By most people’s standards, I had climbed Mount Isolation. Exhausted on my previous attempt, I missed the spur trail that leads you an addition twenty vertical feet to the summit. I was so close, I practically, climbed it. But I have a real problem with not being able to tell the whole truth. If I was twenty feet short, then I didn’t fully climb it, and I needed to correct that. So, even though I swore I wouldn’t finish my 4000-footer quest on Mount Isolation (largely because it sounded like a lonely mountain), I set out on November 1st, a little less than a year from when my adventure began, to conquer the last remaining mountain on the list.
It was the first of November, and I was regretting having missed my chance to summit the last time I went up the Glen Boulder Trail. It was hard enough in the summertime, when the ground was clear, but today there was already a surprising amount of snow clogging up the trail.
Back on the Glen Boulder Trail
I wish there was another way, but the most efficient way to climb Isolation meant that I would need to tread the same path I stomped before. First up the Glen Boulder Trail to the Davis Path, and then down the dreaded Rocky Branch Trail. Initially I thought about simply backtracking down the Glen Boulder, but the snowy conditions changed my mind. It was a long slog, but I didn’t care how long the day took me. I was going to enjoy this moment, and nothing—not even the Rocky Branch—was going to ruin it.
Summit Success #48: Mount Isolation
I finally made it! When I reached the spur trail that led to the summit, I was in disbelief. How, with all this climbing, could I have missed this? It just goes to show, no matter how much you do something, you can, and will, continue to make mistakes. Fortunately, at the summit is a survey marker to confirm the spot. Hallelujah!
“There was no grand epiphany here, no sudden wisdom revealed. Only the recurring thought that I was glad that I had stayed true to myself and did what I had set out to do. I could look myself in the eye.”
The Dreaded Rocky Branch
The day didn’t go quite as planned. Mountain climbing tends to be that way. By the time I reached the junction of the Rocky Branch, I knew which way I was going. The Davis Path led up towards Mount Washington before turning downhill to Glen Boulder, and I didn’t have any more energy to ascend. I was ready to go down.
Night fell. I was ready for it and imagined it happening long before it did. For old-time sake I took a photo of me looking scared, but I wasn’t. And I could belt out some Tesla songs if I caught the slightest inkling something was off. I didn’t even mind the Rocky Branch so much as I ambled in the dark. I was at peace, and the difficulty of the trail dissipated with my temperament.
When I finally reached the trailhead, I turned up the road to walk the 3.5 miles back to the Glen Ellis parking lot where my truck was. I had no intention of hitchhiking the distance today. As a soft rain began to fall, I donned a light shell and walked back without any urgency. It was cold and raw out, but I was comfortably warm with little protection from the elements. Even when the rain turned to snow, I left my heavy gear in my pack.
“The list is nothing more than a prescription to help us get out there and find ourselves again.”
Ascent Details – Mount Isolation
- Route: Glen Boulder Trail → Davis Path → Isolation Spur → summit of Mount Isolation
- Descent: Isolation Spur → Davis Path → Rocky Branch Trail → Route 16 road walk back to Glen Ellis Parking Lot
- Distance: ~16.5 miles
- Elevation Gain: ~5,600 feet
- Total Time: ~10–12 hours (variable based on snow, trail conditions, and pace)
- Conditions: Early-season snow, deep postholes, slow going despite snowshoes
- Breaking trail in knee-deep drifts
- Difficult footing through the Glen Boulder section and along the Davis Path
- Navigation challenges in snow-covered terrain
- Long, quiet descent with no other hikers encountered
- Road walk in the dark, with rain turning into snow
Exploring & Peak Resources – Mount Isolation
Mount Isolation (4,004′) lives up to its name—remote, quiet, and often overlooked due to the long miles required to reach its summit. While it’s among the shortest in elevation on the AMC 4000-footer list, it’s among the most mentally and physically demanding because of the lengthy approach from any direction.
Planning Ahead:
- Peakbagger – Mount Isolation – GPS tracks, prominence stats, trip logs
- 4000footers.com – Route descriptions and user photos
- Mount Washington Observatory Higher Summits Forecast – Crucial for above-treeline conditions
- New England Trail Conditions – Trip reports, trail updates, and seasonal info
- White Mountain National Forest – Trailhead Info – Details on Glen Ellis Falls lot and permits
The 48
If you like reading about mountains, the 4000-footers, and the ups and downs of getting “out there,” come check out more stories at 4000s by 40.
Looking for photos of more 4000-footers? Head back to the 4000s by 40 Visual Companion to explore the other peaks.