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The #WEOUTSIDE crew’s next adventure involved hitting the water for a day of paddling on the Royal River. Thanks to the Town of Yarmouth, we were able to secure the boats and head out from the launch up the river.

One of the great things about the Royal River is that you can paddle either upstream or downstream and it’s relatively flat. The current has been subsumed by the dam in Royal River Park, altering the ecosystem and making it almost like a long lake. This was perfect for this group of teenagers who might have limited paddling experience but made up for it with plenty of enthusiasm for getting ahead of each other.

Heading upriver, there was plenty of excitement (“whose boat will tip over”) but everybody stayed dry. We found a suitable spot on the bank for lunch before tired arms forced us to head back. We were treated to some guys climbing the tree with the rope swing and then jumping off from a height of about 25 feet, and we rewarded them with cheers which caused them to jump from even higher.

For our latest #WEOUTSIDE trip, we took the kids for an adventure they have never experienced: mountain biking. After weather and scheduling issues prevented biking trips in both the summer of 2023 AND the winter session in early 2024, we were determined to get this one in with our great partners Inland Woods + Trails. Once again, heavy rain and thunderstorms were in the forecast. But once again, things were able to hold off and these kids got in three hours of heavy riding! As you can see from the photos, Travis from IWT was amazing and led these kids on adventures at the Bethel Village Trails by the inn. The were shredding on the gravel and through the mud for four mile circuits through the woods. We had one rider (pictured in the photo dapping in the front) who had never before ridden a bicycle of any kind and she was out there learning, too. Special thanks to Barker Mountain Bikes for outfitting and helping us get situated at the trails!

For this trip, the second cohort also got to have an overnight experience of their own (the first group was at the Flagstaff Hut). The overnight was at the Evans Notch Lodge which is an excellent hideaway on the scenic byway through the notch in the White Mountain National Forest. The rains came in but, once again, that didn’t deter these kids from heading over to the Wild River for some swimming and fun before a rustic pizza dinner and then a quiet evening in the lodge. Special thanks to Jen from Evans Notch Lodge for making all this happen!

One of the goals of the #WEOUTSIDE program is to challenge the participants – not because that’s how it was in the olden day and all that, but because sometimes the greatest rewards in the Maine outdoors come from challenging ourselves to reach the end of the trail or the summit of the mountain. With that in mind, we once again enlisted mountaineer and professional challenge-seeker Mardi Fuller to take this group of kids up Caribou Mountain in the Maine portion of the White Mountain National Forest.

And it was a tough one! The weather was humid and all day the threat of thunderstorms was there, but Mardi did a great job of motivating the kids while also making sure that everybody took breaks, was hydrating, eating snacks, and above all having fun. That is the most important aspect of the #WEOUTSIDE program! There can be a fine line between facing the challenge and achieving a goal versus suffering through a hot slog up a mountain you no longer care about. Fortunately, this group of kids was able to have the former!

Caribou is a 6+ mile hike and this group summited – not an easy feat considering we just got them outfitted a few months ago. They were rewarded with ice cream post-hike and they were so tired they didn’t want to swim for the first time on any #WEOUTSIDE excursion.

Thank you again to Mardi Fuller for making this happen.

Our most recent #WEOUTSIDE trip had a new wrinkle we are featuring for the summer 2024 trips: an overnight experience in the Maine Appalachian region! Thanks to our partners for this trip, Maine Huts & Trails, we were able to get half the group out to stay in a remote location (the Flagstaff Hut) for a night in the woods.

The day was sultry and humid with the threat of heavy rain, but we managed to make good time tramping along the shores of Flagstaff Lake. The view over the lake was stunning as usual, and seeing some higher peaks over the big water was not something these kids have experienced in Maine before. But they wanted to keep moving because they were hungry/teenagers and we kept moving on the trail.

After arriving at the hut the group settled in. Despite the rain moving in, everybody wanted to go for a swim and went down to the little beach, enjoying the view while getting in some water time. When the rain was too heavy everybody headed back to the hut for some down time and eventually dinner.

A rainy night but everybody was snug in their bunks. The weather improved and there was time for some kayaking and canoeing in the cove before tramping back to civilization. Everybody was reluctant to leave!

Thanks to the generosity of Nautilus Solar, the Maine Appalachian Trail Land Trust was once again able to attend a Portland Sea Dogs game and set up a table to talk to anybody and everybody about the A.T. in Maine.

The Sea Dogs and Nautilus Solar Energy have teamed up to shine the light on local non-profit organizations at Sea Dogs home games this season. The Nautilus Solar Community Spotlight will provide 25 general admission tickets for a non-profit organization to each one of our 69 home games. MATLT was able to raffle off some super nice t-shirts and, despite the not-great weather, engage with lots of folks about the outdoors in Maine. Special thanks to volunteer Louise for helping out!

Sea Dogs lost!

The Maine Appalachian Trail Land Trust is pleased to announce it has been awarded two grants from two Maine-based foundations. The organization received $20,000 from Momentum Conservation for general operations. Momentum was founded in 2012 as a service center to assist conservation organizations in Maine with hands on assistance specific to organizational needs. Their theory of change is rooted in the idea that solutions forged together and in partnership are more lasting and effective, and they also serve to build connections within the conservation sector, and between conservation and broader community issues. The John Sage Foundation has a history of making grants to promote and enhance a harmonious relationship between people and the natural environment. Their funding of $5,000 will go towards the #WEOUTSIDE program.

Thank you to these wonderful organizations for their support!

The Maine Appalachian Trail Land Trust and the Maine Association for New Americans are pleased to announce the #WEOUTSIDE Summer 2024 program! After a training session with our great partners Maine Audubon at Gilsland Farm (above) we have a great slate of trips for the summer for about 30 kids. Some of the excursions include:

1. An overnight trip to the Flagstaff Hut with Maine Huts & Trails.
2. A challenging hike on the Appalachian Trail with the amazing guide Mardi Fuller.
3. Learning to fly fish at Mount Blue State Park with the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.
4. Whitewater Rafting with Adventure Bound.
5. Mountain biking with Inland Woods+Trails combined with an overnight at the Evans Notch Lodge.
6. Exploring water quality, community well-being, a vibrant economy, and fish and wildlife habitat in the Sebago region with the Portland Water District.
7. Another challenging hike, this time with Maine Master Naturalist Samaa Abdurraqib.

MATLT is so grateful to be taking part in this program and we are lucky to have so many partners willing to help out. We’ll have more reports on our trips (with photos) as the summer progresses so be sure to check back and sign up for our newsletter if you haven’t yet.

A group of five kicked off the month of June with a community hike up Caribou Mountain via Bog Road. This White Mountain National Forest hike includes 1,961 ft of steady elevation gain through deciduous woods and a brief taste of higher elevation forest before the summit opens up to 360 degree views of the Presidential and Mahoosucs mountain ranges. Our group set out at 9:30 am from a small, full parking lot and reached the 2,480 ft summit at noon on Sunday, June 1. Those with bug nets considered themselves lucky as most of the trail followed a stream busy with mosquitos, mayflies and blackflies. Still, the numerous toads and high elevation trillium made for a delightful day amidst the wildlife as bright sun poked through the tree branches. All were rewarded with a comfortable breeze and plenty of snacks during our lunch break as we took in the scenery and mingled with the other hikers and their dogs on the mostly open rocky summit. We descended relatively quickly and left the scene by 2 pm with mud, sweat and smiles to remember the day.