Hiking Waterfalls Maine by Greg Westrich

Hiking in Maine

I’m hard-pressed to think of anything that is as simultaneously calming and awe-inspiring as a waterfall. Maine’s rugged terrain, many wilderness areas, and large rivers make it a prime spot for waterfalls. There are many websites and apps that aggregate and “rate” waterfall hikes in Maine, New England, and beyond. We even added a Category to this blog for waterfall hikes, even though I still believe that the best waterfall views should come as a surprise. But our favorite travels, particular in the north Maine woods, Downeast, and western Maine, exist outside data service, and I have always enjoyed “analog” guidebooks, particularly those with maps and photos. Enter Falcon Guides’ Hiking Waterfalls Maine: A Guide to the State’s Best Waterfall Hikes, by Greg Westrich (Rowman & Littlefield, 2020).

We have used this guide for the last six months to enjoy waterfall hikes, from roadside stops to short hikes, to waterfalls…

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Winter Hiking Essentials

Winter conditions offer the year round hiker incredible rewards! Here are some tips if you do decide to go.

Immersive Traveller

So you’ve been hiking in the summer, and now you’re wondering how to transition this into an all-year hobby. While many aspects of hiking remain similar from season to season, there are a number of additional considerations for winter hiking.

First are closures. Many roads in Kananaskis close between December and May, so make sure you do a little extra research before hiking to ensure your hike is accessible in the winter months. With this research it is also a good idea to check recent posts or comments from other hikers (AllTrails often has an up-to-date comment section). Read up on the recently reported trail conditions before you head out to the mountains.

Second, daylight. The daylight hours are considerably fewer in the winter months, and the sun will disappear even quicker in the mountains. Give yourself plenty of time to get off the trail before sunset. You may also…

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Lonely Tree

https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/hiking-into-distance-on-mountaintop-fellhorn-1573244941

As I saunter into the sterile office building

My eyes fixate

On that lone distant softwood tree

Way up on that mountaintop

All alone

Not a care in the world

Almost reaching out to me

Calling me up yonder

I stare up at that tree every morning

And wish I could accept its invite

All Uphill From Here

All uphill from here

Saturday Night in the Valley

Another scorcher in the valley tonight; That’s never up for discussion

48 miles round trip for ale and a bag of ice; It’s all I’ll need

A rusted lawn chair in the sand serves as my patio tonight; Set up in the shadows of a ‘66 Shasta

Ol’ Harv faithfully lies by my feet

Static competes with George Jones on the transistor radio; Cacti aplenty to choose as my dancing girl, but not until the ale starts to take effect; Ouch! She’s a bit prickly this evening!

The night’s headliners are the ‘yotes way off in the valley; One is slightly off key but that’s okay, everyone has an off night; They perform a few numbers before a lengthy intermission; No worries, as most of their tunes start to sound the same

Good thing I have Hank Sr. to take the rest of the evening away