PORTLAND, Maine — When Greg Westrich, a writer and outdoorsman from Glenburn, set out to write a guide to Maine’s best waterfall hikes, he knew one thing he did not want to do: rate the waterfalls so readers could know instantly know which were the best and which were just so-so. That didn’t appeal to him.
Westrich’s new book, “Hiking Waterfalls Maine,” will tell you where to find more than 100 waterfalls all over the state and how to get to them. They come, he writes, in all shapes and sizes, and many such guides rate them on a scale of one to five.
“But how can you compare a hundred-foot plunge with a horsetail that slides quietly into a clear pool? Rather than tell you what to think of each waterfall, I’ll give you enough information so that you can decide for yourself," he said.
In talking with 207, Westrich stuck to that general approach. He didn’t offer suggestions on the highest or most dramatic or most scenic waterfalls. Instead, he chose five that are off the beaten path and not heavily visited. As you’d expect from the title of his book, it’s not just about falling water but also about what you’ll see and experience in walking to the falls. In hiking, as in life, half the fun is reaching the destination.