“Twenty feet shy of the summit, was twenty feet shy of the truth.”
After a month hiatus from climbing 4000-footers, I was ready to get back out there. I still had a few long climbs to complete the list of 48, and I thought Isolation would be a good one to try next. I also heard that most people finish their 48 on Mount Isolation and I wanted to see if I could end up finishing somewhere else. How foolish of me.
Hiking the Glen Boulder Trail
Glen Boulder looking like something out of the treasure hunt in Romancing the Stone
The hike up to Glen Boulder is unique. Besides the beautiful view of Pinkham Notch below, the Glen Boulder itself offers this target destination unlike any other landmark in the 4000-footers. A glacial erratic, it beckons you to meet it up the trail, and when you arrive you are rewarded with an incredible panorama of the notch. My arrival at the boulder had me feeling so good, I decided to go on a sidequest for the Boot Spur, which is a subpeak of Mount Washington. It was a fool’s errand, spurred on by nothing other than greed, and I would pay a price for my avarice.
Pictured above is the Boot Spur, a subpeak of Mount Washington.
Mount Isolation’s Summit?
After summiting the Boot Spur, I was all too glad to descend the Davis Path to the summit of Mount Isolation. The Boot Spur, like Washington, Jefferson, and Adams, is relatively barren, with an overwhelming number of rocks and sparse vegetation. Turning around, the earth was greener and more welcoming, and I found myself smiling again. But I was tired. Really tired. I hadn’t done anything like this in a long time and my body was not prepared. The exhaustion led to a lack of awareness and a summit failure.
To ascend Isolation, you actually have to descend the Davis Path, and when I arrived at a wooded area with a sign that said Mount Isolation, I didn’t compute that it was pointing to a spur trail. I didn’t know what it was pointing to, so I pulled out my ViewRanger App to pinpoint my location. As I walked along the path, head down looking at my phone, ViewRanger indicated that I was standing on the summit. Too tired to contemplate an alternative, I began my descent to the truck. I wanted out. It was time to go down on one of the worst trails I’ve ever had the privilege to hike: The Rocky Branch.
ViewRanger said this was the summit! What the heck??!
The Worst Trail Ever: The Rocky Branch
Of all the trails in New Hampshire, the Rocky Branch might be my least favorite. It’s rocky. It’s branchy. And more than a little buggy. I got stuck in mud, tripped on roots, and scraped myself on fallen branches. It’s been a long time since I’ve checked it out, but at the time I hiked it, you would think someone sabotaged it on purpose. It was a mess.
But, I thought, I only have to climb this once. Little did I know that when I got home that evening, it would finally occur to me that what I thought was the summit of Mount Isolation wasn’t the summit at all. I had missed the spur trail and needed to go another twenty vertical feet.
“I never stood at the summit at all? A flurry of swears escaped me as I sat straight up in bed, startling Liz awake.”
Hitchhiking Again
After descending the Rocky Branch trail, bruised and battered, there was a 3.5 mile road-hike back to the truck. Fortunately, about halfway along I got picked up by a guy in a Volvo, who told me that someone bailed him out with a ride the previous week, and he wanted to return the karma. Now inappropriately at ease with hitchhiking in New Hampshire’s northern regions, I accepted his offer without reservations.
It was a very long day, but I was feeling proud that I had knocked this mountain off my list. When I was back in my truck and started regaining some of my energy, I could sense something was off about the day, but I wouldn’t put it together until late that night when I should have been dead asleep.
🥾 Ascent Details: Glen Boulder → Boot Spur → Davis Path → Mount Isolation → Rocky Branch Trail
- Total Distance: ~15.5 to 16.5 miles
- Total Elevation Gain: ~5,000–5,300 feet
- Trail Type: Point-to-point or loop (requires road walk or car spot between trailheads)
- Duration: 8–12 hours depending on pace and breaks
⛰️ Segment Breakdown
1. Glen Boulder Trail to Boot Spur
- Distance: ~3.4 miles
- Elevation Gain: ~3,000 ft
- Highlights:
- Steep and exposed early
- Passes the Glen Boulder (a massive glacial erratic)
- Incredible views above treeline
- Wind-prone, often foggy
2. Boot Spur to Davis Path Junction
- Distance: ~1.0 mile
- Rolling ridgeline with rocky footing
- Spectacular alpine views with Mount Washington nearby
3. Davis Path to Mount Isolation
- Distance: ~3.6 miles one way
- Moderate ups and downs, but long and can be slow going
- Trail becomes more wooded and isolated (true to the name)
- Summit: 4,004 ft, with limited views from the actual summit but some good lookouts nearby
4. Descent via Isolation Trail → Rocky Branch Trail
- Distance: ~6.5–7.0 miles (including spur from Isolation summit)
- Conditions:
- Rocky Branch Trail is notorious: muddy, eroded, buggy, overgrown in spots
- Multiple water crossings—can be tricky in high water
- Very gradual, but feels long and rough underfoot
🚗 Logistics
- Start: Glen Ellis Falls parking lot (Route 16)
- End: Rocky Branch Trailhead (Jericho Road)
→ Or loop it by walking 3.5 miles on Route 16 back to your car (adds ~1 hour)
🧭 Tips
- Boot Spur detour is optional, but it adds scenic value and elevation.
- Water can be sparse after Glen Boulder; refill before Isolation if possible.
- Navigation: Use GPS or a map—Davis Path is remote and lightly traveled.
- Avoid Rocky Branch after heavy rain due to poor drainage and crossings.
- Bring bug spray and long sleeves—blackflies and ticks love the Rocky Branch.
Mountain Stories
If you like reading about mountains, the 4000-footers, and the ups and downs of getting “out there,” check out 4000s by 40.
Looking for photos of more 4000-footers? Head back to the 4000s by 40 Visual Companion to explore the other peaks.
