| Hiking Trail Conditions Report |
 | Peaks |
Barker Mountain, ME |
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 | Trails: |
Tower Line Trail, Summit Traverse, White Cap Summit Trail, Summit Hotel Loop |
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 | Date of Hike: |
Saturday, May 3, 2025 |
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 | Parking/Access Road Notes: |
Tons of parking at the Grand Summit Hotel |
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 | Surface Conditions: |
Dry Trail, Wet Trail, Wet/Slippery Rock, Mud - Minor/Avoidable, Snow - Spring Snow, Snow/Ice - Small Patches |
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 | Recommended Equipment: |
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 | Water Crossing Notes: |
None were particularly tricky |
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 | Trail Maintenance Notes: |
Trails have a few blowdowns, but are generally in good condition. Care must be used to follow the Tower Line Trail where it utilizes sections of ski trails near the bottom of the mountain. |
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 | Dog-Related Notes: |
Great for dogs |
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 | Bugs: |
There were a few black flies, but they weren't biting yet. |
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 | Lost and Found: |
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 | Comments: |
The Mahoosucs never disappoint, and Barker Mountain was a great choice for our first larger peak of the season!
We decided to ascend via a relatively new trail called the Tower Line Trail. Leaving from the Grand Summit Hotel, the trail mostly follows ski trails for a short distance, traversing across the mountain, before heading into the woods. Immediately after entering the woods, the trail gets unrelentingly steep as it climbs through mossy forest along a brook with near constant cascades. It is my absolute favorite kind of trail and we never got tired of the endless variations of waterfalls that we saw.
As the trail approaches the summit, the steepness continues and it reaches two pitches that have ropes to assist hikes climbing up the steep slabs, which have few hand/footholds. There are a few more short scrambles as the trail reaches the Summit Traverse and the top of Barker Mountain. Poking around the summit, you can find outstanding views in every direction from areas of open ledge.
After spending some time at the main summit, we headed across the ridge on the Summit Traverse to a subpeak to the east, which offers another excellent viewpoint. This viewpoint is a short distance south of the trail on a spur, and has a sturdy granite bench with 360° views. From this spot, the White Mountains, Oxford Hills, Weld area, and the Mahoosuc Range are all visible.
Watching the clouds roll in from the west, we stayed at the viewpoint as long as we felt comfortable. We then started descending the White Cap Summit Trail. This steep trail follows what is essentially a fall-line route down to where it joins up with the Summit Hotel Loop. We took the north side of this loop, and it descended moderately back to where we started our hike. Our timing was just about perfect, as we reached the car just as we felt the first few raindrops fall.
Although not a long hike, the climb up Barker Mountain is very steep and rewarding. The views rival anything else in the Mahoosucs, and you are unlikely to see anyone else out on the trails. The Tower Line Trail is a great addition to the trail network, making an attractive ~4 mile loop over Barker possible. |
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 | Name: |
Sam Shirley |
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 | E-Mail: |
newenglandskier13@aol.com |
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| Date Submitted: |
2025-05-03 |
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 | Link: |
 https://www.alltrails.com/explore/recording/barker-mountain-bf40f0a?u=i&sh=qriocr |
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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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