The Maine Appalachian Trail Land Trust’s monthly hike on the A.T. was a short trip up to Table Rock over Columbus Day weekend.  The weather was cooler than most of the days have been this fall (there was rime ice on the summit of Old Speck) but the trip attendees dressed more suitably than trip leader Simon Rucker, who wore just a sweater.

As this hike was a joint effort between Mahoosuc Land Trust and Maine A.T. Land Trust, there were attendees from the Maine Outdoor Adventure Club in addition to those who are familiar with the land trusts’ work.  A few had never before been to Grafton Notch, and they were impressed by the fall foliage and the mountain scenery on the westernmost portion of the Appalachian Trail in Maine.  As the group headed up the trail we encountered other large groups of Mainers and tourists alike who were out for a pleasant hike in the fall weather.  After a chilly lunch on top of Table Rock – one hiker brought a blanket and it was needed – the group headed back down the trail.  There were many cars lining the road with license plates from all over the country when we got back to the parking lot.

The Maine A.T. Land Trust had its long-awaited trip up the Berry Pickers’ Trail on Saddleback Mountain for the Great Maine Outdoor Weekend, and the trip was as spectacular as we could have hoped!  After a chilly, 30 degree start, the weather was warm and sunny, and though some hikers had to drop out at the last minute, we had three in our party bushwhack up to the A.T. from the valley below.

The Berry Pickers’ Trail was the long-time route from the town of Madrid up to Saddleback Mountain.  When it opens next spring, the trail will connect the Fly Rod Crosby Trail to the A.T.  There is vehicular access to the trailhead via logging roads.

We set off at 8:30am, heading up an ATV trail which gradually intersects with and becomes co-terminus with the Fly Rod Crosby Trail.  From there the Berry Pickers’ Trail heads north into the woods up the slope of Saddleback Mountain and into conservation land owned by Maine Appalachian Trail Land Trust.  The trail was flagged by Maine Appalachian Trail Club’s Dave Field and he has done an excellent job of finding a path through some thick terrain.  Thanks Dave!

The trail soon reaches the open area of the ridge and proceeds gradually to the A.T. corridor between Saddleback and The Horn.  Saddleback Jr. can be seen to the northeast.  One of our hikers, Eben, is the descendant of a local Madrid family which once owed nearly all of the land in the Orbeton valley (see photo in the slideshow).  Eben helped us deal with the many scratches and tumbles as we bushwhacked by imparting his knowledge about the landscape, which was extensive.  His family is still involved in conservation efforts in the area, and though many members of the family live in other parts of the country, they maintain close connections with the land and community.

The group made it back safely in the late afternoon, with only half of the first aid kit depleted of supplies needed to cover the scratches, bruises and tweaked ankles.

Be sure to join us for next month’s hike along the Appalachian Trail in Maine!

Maine A.T. Land Trust Vice President Pete McKinley and Executive Director Simon Rucker headed up to the White Cap Mountain range recently as part of the due diligence process for the land trust’s role in the Gulf Hagas-Whitecap project.  The Appalachian Trail was routed over White Cap Mountain (3,654 feet) in the 1930’s by Walter D. Greene, a Broadway actor, Maine Guide and early proponent of the Appalachian Trail.  McKinley and Rucker took the White Brook Trail, an official A.T. side trail, which can be accessed via the Katahdin Iron Works Road from Brownville Junction.  This is very rugged territory and this trail is in need of a Maintainer, but it is a spectacular hike.

Maine Appalachian Trail Land Trust will likely be holding a property interest bordering on the A.T. corridor just to the south of the White Cap range (the mountain is known in different sources as either “White Cap” or “Whitecap” but the former is more common).  This area would encompass Big Spruce, Little Spruce, Big Shanty and Little Shanty Mountains.  All four peaks are at or near 3,000 feet in elevation.

This area has been logged in the past, but most of it is too rugged and inaccessible and has an unspoiled quality.  The land would make a wonderful addition to the A.T. corridor south of White Cap Mountain, and the greater Gulf Hagas-Whitecap project will protect some fourteen miles of the A.T.

Check our website for more updates on this project.

We had a great hike this past Saturday up to Puzzle Mountain with a group of ten hikers total.  Puzzle is a great little mountain topping out at just over 3,000 feet.  There are three peaks which from the air form a triangle.

Our goal was the first peak.  There is a relatively new loop near the top of the mountain called the Woodsum Loop, but since taking this route would add almost two miles to our hike, we decided to opt for the west peak of Puzzle.

The weather was forecast to be warm and sunny, and in fact it turned out to be even warmer and more humid than expected.  While the terrain is mostly moderate with a few steep sections, it was slow going in the heat.  The trail winds through hardwood forests until reaching the 500-acre Stewart Family Preserve which surrounds the mountain.  On top of the mountain we all ate lunch, checked out the view and attempted to identify distant peaks and lakes with binoculars.  There were plenty of blueberries to pick and all of them were tasty and ripe.  Shyla the dog had a less-than-amicable encounter with another black labrador retriever, her first of two encounters with an identical looking dog on the hike.

On the hike down, a minimum of the hike attendees asked trip leader Simon Rucker how much further it was to get back to the trailhead parking lot, which usually happens.  The group had plenty to talk about and the weather cooled down enough to make the return trip speedy.

If you want to join us for one of our monthly (and occasionally more frequent) hikes, check our website or social media pages.