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Ski
Hiking Trail Conditions Report
Peaks
Peaks Oregon Mountain, Mowglis Mountain, NH
Trails
Trails: Snowmobile trail, road walk, Carter-Gibbs Trail, Oregon Mountain Trail, Elwell Trail, Mowglis Trail, road walk
Date of Hike
Date of Hike: Saturday, October 7, 2017
Parking/Access Road Notes
Parking/Access Road Notes: Plenty @ the Sculptured Rocks parking area. 
Surface Conditions
Surface Conditions: Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable 
Recommended Equipment
Recommended Equipment:  
Water Crossing Notes
Water Crossing Notes: No issues. 
Trail Maintenance Notes
Trail Maintenance Notes: There are a handful of felled trees on the Elwell Trail that can be carefully stepped over or crawled under. I tossed aside some limbs and branches along the way. The sign at the Old Dicey Road/Carter Gibbs Trail intersection is in pieces and mostly illegible - a neat artifact but not much more. All trails on this route are blazed in yellow - except for the Mowglis Trail (white). 
Dog-Related Notes
Dog-Related Notes: Didn't see any. 
Bugs
Bugs: I picked and flicked at least a dozen of some sort of flying tick-looking insect off me - mostly on the ridge. 
Lost and Found
Lost and Found: Nothing. 
 
Comments
Comments: Save for the downed trees here and there these trails are in good shape with gradual grades with good footing. They were mostly dry but as I popped out of the woods on Mowglis Trail the rain came - and didn't stop until I got back to my car.

I had intended to do a road walk to get to the Carter Gibbs trail but there is a woods path in the back corner of the Sculptured Rocks lot that peaked my curiosity so I took it - and it dumped me off on Hardy County Road below the Carter Gibbs Trail entrance (if you want to drive to this point there shouldn't be much of a problem based on what I saw but since this was a loop I didn't want to end it on an uphill road walk). I went up the NW side of Oregon Mountain then down the SE side to the Elwell Trail - very nice! There is one point where the trail comes out of the woods but then take a hairpin turn back into the woods to the aforementioned sign which is easy to miss. This trail then heads W over Mowglis Mountain and eventually connects to Mowglis Trail - most of which is a dirt road rather than a foot path. Then a one mile walk on Sculptured Rocks Road back to the car.

This area was really fun to explore. My goals were to avoid holiday/leaf-peeping crowds and to break in a new pair of boots. Both were accomplished as I only saw two people all day - on a short stretch of Mowglis Road. Though clouds limited distant views there were enough shorter-range viewpoints to enjoy some excellent leaf colors - I think the grey skies made the reds, oranges and yellow 'pop' more.

I was going to have lunch on Mowglis' summit but just below on the east slope I saw a bear scurry down from a tree so I thought it best to continue hiking for a while :)  
Name
Name: HMJ 
E-Mail
E-Mail:  
Date Submitted
Date Submitted: 2017-10-07 
Link
Link: https:// 
Bookmark and Share Disclaimer: Reports are not verified - conditions may vary. Use at own risk. Always be prepared when hiking. Observe all signs. Trail conditions reports are not substitutes for weather reports or common sense.

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