Looking to do a 2 day hike around the Presies. 1st day going up davis path hitting Mount Isolation then hiking down to Dry river shelter #3
Day 2 hiking up mount pierce via the dry river cut off then down to 302 via the webster cliff trail. This is modification since Lake of the clouds hut is booked the weekend in september that we want to go.

A couple of questions. Anyone know the condition of the shelter? I saw reports of it not being maintained any more. Also looking to see if there is a spring near by the shelter for water refill and finally it looks like you need to cross the dry river. Not sure how hard it would be to cross. Would really like to hike up to mizpah hut on day 1 but I don't think our my legs could handle another 1400ft assent that day.

Hey BosPete,

madmattd was out there not too long ago:
viewtopic.php?f=14&t=8729

Like iagreewithjamie said, I was there less than a month ago. The shelter is in terrific shape, about the only knock you could come up with is that there is a small dent (not hole) or 2 in the tin roof. As it is in a Wilderness zone, maintenence on it will be minimal until it needs replacement, but it is a long way from that fate barring something drastic occurring. I would spend a night there in an instant. There is a good-sized stream a few dozen yards from the shelter, so water is easy. Yes, the Dry River Trail itself crosses the river a couple times (I think once on a bridge, once on rocks - wasn't a difficult rock hop though water levels were quite low at the time), and you will need to cross at least once on the Dry River Cutoff (at the junction with the Dry River Trail), but I've never been on that trail so can't speak with experience as to any more, difficulty, etc. There is a brand-new set of signs at this junction.

The shelter as of July 25:

On day 2 you will have to take the Mt Eisenhower Tr (which crosses the Dry River) to get to the Dry River Cutoff. This crossing can be difficult with high water and a simple rock hop when low. A short ways up the Dry River Cutoff the trail crosses two smaller brooks. I believe the trail proper crosses one, cuts through the woods a short distance, then crosses the second. The crossings were not marked well last June or October and there was evidence of people following one brook down then the other back up from their confluence.

FWIW, the Isolation Tr has several washouts and blowdowns but is generally straightforward staying to the right of Isolation Brook as you descend. The upper portion is nice and lightly traveled.