This is actually a trip report for the southern half of the Port Gamble Forest trails, just south of the Forbidden Forest area. We started at the trailhead just south of the junction of Rt 104 and Port Gamble Rd. and made an 8-mile loop counterclockwise. We first passed through the Mirkwood area and took G1900 west, turning northwest onto G1700. We wanted to see how far west we could go, with the goal of doing the Warlock loop on the western edge, but it isn't all passable; we encountered a "private property" sign at a dead end. From there we followed G1700 and G1600 northeast past Ankle Biter and Maggie's Rock back to the parking lot.
Along our 8-mile loop we saw a couple of new trails/bypasses being created, marked with flagging tape. We gave the second one a try; it was in the G1600/Maggie's Rock/Ankle Biter area. It looks like a few hikers have been down that way, so we gave it a shot too. I estimate that it's about half a mile long. However, it isn't a finished trail and I don't think it's safe for bikes yet -- there are a lot of roots and stumps sticking up, and the trail dirt is extremely soft and cushy. Even for a hiker it's a bit more challenging than the other trails in the network, mostly because the "trail" is very slanted from right to left; much of the time you're walking sideways along hillsides. But if your ankles are strong and you want more of a challenge, explore with caution. Great to know that more trails are being added to the network!
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