The overnight rains stopped and the sun appeared just in time for our Friday hike up Mt. Tire’m in Waterford, Me. Eighteen hikers gathered at the Waterford church parking lot, coming from the Denmark church or directly their own homes.
Dale, Greg and Phil loaded their vehicles and ferried everyone to the upper trailhead on Grover Rd. where we started our hike. Our plan was to ascend from Grover Rd. then return via the Daniel Brown trail to the lower trailhead just above the church parking lot.
Hiking today were Dale and Kitty Nelson, Sharon and Howard Berman, Jean Murch, Janet Ariens, Marji Berkman, Jacob Schor, Robin Marciello, Tom Dugas, Sandy Bell, Greg Dean, Annelick Marghoebel, Phil Johnson, Kathy Hutchausen, Peter Stickles Laura Sullivan and Jeff Sturgis.
After our obligatory group photo, we all started out at 9:30am with Janet leading and Phil sweep. It was a delightful hike on the shady trail under the canopy of mixed hardwoods and pine and fir trees. The trail was only slightly wet in spots from the previous nights rain. Beautiful old stone walls adorned both sides of us for most of the way with a gateway opening in the wall as we approached the summit. A testament to the early days of sheep farming and prior to the boom of the cotton industry. The blueberries were plentiful on the summit approach.
We reached the summit a bit after 10am and lingered a while soaking in the views southeast over Bear Pond, Keoka Lake with Long Lake and Crystal Lake in the distance. We took our customary summit photo at 10:30am and headed down the (Squire) Daniel Brown Trail. Caution was required as the smooth, damp and pine needle covered granite ledges proved slippery as one of our hikers discovered.
We all stayed mostly together and reached the base at approximately 11am. Dale, Phil and Greg hitched a ride with Laura back to our vehicles at the beginning trailhead after which we all went our separate ways saying “see you next week”.
Next week, July 17, 2026: Two hikes Redstone Quarry (Easy) or South Moat Summit (Difficult)
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