Report by Polly Lombardi, Hike Leader, and Jacob Schor
Half a dozen hikers carpooled from Denmark to meet the rest of the group at the Intervale Scenic View parking area in North Conway at approximately 9:30. AM making a total of 16 hikers. We divided people into a small convoy of cars and left for the trailhead arriving there are at about ten and realizing we had lost one hiker on the way. Things got chaotic as we tried to merge into the traffic and we assume the turn off the main road was missed. Without adequate cell phone coverage to make contact by phone or text, we decided to proceed without. Allen used to joke that if we lost only 10% of the group, we were doing ok, and we rationalized that we hadn’t really lost this hiker on the trail but rather she had lost us. This rationale didn’t make any of us feel totally better but there didn’t seem much else we could do. It should serve as a clear reminder for all of us to know our destination and have directions to the trailhead downloaded prior to leaving Friday mornings as Denmark has unreliable cell phone coverage as do most of our destinations in New Hampshire or elsewhere.
Hiking today were Jean Murch, Bev Veid, Dianne Campos, Laura Sullivan, David Atchison, Kitty Nelson, Dale Nelson, Sandy Bell, Robin Marciello, Bob Muzerall, Paul Waterhouse. Jeff Sturgis, Jacob Schor, Kathy Huchthausen, and Steve Kelley.
After brief introductions and a group photo, we started our hike at about 10 am. We chose to hike counterclockwise around the lake having learned over the years that doing so allowed us to cover the more difficult terrain first. For unclear reasons, that first half circumnavigating the pond is, to use Jeff’s term, bony, an apt description to the rocks and roots that seem to comprise most of the walking surface.
The weather however was perfect. Through the water, wobbly rocks, threatening holes and wicked roots we made it through unscathed! On paper this hike sounds quite easy, but the challenging footing makes it more difficult and tediously slow going. Watching our feet as closely as required, it is easy not to notice how beautiful the heavily moss coated forest is. Whatever geology there is that made the trail bony seems to also have made a moister section of forest.
After 1.8 miles when the trail had flattened out, we saw LOONS! We believe there was a mother teaching its chick how to dive for fish. At 2 miles we reached the lean-to and took a leisurely lunch break and a few of us took advantage of the new handicap accessible out house.
After one more group photo,, we hiked leisurely back out to the cars.
We regathered in N. Conway at the scenic view, and some of happily indulged in generous servings of ice cream across the street. Total hike distance varied on people’s devices from 2.8 to 3.2 miles.
Nobody sent photos of their ice cream
Next Week’s Hike: August 28th, 2026
Douglas Mountain
Meet at the Denmark Church at 8:30 a.m. A close-to-home loop hike climbing the Scout Trail and descending the Ledges Trail, with nice views from the stone tower at the summit. There are some short steep pitches on ascent, ledges on descent. We last hiked this in Aug 2022. Room for several cars at the trailhead parking lot.
Directions – Follow Route 107 north from Baldwin or south from Bridgton. If coming from the north go through Center Sebago (town offices, fire station, church) and turn right (west) onto Dyke Mountain Road. At the top of the hill turn left onto Douglas Mountain road, and a short ways further turn left at the signs to the Douglas Mountain parking lot. Parking is $3.00 by the honor system, with a drop box at the parking lot. Please do not park along the side of the road, or at the trailhead for the Ledges and Woods trails.
Douglas Mountain Main Trailhead Parking (Eagle Scout & Ledges Trails)
Address: 20 Spring Ledge Rd, Sebago, ME 04029
Coordinates: 43.8055, -70.7183
Hike report from last year in August 2025, shortly after Allen Crabtree had died.
Twenty-one Denmark Mountain hikers gathered at the church two days after the passing of our founder and friend Allen Crabtree. We filed into the church for a brief meeting to begin to process how we go forward without his leadership. After a short prayer and sharing of information, we dedicated the hike to Allen and headed for the trailhead. There we were met by eight other hikers to swell our total number to twenty-nine. After a short greeting we took our trailhead picture and headed up the Scout Trail at 9:30 am. The trail rises gently through a mainly deciduous forest for about a mile. Then there is a short steeper climb into a saddle followed by a short dip and then a last steep section to the summit which we reached around 10:30 am.
There is a 100-year-old stone tower at the summit that offers excellent views of Pleasant Mountain to the northeast down to Sebago Lake in the southwest. We settled down for a leisurely lunch/snack while some swapped stories of Allen. We took turns climbing the tower and enjoying the beautiful view under bright sunny skies. After Dale led us in a rousing three cheers for Allen, we started down the shorter Woods Trail followed by a short walk down the Douglas Mountain Road back to the parking lot completing the loop and arriving there a little after 11:30 am.
Only then did we realize that Ruby, the dog, wasn’t in the lead, as the sweep at the end of the line had assumed, but had escorted a few meandering hikers part way down the ledge trail, and realizing her mistake, had returned to the summit. Thankfully, Greg Dean ran back to the summit with some alacrity and escorted Ruby back down to the parking lot.
Thinking back to that hike and how bereft we all felt at the time, it now feels like a small miracle that we’ve managed to carry on and continue our weekly hikes with such success or shall I write perseverance. It was only through the guidance and leadership of Jeff Sturgis, Dale and Kitty Nelson, Gordon Ferril, Polly Lombardi, Greg Moulton and Greg Dean that we have been able to do so.
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