| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Oregon Mountain, Mowglis Mountain, Atwell Brook Falls, NH |
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 | Trails: |
Sculptured Rocks Road, snowmobile trails, Hardy Country Road, Spruce Ridge Road, Carter-Gibbs Trail, Oregon Mountain Trail, Elwell Trail, Orange Road (Mowglis Trail), Atwell Brook Falls spur |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Thursday, May 1, 2025 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Parking for several vehicles at the end of Orange Road, where it intersects Sculptured Rocks Road, in Groton. |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable -- most of it was on the snowmobile trails |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
Not an issue. |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
All trails are in decent shape EXCEPT for Oregon Mountain Trail, mainly between Carter-Gibbs intersection and Mowglis Mountain summit. Quite a few knarly blowdowns -- see notes, below. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
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 | Bugs: |
Black flies -- yes -- the bitey kind; no longer the bump-in-the-head-but-not-bitey. A half-dozen or so in the afternoon. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
What began as a spring hike from Orange Road, up Carter-Gibbs and over Oregon and Mowglis Mountains with a side-trip to Firescrew, ended up being a bona fide work trip, and a bit curtailed. We encountered so much deadfall and so many blowdowns that it just made sense to clean instead of leave it for someone else.
We were able to remove most deadfall from all trails we walked, as well as de-limb or manhandle off the trail several blowdowns, but we had to leave quite a few blowdowns for another time, and a chainsaw with some help with a larger handsaw than we brought. (We have all blowdowns marked with GPS coordinates.)
OREGON MOUNTAIN TRAIL: one blowdown just south of the Oregon Mountain summit; another just north of intersection with Elwell Trail; 11 blowdowns on segment between Mowglis summit and Carter-Gibbs intersection (at least two of them are quite large)
ELWELL TRAIL: three blowdowns on section west of intersection with Oregon Mountain Trail, to Old Dicey Road intersection -- one is large and parallel to the trail on a sideslope next to a ledge, adjacent to a similar one from a year ago (with some work, both blowdowns could buttress the sideslope and provide better footing); four more on section from Old Dicey Road to Mowglis summit
CARTER-GIBBS TRAIL: just one blowdown, just north of Elwell Trail intersection
After this excursion, soaking the feet at the Atwell Brook Falls ledges was a treat! |
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 | Name: |
Pancks and Tesco Heaney |
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 | E-Mail: |
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| Date Submitted: |
2025-05-02 |
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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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