The People You Meet At Tumbledown Mountain:
You’ll meet the grizzled 80 year old mountain hiker tackling Tumbledown for his 10th (or so) time. It’s different now, without his kids or grandkids in tow - it’ll take him longer to reach the summit but it’ll definitely be quieter along the way. He’ll likely, as in our case, stop in his tracks as you pass, get down to your five year old’s eye level and say “I admire you.” It’ll help boost your little one’s confidence right when she needs a pep talk before some challenging rock scrambling.
There will be the college kids from Bates who breeze through the trail even if they stayed out all night the night before. They’ll pass you, gossiping about what went down last night, as you try to play it cool and pretend you aren’t panting as they glide by.
The Mom who decided that everyone was going outside today. As she sits on a rock listening to her teenagers complain, dripping in sweat, beet red and wishing she packed water (or anything for that matter), she’ll wonder what’s really so wrong with screen time, anyway.
The solo hiker tackling Tumbledown for the first time. Backpack filled with all essentials (and then some), a good camera and an even better attitude. They’ll float by, rejuvenated by the silence that comes with hiking alone, completely intoxicated by their surroundings.
The older couple, enjoying a beautiful Sunday morning together, that will lie to you. “Are we about half way?” you’ll ask. They’ll eye your wide-eyed little one, look at her determined, tired parents, and say, “yes, about half way.” You are not nearly half way.
And the young couple with their toddler that you’ll then subsequently lie to on your way down. Yes, about half way.
And all of these people, and more, will be with you at the top of the mountain. Because at the top of the mountain, is an alpine pond (or mountain tarn) nestled between Tumbledown and Little Jackson Mountain that you can swim in. Right when your legs begin to feel a little rubbery from the climb, it will appear and you’ll forget how hard it was to get there. You can reach it from the 4 mile out and back trail we pursued - the Brook Trail - or one of the other more rigorous loop hikes in the 10+ miles of connecting trails. There is no picture I have seen of the pond that really does it justice.
You won’t be the only person at Tumbledown Mountain in Weld, Maine. But if you were, you wouldn’t get to give a countdown to the off-duty cops and their K9 before they jumped into the cold pond on their day off. Or smile at the two twenty-somethings on their first date dipping their feet in the water. Watch proud kids enjoy smushed peanut butter and jellies at the peak. This 3,000-foot Mountain, with people from all walks of life and hiking experience scattered throughout the trails, gives this mountain an undeniable heartbeat.
QUICK DISCLAIMER/PSA:
Some of the access roads leading to parking to access Tumbledown took quite the hit from the storms over the last few months and some are NOT accessible until May 31st. Depending on where you are coming from, please check the DOT website (another good one here) to make sure there are no road closures preventing you from accessing your trailhead of choice! Otherwise, if there are closures, you’ll need to hike in to reach the trail which will add significant mileage. As with any hike, have a back-up plan and do your research beforehand! :)
I wrote this essay for my book in the early weeks of May. We hiked Tumbledown on Mother’s Day - which, is my absolute favorite day to hike out of the entire year. Few reasons why:
No one in my house can say no to a rigorous hike on Mother’s Day! What Mom wants to do, everyone will suffer through!
The weather is perfect. Still crisp enough for relief, warm enough to not carry a million layers.
It’s still so quiet! Summer hasn’t kicked off yet and the crowds are at bay.
And, perhaps most importantly for someone who is a magnet like me: THERE ARE NOT NEARLY AS MANY BUGS.
If you’ve been hoping to up your hiking game, feel like your kiddos are ready for challenging hikes, feeling compelled to just simply get outside - May in Maine is the ultimate dream for hikers. Pick a place, make a plan, and go. Go, go, go.
More adventures + a super fun promo at a Southern Maine gastropub below for Paid Subscribers! 🍹