The Maine A.T. Land Trust held our hike in honor of the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service on a beautiful Saturday – just a few days after the designation of the Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument as the newest National Park Service landscape.  We chose Mt. Abraham because the land trust holds a conservation easement over the summit area – which is part of the State of Maine-owned Mount Abraham Public Reserve Unit – but at the same time it is an integral part of the Appalachian Trail landscape.  It is an excellent example of the partnerships and cooperative working relationships that help make the A.T. what it is.

We crossed over the newly-replaced Twin Bridges and headed up the Fire Warden Trail.  It was a beautiful day with low humidity, and we reached the MATC campsite very quickly, and treeline shortly thereafter.  The going was not as fast since the sun was bright out of the trees, but the breeze was nice.  We made it to the summit just in time for lunch and had plenty of time to enjoy the views.

On the way down, there was lots of discussion about what the Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument will mean for Maine, since this was the NPS 100th anniversary hike.  Most think it will be a positive thing, and everyone was primarily focused on turning the designation into an opportunity for economic development and recreation for the local area.  It was an interesting end to a great day.

Join us next month for the Berry Pickers’ Trail opening for the Great Maine Outdoor Weekend!