NeoAkela
Active member
Date of Hike: 09/11/2009
Trail Conditions:
Yellow Trail - Western end, great condition up to top of Mt Crag, where there is an excellent view. Eastern end of trail to Philbrook Farm Inn has some places where the trail splits and is not marked. Large "No Trespassing" sign halfway down trail to Inn is for snowmobiles only (so says the Inn owner, though I was a bit hesitant).
Middle Mountain Path - This trail no longer goes anywhere.
Orange Trail (Wiggin Rock Trail) - breaks off of the White trail with no sign. Trail is very clear. Orange blazes continue to very limited view from a wooded rock. Trail ends here though map shows it continuing to the Red and Blue trails. Overgrown logging road might be the trail, but it was not marked so I did not follow it.
White Trail - Starts behind the two cabins to the right of the inn, far up on top of the hill. Splits many times, marked sparsely with faded, easy-to-miss white blazes. Count your lefts and rights so you don't follow an old woods road the wrong way on the back. Better yet, don't bother with this trail - ends at a wooded summit with no views (the "limited" views of the past are just about gone).
Scudder Trail - this trail has been obliterated by logging. Following the map, it is possible to follow a path along a skid road that is marked with yellow blazes that seems to follow the path of the trail. Don't be fooled by this - the yellow blazes are a boundry line and will lead you miles up into the woods until they dead-end more than a mile from Mt Ingalls at the base of a rocky cliff. You can also follow another yellow line up to the wooded, viewless north end of Cabot's summit where there is also a dead end. Slash and sharp pointy 1-foot high clipped saplings make for a painful, dangerous hike. Inn owner says that recent logging has made Ingalls no longer accessible.
Red and Blue Trails - These start at the end of the road that leads up to the left of the Philbrook Farm Inn. Again, ignore the No Trespassing signs (best though to say hi to the Innkeeper first and ask if you can park your vehicle). Mostly follow old roads and paths as all the other trails do, sparsely marked. Limited view at top on southern ledges.
Special Equipment Required: Patience, Body Armor, Sense of Humor.
Comments: Other than Mount Crag, these trails offer very little and are, in my opinion, a waste of a good day. The logging and lack of trail maintenance has wiped out most of what may have been originally worth seeing. Mount Ingalls and Middle Mountain may still have views, but it would take a bushwhack through partially lumbered areas to find out. I like to remain an upbeat, optimistic hiker, but this incredibly long day really bummed me out.
One positive note: The Philbrook Inn folks are wonderful, friendly people! A bright spot for the day!
Your name: NeoAkela
Your E-mail address: [email protected]
Trail Conditions:
Yellow Trail - Western end, great condition up to top of Mt Crag, where there is an excellent view. Eastern end of trail to Philbrook Farm Inn has some places where the trail splits and is not marked. Large "No Trespassing" sign halfway down trail to Inn is for snowmobiles only (so says the Inn owner, though I was a bit hesitant).
Middle Mountain Path - This trail no longer goes anywhere.
Orange Trail (Wiggin Rock Trail) - breaks off of the White trail with no sign. Trail is very clear. Orange blazes continue to very limited view from a wooded rock. Trail ends here though map shows it continuing to the Red and Blue trails. Overgrown logging road might be the trail, but it was not marked so I did not follow it.
White Trail - Starts behind the two cabins to the right of the inn, far up on top of the hill. Splits many times, marked sparsely with faded, easy-to-miss white blazes. Count your lefts and rights so you don't follow an old woods road the wrong way on the back. Better yet, don't bother with this trail - ends at a wooded summit with no views (the "limited" views of the past are just about gone).
Scudder Trail - this trail has been obliterated by logging. Following the map, it is possible to follow a path along a skid road that is marked with yellow blazes that seems to follow the path of the trail. Don't be fooled by this - the yellow blazes are a boundry line and will lead you miles up into the woods until they dead-end more than a mile from Mt Ingalls at the base of a rocky cliff. You can also follow another yellow line up to the wooded, viewless north end of Cabot's summit where there is also a dead end. Slash and sharp pointy 1-foot high clipped saplings make for a painful, dangerous hike. Inn owner says that recent logging has made Ingalls no longer accessible.
Red and Blue Trails - These start at the end of the road that leads up to the left of the Philbrook Farm Inn. Again, ignore the No Trespassing signs (best though to say hi to the Innkeeper first and ask if you can park your vehicle). Mostly follow old roads and paths as all the other trails do, sparsely marked. Limited view at top on southern ledges.
Special Equipment Required: Patience, Body Armor, Sense of Humor.
Comments: Other than Mount Crag, these trails offer very little and are, in my opinion, a waste of a good day. The logging and lack of trail maintenance has wiped out most of what may have been originally worth seeing. Mount Ingalls and Middle Mountain may still have views, but it would take a bushwhack through partially lumbered areas to find out. I like to remain an upbeat, optimistic hiker, but this incredibly long day really bummed me out.
One positive note: The Philbrook Inn folks are wonderful, friendly people! A bright spot for the day!
Your name: NeoAkela
Your E-mail address: [email protected]
