Knife Edge. Precipice. Maiden Cliff. As a hiker (and a writer), one of the appeals of the sport is the evocative trail names. Names like these – or Tumbledown, or The Horn or countless others – can put an image of a hike in your head before you even lace up your boots.

However, there’s a certain undeniable appeal to mystery as well. That’s what attracted me to the trails on Number Four and Number Five mountains.

Located far from the developed towns of southern and downeast Maine, the two trails are deep in the Maine wilderness. Each is named for its location in one of Maine’s unorganized townships – or, at least, what was an unorganized township when the hike was cut. Number Four is located in what’s now called Frenchtown Township and Number Five is in Township Number Five (just south of Jackman).

The trails were originally cut in order to construct fire towers on these prominent peaks. That makes the trips doubly appealing – one of my favorite landmarks on Maine hikes is a summit tower. Adding even more to the appeal is the ease of both hikes. With Four about a 4-mile round trip and Five about 5 miles, both are easily tackled as day hikes.

Now, that doesn’t mean the hikes are easy to get to, particularly coming from southern Maine. Number Four is to the east of Moosehead Lake and Number Five is to the west, and each trailhead is easily four hours from the Portland area. Rather than a day trip, your best bet is to camp or grab a room in one of the nearby towns. I’d suggest crashing in Greenville or Beaver Cove for Number Four, and Jackman or Eustis for Number Five.

From downtown Greenville, it’s about 17 miles to the Number Four trailhead. The directions are blessedly simple: Follow Lily Bay Road for 13 miles and then hop onto the unpaved Meadow Brook Road. After 4 miles, you’ll find a parking area at the Number Four trailhead. The area is clearly marked with a Plum Creek sign, but a hiking trail easement from the landowner has allowed for access and some rehab of the trail.

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The trail starts out fairly flat, meandering through wet bog and young trees. It’s a mile into the 1.75-mile ascent that things start to get steeper, but the difficulty escalates quickly. Part of the difficulty of this incredibly steep pitch has been eased by the aforementioned rehab, which has included developing switchbacks to replace the initial straight shot up.

At the top of the steep stretch, the grade levels a bit and offers great views of nearby peaks Big Spencer, Baker and looming Mt. Katahdin. This summit area climbs gradually for another third of a mile before reaching Number Four’s peak, marked by a fire tower. The tower, constructed in 1925 and deactivated in 1964, is still standing – though the top cab is gone – and accessible by ladder, though caution is strongly advised.

From the summit, hikers can spot a planned extension of the trail to Baker Mountain to the south. While the extension is slated for a 2015 completion, it wasn’t quite ready when I hiked this spring.

On the other side of Moosehead Lake, Number Five awaits.

Though the trailhead is only 30 miles from either Eustis or Jackman, the condition of the dirt logging roads makes for a trip that’s over an hour. Hardscrabble Road, the route leading into Number Five, is located just north of the Parlin Pond rest area on Route 201. From there, it’s 16.7 miles before a right-hand turn to the trailhead. There’s a clearly designated parking area for the trail.

The first chunk of the 3-mile climb up Number Five is an easy, grassy jog on an overgrown logging trail, before it connects with a blue-blazed trail built and maintained by The Nature Conservancy. It’s a pleasant hike, but there’s not a lot that distinguishes the 2-mile hike to the summit – it’s a steady climb through old-growth woods and over rocks and moss.

The real prize on Number Five is the summit, with wide-open slabs and ledges that provide 360-degree views. You can take in a panorama of the Number Five Bog and the Moose River, the peaks of nearby Attean and Sally mountains, and across the border into Canada.

Like Number Four, Number Five has a 50-foot tower on its summit, constructed in the 1950s. Also like Four, the tower on Five has fallen out of repair and is to be climbed at your own risk.

 


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