| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Little Sugarloaf, Sugarloaf, Bear Mountain, Oregon Mountain, Mowglis Mountain, Firescrew, Mt. Cardigan, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Elwell Trail, Oregon Mountain Trail, Mowglis Trail, *Clark Path, *Holt-Clark Cutoff, *Manning Trail |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Friday, October 27, 2023 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Parked at Elwell Trail trailhead near Wellington State Park; spotted a car at the AMC Cardigan Lodge. *NOTE: trails near the AMC lodge may be closed. Check with the lodge staff first. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Standing/Running Water on Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Mud - Significant, Leaves - Significant/Slippery |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Not an issue |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
In general, trails in good shape -- but see notes, below, including possible trail closures near the AMC Lodge. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
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 | Bugs: |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
With the Elwell Trail middle section back in good shape, we did another of our traverses from Newfound Lake to Mt. Cardigan on the Elwell and Mowglis Trails, with a side trip to Oregon Mountain on the Oregon Mountain Trail.
Some occasional deadfall here and there, and the same blowdown just past Little Sugarloaf (it's been there for a few months). The first new blowdown was just east of where the Elwell Trail crosses Snowmobile Corridor 151 (west of Bear Mountain) -- ran into Alex&Ria cutting a short bypass around this (thanks!). After that, there's a gnarly couple of blowdowns intertwined, about 50 yards east of the old junction with the Welton Falls South Trail -- adjacent to logging activity from years ago, so always a bit vulnerable to toppling. Had to bushwhack around that. From there, a minor hand-saw-able few blowdowns until a duckunder leaner just west of the summit of Mowglis Mountain -- just large enough for an e-saw. (This one had been leaning and slowly sinking for several years.) From that point, until the intersection with the Back 80 Trail, more hand-saw-able small blowdowns, and then one very large rotten birch trunk that we rolled parallel to the trail that could use a hand strap to move further off trail.
Mowglis Trail is clear but we've never seen that trail so muddy -- many instances of standing water and deep, boot-sucking mud, so some slow moving. Ledges heading up to Firescrew were very wet, and took some time to navigate. Firescrew to Mt. Cardigan was muddy in some spots, but the ledges were dry.
The tower on Mt. Cardigan is being renovated -- it's completely fenced in, with all sorts of scaffolding around it -- looks like the cab is getting refurbished, rather than replaced, which was a plan discussed pre-Covid.
Clark Path and Holt-Clark Cutoff are a muddy mess in some spots, a much more eroded that we've ever seen it -- plenty of herd paths around mud and wet ledge, and some loose/deteriorating rock steps. These trails clearly get quite a bit of use.
Only upon getting back to the car at the AMC lodge did we see the sign, near the start of the Manning Trail, that indicated the trails were closed -- probably because of the tower work? Probably makes sense to check the status, in advance.
A fine day out -- 14+ miles and we saw just five people on the trails all day. |
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 | Name: |
Pancks and Tesco Heaney, Some Guy Named Jack |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2023-10-28 |
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 | Link: |
 https:// |
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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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