Williams Mountain is situated about 15 miles southeast of Jackman in a remote area with the inhospitable name Misery Township. Everything in that area seems to be miserable. Misery Gore, Misery Ridge and Misery Knob are names assigned to nearby locations.

Convinced there must be a miserable history behind the names, I did a little research. The result was surprising. In an article in the Sun Journal on April 24, 2012, the newspaper reported that Paul Fournier wrote in his book, “Tales from Misery Ridge,” that “misery” is a corruption of an Abenaki word meaning “many things.” With all due respect to Mr. Fournier, there must be a more entertaining explanation for the unconventional names, but I haven’t found it.

I’ve been hiking mountains in Maine for about 50 years. Until a few weeks ago, I had never heard of Williams Mountain. My son, Adam, said it was a stimulating hike. His endorsement was good enough for me.

Adam and I attempted to climb Williams Mountain in early December but were turned back by icy roads. Two weeks later, we decided to try again on the first day of winter. In addition to Adam’s glowing recommendation, weather was a secondary reason for choosing Williams. The forecast called for strong northwest winds and severe wind chills. The hiking trail on Williams approaches the summit ridge from the southeast and much of it appeared to be protected from anticipated powerful gusts. Hence, there was a reasonable chance we would avoid being miserable during the hike.

From Route 15 in Sandwich Academy Grant Township, we drove the rough Williams Mountain Road through a narrow sector of Misery Gore. A substantial recent rainstorm had caused several fragmentary washouts on the road. However, we were able to successfully avoid the worst of the damage during the 3-mile trip to the mountain access road.

Temperatures were in the teens and the skies partly sunny when we began hiking up the partially snow-covered access road. Winds were gusting high above us as we progressed. After about a quarter of a mile, red flagging on the right marked the beginning of Williams Mountain Trail.

We hiked steadily up the narrow, predominantly snow-free path marked by blue blazes in a mixed hardwood and conifer forest. Several blowdowns appeared to be the result of the storm, and two required considerable bushwhacks around them.

A gigantic boulder on an overlook provided a spectacular panoramic vista of mountains to the east. On his previous hike, Adam enjoyed an excellent view of Mount Katahdin. Not today; the rugged Maine highpoint was enveloped in clouds.

After several hundred feet of elevation gain, we emerged onto the eastern end of the lengthy Williams Mountain Ridge. The character of the terrain transitioned to a more gradual ascent in a thick conifer forest as we proceeded westerly on a snow-covered surface.

Venturing farther west, we entered a partially open area exposed to the full force of the icy winds. Fortunately, we were adequately dressed for the extreme conditions. The clearing offered our first glimpse of the abandoned Williams Mountain Fire Tower built in 1911.

Our trek continued across the ridge and down into a shallow saddle. We then ascended steeply up the summit knob to a short loop spur that provided exceptional views of mountains and lakes to the north and into Quebec. A brief climb brought us to the dilapidated Fire Warden’s Cabin, which did not appear habitable. Shortly beyond, we arrived at the 48-foot steel tower. The tower is in poor condition and winds were raging, so we decided against climbing the rusty ladder.

Adam and I explored farther west on the snow-covered summit area in a densely forested landscape. We hoped to locate views of the remarkably scenic Attean Pond region. Alas, we were unsuccessful.

Dropping back down to the lee side of the Fire Warden’s Cabin, we stopped for a short respite. Despite partial protection from the harsh gusts, the wind chills were still uncomfortable. We hurriedly renewed our descent.

Blustery winds continued in severity during our return to the trailhead. We had expected a lot of ice due to the recent rainstorm but encountered very little. In fact, ours was a thoroughly enjoyable outing. We were never miserable.

My book, “Maine Al Fresco: The Fifty Finest Outdoor Adventures in Maine,” narrates nine more mountain hikes around the state, several in winter.

Ron Chase resides in Topsham. His latest book, “Maine Al Fresco: The Fifty Finest Outdoor Adventures in Maine” is available at northcountrypress.com/maine-al-fresco or in bookstores and through online retailers. His previous books are “The Great Mars Hill Bank Robbery” and “Mountains for Mortals — New England.” Visit his website at ronchaseoutdoors.com or he can be reached at ronchaseoutdoors@comcast.net.

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