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

Three land trust employees man the table.

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.

June 14, 2016

Old Blue Mountain Trip Report

Sawyer Mountain, across Black Brook Notch.

Looking south down South Arm Road. Telstar is in the distance.

Roxbury Pond and Record Hill wind turbines.

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!

May 27, 2016

Redington Forest Mountain Bike Stewardship Report

The Nash Stream valley from the slopes of 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.

May 27, 2016

Old Blue Mountain Hike

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!

May 18, 2016

Spruce Mountain – Four Ponds Trip Report

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!

May 6, 2016

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.

April 28, 2016

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!

April 28, 2016

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.

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.

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.

April 22, 2016

2016 Maine A.T. Land Trust Hikes Calendar

Heading up the last leg.

So we can all plan our summers more efficiently, without further ado, here is our schedule for the 2016 hiking season!

Spruce Mountain – May 15

Old Blue Mountain – June 11

Sugarloaf and Spaulding Mountains – June 25

Puzzle Mountain – July 9

Goose Eye Mountain – July 30

National Park Service 100th Anniversary Hike (TBD) – August 25 or weekend directly after

Saddleback Mountain via Berry Pickers’ Trail – September 18

Pleasant Pond Mountain – September 25

White Cap Mountain – October 8

These day trips are part of our Maine Hikes program to get people out on, and interested in, the Appalachian Trail landscape in Maine. All of the hikes are led by staff or trained volunteers and there is no cost.

These dates are subject to change, but we plan to adhere to them as much as possible. It is likely that we will be squeezing more hikes in between these dates, too. As we get closer in time to each hike, there will be an extensive post with information about time, trails and terrain. We will also be populating our events calendar on our website shortly so you can access the information and share with your own calendar.

We look forward to seeing you all!

April 22, 2016

A.T. Hike 100

Join the Appalachian National Scenic Trail as we celebrate the centennial of the National Park Service all year long! In honor of the 100th birthday we invite everyone to get outside and hike 100 miles on the Appalachian Trail during the year 2016.

Pro Tip: Not all 100 miles have to be on the Appalachian Trail!

The Challenge

Whether you are novice or professional – get ready to hike! The A.T. Hike100 Challenge invites everyone, regardless of skill level, to complete 100 miles of hiking – with at least one hike being on the Appalachian Trail. Hike solo or in a group; make a trip out of it or take it one mile at a time. However you choose to complete your 100 mile challenge, just get outside and have fun!

Those who complete the 100 mile challenge by the end of December 31, 2016 will be eligible to receive an awesome limited edition A.T. Hike100 decal sticker.

For more information head over to the NPS A.T. Hike 100 website.