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Sugarloaf/Spaulding/Abraham Tripleheader Hike

Spaulding and Mount Abraham (with smoke on the middle peak).
Redington Pond Range over the shoulder of South Crocker.
Ravine on flank of Sugarloaf, with Spaulding poking above.
The approach to Mount Abraham.
Summit of Abraham.
Helicopter dumping water on Abraham forest fire.

By Deb Carroll

We chose the weekend after the summer solstice for the occasion of the Maine Appalachian Trail Land Trust’s Spaulding Option Hike, which at a minimum meant hiking up Spaulding Mountain but there was the option for an overnight with two more peaks.  The plan was to spot cars at the Mount Abraham Fire Warden Trail trailhead, and then proceed to the Caribou Valley Road A.T. crossing in another car.

After meeting in Kingfield, we spotted one car in the small parking lot about a half mile from the Mt. Abraham trail head. We proceeded down West Kingfield Road and found Rapid Stream Road, the road to the trailhead, to be marked with somewhat rough and inaccurate signs, but we made it there so they got the job done. After the hike out, we discovered that the 2 new bridges between the parking lot and the trailhead were in excellent shape and the roads dry and smooth enough for most any vehicle. Next time, we decided, we would drive all the way to the trailhead.

Caribou Valley Road is just under a mile north of the Sugarloaf Access Road and is not well marked. Look for the steep grade sign and a left turn onto an unmarked dirt road which turns back sharply. After about 5 miles of rough road we came to a locked gate and a small parking lot where we began our hike.  Though the road does continue, it is not passable by car and so we walked the half mile or so to the place where the Appalachian Trail crosses CVR. It’s tough to spot, so if you’re taking this route keep your eyes open for a small cairn on the right and white AT blazes just off the road. We entered the woods on the left side of CVR.  Once on the trail we travelled on a moderate grade for a mile or so when the trail began to get steep and rocky. After 2.3 miles, we arrived at the spot where a side trail would take us .6 miles to the summit of Sugarloaf, our first 4K of the weekend.  According to the Maine Mountain Guide book, Sugarloaf, at 4,237’, is the 3nd highest mountain in Maine and boasts the best views in Maine, second only to Katahdin.

Although with beautiful blue skies the views were, in fact, quite grand, we found the most significant characteristic of the landscape to be the 27+ acre forest fire on the summit of Middle Abraham, the location of a MATLT easement, 4 peaks to the south of where we stood. In a phone call to the Maine Warden Service (yes, we had phone service up there), Simon Rucker, Maine Appalachian Trail Land Trust’s Executive Director, learned that the blaze had been sparked by lightening several days prior and had flared up again that morning. As we watched, helicopters circled dropping fire suppressant materials.  The helicopters would circle overhead for the rest of our trip.

Descending back to the AT, we said goodbye to Simon, who was not spending the night, at the junction, and 4 of us made our way across the high ridge and up to the summit of Spaulding Mountain, elevation 4,010’.  That evening found us making dinner and setting up camp at the Spaulding lean-to with several other groups, including a colorful group from the Montreal Outdoor Adventure Club.

After a great night’s sleep and a good breakfast, we followed the AT for 1.1 miles to the junction of the Mt. Abraham side trail, and after another mile or so of walking in lovely, dense forest, we emerged rather abruptly onto a large talus field mixed with some of the most pristine alpine garden areas I’ve ever seen.  The approach to the summit of Mt. Abraham is in wonderful condition with flowers blooming, thriving greenery, and short but healthy evergreens, and the views were magnificent under a blue sky.  At the 4,049’ summit of Mt. Abraham, looking toward Middle Abraham which was now just 1 peak away, we watched a helicopter circle and drop materials onto what we presumed to be hot spots on the far side of the mountain. As the helicopter made its way back to Kingfield to pick up additional materials, 2 spots on the scorched mountaintop began smoking. Though we saw no additional flames, judging by the continual sound of 2 helicopters tag-teaming as we made our way toward the trail’s end at Rapid Stream Road we understood that the danger had not yet passed.  The total mileage for day 1 was just over 6 miles. The 2nd day’s mileage totaled approximately 7.

Look for details regarding the next Maine Hikes trip in July, up Puzzle Mountain in Grafton Notch.

Monson Appalachian Trail Visitor Center Opens June 20th

Inside the visitor center.
Inside the visitor center.

The Appalachian Trail Conservancy will open a new visitor center in Monson, Maine – located inside the Monson Community Center – today (June 20th).  The center will have information on the trail in Maine, organizations that work on or around the A.T. and businesses in the area.  The visitor center will be staffed and there will be plenty of goodies on hand like stickers, patches, maps, etc.

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There will also be a kiosk in the space where hikers can learn about the new permitting system for Baxter State Park, and receive other information as they near the trail’s end atop Mount Katahdin.  Stop by if you’re on the trail or in the area!

For more information please see this press release from Appalachian Trail Conservancy.

Maine A.T. Land Trust Day at the Ballpark!

Three land trust employees man the table.
Entering to win…
WINNERS!

The Maine Appalachian Trail Land Trust had our annual day at Hadlock Field for the Portland Sea Dogs game!  We gave away twenty tickets and had the customary hat raffle, giving away one hat per inning to a lucky entrant.  As you can see from the pictures above, one guy one in the 2nd inning and then his daughter won in the 8th!

Thanks to the Sea Dogs and U.S. Cellular for making the outing possible.  One of the most important aspects of land conservation is community outreach, and this event is purely about getting out there and meeting people in a fun environment.  It makes it all the easier when you’re hanging out with great people in a great venue.

Old Blue Mountain Trip Report

Old Speck and Grafton Notch.
The gang!
First rungs.
Old Blue through the trees.
Sawyer Mountain, across Black Brook Notch.
Looking south down South Arm Road. Telstar is in the distance.
The view north.
Roxbury Pond and Record Hill wind turbines.
Up a steeper section.
Cliffside on the trail.

We had a great hike up Old Blue Mountain over the weekend via the Appalachian Trail for National Trails Day – weather held (as it always does for Maine Hikes!!!) and we had some great company.  We started off at the South Arm Road crossing in Black Brook Notch with some great baked goodies courtesy of Rosemont Market in Portland.  There was enough to send some over to the Maine Appalachian Trail Club crew who were building a new campsite across the road.  Thanks guys!

When we finally got going, the trail is very steep initially and there is one section with rungs.  However, because of the lower elevation, there were no slippery rocks and ledges to contend with, and we slogged on until reaching the top of the Black Brook Cliffs.  From there, we had view through the trees across the notch and south to the Andover Earth Station which operated with the Telstar 1 satellite.  This middle section of the trail is moderate before again ascending steeply to the summit of Old Blue itself.  There was another section of rungs, but it was not difficult to climb (even for Shyla the dog).

The weather was threatening all day and the clouds obscured the views temporarily, but when we reached the summit those drifted away and we could see in all directions.  To the southwest we could see Old Speck, the Baldpates and the Shelburne-Moriah range in the distance.  To the north lay the huge mass of Elephant Mountain and, trailing northward, the Bemis Range.  Some of us could see Saddleback and Mount Abraham to the northeast if we stood on a high rock and peered over the krummholz.

We stayed on the summit for lunch for about half an hour (thanks for the chocolates Debi!) and headed back down.  The descent was much faster than the ascent since the 2.8 miles is almost entirely downhill.  Some of us stopped in Andover on the way out for some ice cream, though the weather was starting to turn by then.  Thanks for a great day everybody!

Redington Forest Mountain Bike Stewardship Report

The Nash Stream valley from the slopes of Black Nubble.
Crocker Mountain
East Kennebago Mountain to the north.
Fearless.
Biking along Black Nubble.

In anticipation of the acquisition of a conservation easement over the Redington Forest property, Maine A.T. Land Trust Vice President Pete McKinley, board member Claire Polfus and Executive Director Simon Rucker visited the property in order to collect GIS and scientific data for the baseline documentation of the property.  There have been several previous visits – mostly on foot or in a pickup truck – but this time the means of egress would be more innovative for a Maine woods project: mountain bikes.

As you can see from the video, the logging roads were somewhat bumpy but the crew was able to cover significant ground.  Many of the old roads are either closed off to vehicular access or have been out of use for so long that they are more trail than road these days.  By taking the bikes, we were able to get onto terrain that has not been visited since the roads were closed off by berms.  The views of the Nash Stream valley from the slopes of Black Nubble were spectacular – mostly unbroken forest from the Crockers over to Mount Redington and down to the stream valley.  This area is cooler and more densely forested than other areas of the Redington property.

The weather was nice if a bit hot, but any rain held off and we were able to visit three separate locations.  Everybody agreed that this is a special place and that conservation of it will be an enormous gain for the A.T. corridor.  And as you can see, there are plenty of recreation opportunities of all kinds in Redington Forest.

Old Blue Mountain Hike

Old Blue Mountain (left) and Elephant Mountain (right).
Old Blue Mountain (left) and Elephant Mountain (right).

The next Maine A.T. Land Trust hike will be up Old Blue Mountain (3,600 feet) from South Arm Road in Roxbury on June 11th at 10am for National Trails Day.  To reach the trailhead in Black Brook Notch, drive east on Route 120 out of Andover, and then take a left on South Arm Road approximately a half mile outside of town.  Go 7.7 miles north on South Arm Road to reach the Appalachian Trail crossing.  There is a small area on the right side of the road that has parking for 3-4 cars, so we will be car pooling.  That information will be sent out if you RSVP.

The hike is only 2.8 miles to the summit of Old Blue from the parking area, but the initial ascent out of Black Brook Notch is very steep.  There are rungs on the rocks in one area, but after this initial climb of 900 feet in just over a half a mile, the trail level become more gradual for another mile and a half.  The final half mile is again steep to reach the summit of Old Blue where there are good views in all directions among the stunted spruces.

The estimated time for this hike is 5 hours total (up and back) over a distance of 5.6 miles (up and back).  You must RSVP for this hike so we can rideshare and in case of cancellation due to weather or other circumstances.  We are also going to be providing some food so we need an accurate headcount!

To RSVP, please head over to the event listing and enter your name and email.  You can also email us at info@matlt.org or call us at 207-808-2073.  This should be a great hike!  Come along!

Spruce Mountain – Four Ponds Trip Report

Height of Land.
Bemis and Elephant Mountains.
View over Long Pond.
Spruce forest on Spruce Mountain.
The group.
Trail conditions.
Windy shore of Long Pond.
Snow falling on Moxie Pond.

The land trust held the season’s first Maine Hikes trip on the A.T. on May 15th. The destination for this hike was Spruce Mountain and the Maine Public Reserve Land’s Four Ponds unit. We had a crew of five on a windy, cloudy day but fortunately the heavier weather had moved out and we were in dense spruce forests for most of the trek. The meetup spot was the Height of Land parking area which overlooks the western Maine lakes and the Bemis Mountain range.  In 2011, the Maine Department of Transportation rebuilt the parking area at the overlook spot, putting in signs and laying stone steps for an as-yet-to-be-completed interpretive trail.

Having just come down Bemis Mountain, the Appalachian Trail proceeds from the parking area to the east, up Spruce Mountain (2530’) and down to large areas of montane spruce-fir forest in largely wet areas.  The terrain in this section is largely flat, and proceeds along the first two ponds, Moxie and Long, before heading up along the south side of Four Ponds Mountain.  While the conditions were pretty muddy even by Maine standards, the sights, sounds and company were all wonderful.  The A.T. skirts the northern edge of the state land while remaining just below the summit of Four Ponds Mountain and becomes steep in this section, but only briefly. Views to the south over Long Pond – the largest of the four in the state land unit – stretch to the south and west, where fresh snow dusted the higher ridges. As the trail descended to the isthmus between Long Pond and Sabbath Day Pond, the third of the Four Ponds, the group reached the A.T.’s Sabbath Day Pond shelter. The distance to the shelter was 3.6 miles but the mild terrain made it feel much shorter. After a nice lunch and some musings on the scattered bear skeleton in the vicinity, the group headed back on the same route.  There is a bushwhack route but the group decided to stick with the A.T. since it was a good hike in.

The wind along the shore of the lakes increased and the intermittent rain showers turned to snow and sleet.  The southern shore of Long Pond still showed deep areas on snow in the woods which were clearly visible from the higher elevations.  Fortunately, the snow and sleet remained light for the duration of the return journey, and back at the cars everybody agreed that this was a great, unknown Appalachian Trail hike in Maine.  Despite the lack of major mountain summits, there were plenty of views and not another hiker was to be seen.  A great day on the trail!

Look for information on our next hike – up Old Blue Mountain on June 11th – shortly!

The Next 100 Years of American Conservation

In remarks at the National Geographic Society on April 20th and released early on Medium, U.S. Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell laid out a vision for actions the nation can take to build upon America’s rich conservation legacy and pass on healthy public lands and waters to the next generation.

The Secretary delivered the remarks during National Park Week to help mark the 100th birthday of the National Park Service. During the speech, Jewell called for a “course correction” for conservation that includes inspiring all Americans from all backgrounds to connect with public lands; implementing smart, landscape-level planning to support healthy ecosystems and sustainable development; and greater investments in national parks and public lands to prepare for the next century of conservation.

During her remarks, Jewell also announced that the federal government will undertake a first-of-its-kind study to analyze the impact outdoor recreation has on the nation’s economy. The Commerce Department’s Bureau of Economic Analysis feasibility study will present detailed and defensible data on the importance of outdoor recreation as a distinct component of the economy that can help inform decision making and management of public lands and waters.

“By producing credible data on the tangible economic benefits of public lands, we can help the public and Members of Congress better understand the benefits of investing in them,” Jewell said. “Industry estimates show that consumer spending for outdoor recreation is greater than household utilities and pharmaceuticals combined – and yet the federal government has never fully recognized or quantified these benefits.  This project is the start of a multi-year effort to count these contributions in a comprehensive and impartial way.”

Contact:  Date: April 19, 2016
Contacts: Jessica Kershaw (Interior), Interior_Press@ios.doi.gov

Content courtesy of the Department of the Interior.

Spruce Mountain – First Hike of the Season!

Maine Appalachian Trail Land Trust’s first of many warm season hikes will be on Sunday, May 15th – destination, Spruce Mountain.  This 2,530-foot summit is very close to the famous Height of Land overlook (see map above), which is where we will meet at 10am in the parking area.  We can proceed to the summit of Spruce Mountain and then down the backside to series of remote, high-elevation ponds within the Maine Bureau of Parks and Lands’ Four Ponds area.

This is a very moderate hike and we can choose to make it shorter or longer, depending on ability, conditions and interest.  It is a great way to get out on the A.T. in Maine without having to navigate woods roads or climb steep mountains.  In any case, total mileage will be about 3 miles with the only ascent/descent involving approximately 300 feet of elevation gain on either side of Spruce Mountain.

You must RSVP for this hike by emailing us at info@matlt.org or by calling 207-808-2073.  Sign up soon – we will limit the group to ten hikers!

Maine A.T. Land Trust Acquires Longley Conservation Easement

Stream adjacent to the Appalachian Trail on the Longley Conservation Easement.
An unnamed stream on the Longley Conservation Easement.

The Maine Appalachian Trail Land Trust is pleased to announce that is has acquired a conservation easement on approximately 17 acres of land adjacent to the A.T. just north of the Kennebec River crossing in The Forks Plantation.  The property was owned by the late Stephen Longley, the long-time, celebrated operator of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy’s Kennebec River Ferry Service.  Mr. Longley shuttled some 19,000 hikers across the river over a twenty-year period and earned the trail name “The Ferryman”.  He also operated a small store that catered to thru-hikers on the east side of the river.

The iconic building in the commercial area of the Longley Property.
The iconic building in the commercial area of the Longley Property.

Mr. Longley graciously bequeathed his property by the Kennebec to the Maine Appalachian Trail Club in his will and MATC, wanting to permanently protect the area in order to provide a buffer for incompatible development and to conserve the significant values of the Appalachian Trail in Maine, has donated a conservation easement to Maine Appalachian Trail Land Trust.  The easement covers the portions of the property closest to the Appalachian Trail, leaving the commercial footprint area free for continued operations as a store or other business catering to hikers.  The portion of the easement closest to the A.T. contains “forever wild” restrictions, meaning that the area is open to low-impact recreational use (hiking, nature observation, hunting, fishing) but motorized vehicles and timber harvesting are prohibited.  Between the “forever wild” area and the commercial footprint, a camping area may be developed.

Stewardship volunteer Olin Jenner collects GIS data.
Stewardship volunteer Olin Jenner collects GIS data.

MATC is a founding partner of the Maine Appalachian Trail Land Trust and they do fantastic work – as an all volunteer organization – to maintain the A.T. in Maine.  We grateful to Mr. Longley and MATC for protecting the trail through the donation of this conservation easement.