Rumford Whitecap Mountain

By CAREY KISH

Copyright © 2007 Blethen Maine Newspapers Inc.

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Trail name: Rumford Whitecap Mountain Nearest town: Rumford Region: Western Lakes & Mountains Length: 4 miles roundtrip Difficulty: Intermediate More: www.mahoosuc.org/whitecap.html Maps: Get driving directions from MapQuest.

The rising sun cast an orange glow over the fields and forests of the Ellis River Valley as a friend and I shouldered day packs and struck off toward Rumford Whitecap Mountain on an early January day.

Despite the morning chill, it took only a half-mile of uphill trudging to warm up. Off came the fleece hat and gloves; jackets were unzipped. We had come for a wintry taste of the mountain, but the woods were bare and the trail snow-free and running fast with water, stream-like. Snow in any quantity hadn't materialized to date, and it seemed as if we might be in for a repeat of last winter's mild weather.

Halfway along patches of ice appeared, requiring some tiptoeing around through the trailside brush. Finally whole sheets of ice covered the footway and we stopped to strap traction gear onto our boots. With good grips underfoot and trekking poles clenched firmly in hand we marched straight up the path, ignoring the now less than treacherous ice.

WIDE VIEWS, BLUEBERRY BUSHES

Wide views opened to the west and south as the trees thinned and the trail snaked up granite slabs between huge islands of blueberry bushes. The scene was brilliant with fall color when I passed through here last September, but today it was muted with gray rock, bare branches and delicate white ice patterns on little frozen pools.

Cresting the long summit ridge, the winds blew unabated, but the 360-degree panorama from the peak made the cold bearable. White stripes of man-made winter were visible on the flanks of Sunday River Ski Resort, but the rest of the terrain was brown, splotched here and there with dark, coniferous green.

White columns of steam rose from the paper mill in Rumford, the Androscoggin River coursed placidly through the broad plains of the valley, and beyond lay the jumble of the Oxford Hills.

Turning into the wind, I could trace the course of the Appalachian Trail and its undulating route curving northeasterly from the Mahoosucs and bent on Katahdin many miles away.

Rumford Whitecap (2,114 feet) is an enjoyable four-mile round-trip hike. With only a couple of short steep sections, it's easy, straightforward walking, regardless of season.

The mountain is legendary for its wealth of blueberries, so in midsummer be sure to pack a container or two. Be prepared, however, for some friendly competition for the pickings.

For a summer post-hike bonus swing north a couple of miles to the covered bridge over the Ellis River and its sandy beach and fine swimming hole. In winter you might find the warmth and refreshment of one of several watering holes in nearby Bethel a better option.

Check the AMC Maine Mountain Guide for hike and trailhead information. The DeLorme Maine Atlas and Gazetteer Map No. 18 is also helpful.

PROPERTY FOR SALE

The summit of Rumford Whitecap and 761 surrounding acres are for sale by its current owner, a timber investment concern. That means the natural beauty and bounty of the mountain's alpine environment faces an uncertain future.

''People have been hiking Rumford Whitecap for generations,'' said Ginger Kelly, Acting Executive Director of the Mahoosuc Land Trust, a local group dedicated to land preservation since 1989. ''It's important to the community, and we want to conserve the property so that everyone can continue to use it.''

MLT has been working diligently for several years to purchase the mountain. In early 2006 that effort was bolstered by a significant grant from the Land for Maine's Future Board. But a March 30, 2007, deadline to finalize the sale looms, and there is much more fundraising work to be done.

''We want to preserve the land for the traditional uses of hiking, hunting, blueberry picking, skiing and snowmobiling; to protect the bare summit and its endangered alpine plants,'' Kelly said. ''We need wild places such as this for our children.''

I heartily agree.

Take a hike up Rumford Whitecap and discover its special qualities for yourself. And please consider making a pledge to help the Mahoosuc Land Trust complete its conservation mission to protect the mountain. Contact MLT at 824-3806 or www.mahoosuc.org online.