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Ski
Hiking Trail Conditions Report
Peaks
Peaks Parker Mountain (Strafford), NH
Trails
Trails: Spencer Smith Trail, Link Trail, Neil Mooers Trail, road walk
Date of Hike
Date of Hike: Saturday, June 6, 2020
Parking/Access Road Notes
Parking/Access Road Notes: Small parking area for a half dozen to a dozen cars. There seemed to be about 3-5 cars there both when we arrived and returned (8am and 12pm). I think many just do quick out-and-back to the first viewpoint or summit though.  
Surface Conditions
Surface Conditions: Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Mud - Significant 
Recommended Equipment
Recommended Equipment:  
Water Crossing Notes
Water Crossing Notes: None 
Trail Maintenance Notes
Trail Maintenance Notes: Spencer Smith Trail is blazed in red. As it nears the top, small red disks on trees sometimes replace the blaze on trees. The ledges/rock are generally blazed well enough too. Link Trail is blazed in blue. Neil Mooers Trail is blazed in orange. The Spencer Smith Trail and Link Trail seemed blazed pretty well to me. I don’t recall seeing as much blaze on Neil Mooers Trail but it’s obvious. A few places the trails might be hard to follow: 1) at the jct of Spencer Smith and Link trails, Link Trail now goes straight down to the left (if ascending) at the sign; not 30yds after as the guidebook says, 2) the Spencer Smith Trail seems to go two directions here. Straight/left you’ll see a cairn. Not sure why there’s a cairn there as that doesn’t seem to be the actual trail. It does quickly link back up with the true trail which bears right here though, 3) at the first semi-open ledge south of the summit there is a stone bench and views ahead but the true trail turns right to go down. It’s probably obvious except when you get distracted by the views for a few minutes and then wonder where the trail went, 4) partway down Link Trail there is a right hand turn over an old blowdown. There is a herd path to the left. Avoid it. If you look closely you can see blue blaze beyond the blowdown on the right. Not many significant blowdowns other than this. A couple small branches leaning into the trail and such that could could be trimmed back. A couple other turns on the trail to watch out for. There was debris piled blocking you from continuing that way though. I didn’t look real hard but I did not find the trail continuing down from the southern ledges.  
Dog-Related Notes
Dog-Related Notes: Saw one very excited dog on a leash that was doing fine :) Even though this is a relatively short hike, you may still have to bring water for them as I don’t recall any on the trail.  
Bugs
Bugs: Mosquitos started bugging me immediately and the DEET came out soon thereafter. After that I hardly remember any though. No black flies noted.  
Lost and Found
Lost and Found: None 
 
Comments
Comments: A nice morning hike to try and avoid the possible thunderstorms later in the day. We just began to hear thunder as we reached our car at noon :) Never saw rain or lightning driving back though.

We hiked the loop which was a combination of the three trails above (and only Link Trail in its entirety) as described in the guidebook. It might be nice if the guidebook gave a little more description between the summit and southern ledges where the description stops though. There are some ledges shortly after the summit you could mistake them for. The view from the southern ledges over Bow Lake were nice. No one else there and we only saw a couple others on the trail.

I believe it rained shortly before we got there as the roads were wet but the trail dried quickly and things were generally dry other than some nasty mud at the very beginning of the trail and another mud pit along Neil Mooers Loop Trail. The trails we’re marked descently well and relatively easy to follow. See my notes above about a couple potential tricky spots.  
Name
Name: Liam Cooney 
E-Mail
E-Mail: liamcooney96@gmail.com 
Date Submitted
Date Submitted: 2020-06-06 
Link
Link: https:// 
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