art Museums and National Parks
hyperlink: dixonheadingwest
http://dixonheadingwest.blogspot.com/
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