Mt. Pisgah hike offers perspective on Central Maine

Sunday, August 8, 2004

The fire tower atop Mount Pisgah still stands. That's a simple enough truth, but it's also somewhat of a distinction. There just aren't that many fire towers left anymore. State fire-fighting efforts no longer hinge on the watchful eyes of wardens perched in their steel towers. While Pisgah's tower may not be a part of fire control efforts anymore, it still serves a noble purpose. Visiting the tower atop Pisgah fosters fun, discovery, and a sense of connectedness with our woods, watersheds, and forest heritage.

The lookout platform where fire wardens once scanned the horizon looking for smoke and flames is still accessible to the public. A steep metal staircase zigzags approximately 60 feet up to a trap door-like opening leading to the platform.

Although steel walls and a metal roof ring the platform, wind and weather can enter through continuous windows now devoid of glass.

These windows look out in all directions. The gaps in the windows where the panes once were frame snapshots of Maine. Window views isolate pieces of the mosaic that is Maine's landscape.

In one "pane" is a bucolic view of a family farm and woodlot. Cloud shadows passing over Androscoggin Lake can be seen through a lower window section. A thin smokestack in the distance marks the location of a riverside mill and hearkens to our communities' ties to powerful rivers. The upper portions of the north-facing openings bracket a vista in which gentle hills back up to the faint outlines of the hills and mountains in the Mount Blue and Sugarloaf regions.

The hiking trail up Mt. Pisgah accommodates hikers of all ages and abilities. If you can walk for a couple of miles (round trip) while gaining 400 feet in elevation, you can handle this mountain. The terrain is typical of Maine trails (rocky and root strewn), so a pair of hiking boots are helpful.

In addition to accommodating all levels of hikers, Mt. Pisgah is diverse enough to reward all types of personalities. Abandoned rock walls and an old sugar bush (a cluster of tapped or once tapped sugar maples) await those who are inspired by signs of human land use. Migrating hawks, ringing birdcalls, and other seasonal wildlife encounters summon animal lovers. Kids (and kids at heart) will find the climb just hard enough to be exciting and just short enough not to be tedious. Finally, the fire tower provides excitement and challenge to some, especially youngsters, while providing, to others, the opportunity for reflection and introspection.

Just as the seasons continually change the character of your own backyard, they influence the mood and appearance of Mt. Pisgah. Visit in the mid to late summer and your taste buds will be treated to juicy wild blueberries. Fall paints the landscape in glowing reds, oranges, and yellows. Winter snows facilitate snowshoeing and cross country skiing through silent, restful woods. Hike here in the spring and your ears may be tickled with the trilling of toads or the downward spiraling whistle of a veery.

Mt. Pisgah stands as a fitting symbol for Central Maine's outdoors. It isn't a wilderness, yet wild things thrive here. It isn't a museum, yet history is written into the land. It isn't a secret, yet it can still provide moments of peace and serenity. It is simply a wonderful little mountain nudging above a sea of green sprinkled here and there with signs of the people who call this area home.

To access Mt. Pisgah, look for a gravel parking lot off the Mt. Pisgah Road in Winthrop. The newly constructed hiking trail to the summit and tower offers a one-mile alternative to the rutted access road leading up the mountain. For more information on the property, contact the Kennebec Land Trust, which stewards a considerable portion of the acreage on and around the mountain.

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