Trails Used

ATV trails, logging roads, bushwhack

Trail Conditions

Notes

Used the Maine By Foot write up and instructions for this hike. Tumbledown Dick solo via Hammond Hill Rd. Parked on road just beyond end of maintained road, then hiked up logging road extension of Hammond Hill Rd to the spur to the mica mine. The spur is marked with a small cairn (easy to miss) and the trail mostly overgrown but not hard to follow. From the mine (an open face ledge excavation, not very big), I bushwhacked up and over ledges and overgrown tailing piles a short distance to the logging path spur atop the Hedgehog View knob (a lower knob on the north part of the mountain ridge overlooking Hedgehog Hill) where there are excellent views. Continued on the logging spur back to the main logging road & followed it over the Tumbledown-Pinnacle col to the ATV trail that leads to the main summit of Tumbledown. The ATV trail is steep and eroded down to slab in many places, with a few walk-around mud holes. 270-dgree views from the top, sweet spot.

Parking

Large pullout just beyond the end of the maintained part of Hammond Hill Road. ATV routes were still in mud season vehicle traffic closure.

Wildlife

Black flies.

Trails Used

snowmobile trails, logging road

Trail Conditions

Notes

Continued perfect weather today meant that I was able to get a second mountain hike in this weekend! After previously hiking Tumbledown Dick Mountain in Peru from both the east and the west, today we returned to do both on the same hike. We parked on Pulsifer Road where it splits, and started by hiking up the trail in the saddle between The Pinnacle and Tumbledown Dick Mountain. Upon reaching the logging road, we descended to the west to reach the end of Hammond Hill Road. From here, we headed up to the Hedgehog Hill Viewpoint, taking a detour on the way to visit the mine below the viewpoint. Although Hedgehog Hill is actually a peak slightly further west, the viewpoint is signed as such and provides a nice view to the south for relatively minimal effort. From the Hedgehog Hill Viewpoint, we connected back to the logging road that we had previously descended. Following that road up the mountain, we turned onto the eroded trail leading to the summit of Tumbledown Dick Mountain. We made good time up to the summit, and it was an absolutely perfect sunny spring day, so we ended up spending over two hours relaxing on the summit. After the extended break, it was a relatively quick and easy descent back to where we parked on Pulsifer Road. Tumbledown Dick Mountain is always a fun hike, and it was especially nice because we had the entire mountain to ourselves today! It was also the first hike of the season that we didn't see any snow.

Parking

roadside parking on Pulsifer Road

Water Crossings

some significant muddy areas, but all are passable with care

Wildlife

ticks