AMC’s professional and volunteer trail crews have been busy! Read more about their accomplishments below and please support the AMC’s Trails Fund with your contribution today.
Maine Woods Initiative:
AMC is committed to creating new opportunities for outdoor recreation in the 100-Mile Wilderness region, providing public access to its KIW lands, and conservation of natural resources.
In 2007, the Maine Woods trail crew constructed a total of 17 bridge spans along the six-and-a-half miles of camp-to-camp trail connecting Little Lyford Lodge and Cabins to the Gorman Camps at Chairback.
2008’s work includes construction of an official Appalachian Trail (AT) side trail from Long Pond to Chairback Ridge; a new trail along the southern shore of Long Pond, connecting Moose Point Cabin with the Gorman Camps at Chairback; and trail improvements around Medawisla Wilderness Lodge and Cabins.
Also in progress is the construction of a new log shelter at Trout Pond, dubbed Phoenix. The structure was built by Meadow Mountain Shelters of Brownfield, Maine, and is being reassembled on site by AMC’s Maine Chapter volunteers and AMC Trail Crew. This joint project is made possible thanks to generous financial assistance from AMC’s Worcester Chapter.
Grafton Loop Trail:
Completed in the summer of 2007, the Grafton Loop Trail now offers about 34 miles of hiking along a trail that connects a series of scenic peaks and other natural features in Grafton Notch, Maine. The newly constructed trail on the west side, the portion that AMC will maintain, is about 13 miles long. Learn more>>
White Mountains:
A new bridge spanning the Saco River on the Webster Cliff Trail was installed in fall 2007. The 56-foot U.S. Glue-Lam bridge replaced the previous 29-foot lumber bridge that was becoming unsafe for hikers. In addition to its usual patrols of the AMC White Mountain Trails, the AMC professional trail crews also cleared an additional 64 miles of WMNF trails. Due to decreased USFS recreation funding, AMC’s assistance was essential in opening trails for the 2007 hiking season. Highlights from 2007 include:
- Reconstruction on the Ledges and Bald Peak Trail on Pleasant Mountain (in conjunction with the Loon Echo Land Trust);
- Reconstruction and stabilization on the Square Ledge Trail, including the successful rebuilding and pinning of rockstairs and scree;
- Installation of dimensional bog bridges along the Twinway and installation of rock stairs and drainage onto South Twin Mountain.
Blue Hills Trail Crew:
New in 2007, the Blue Hills Trail crew worked in partnership with the Massachusetts DCR in the Blue Hills Reservation. The crew accomplished an entire season of rock reconstruction on a very heavily used and eroded section of trail on Blue Hill.
Berkshires:
In 2008, under the leadership of AMC staff, AMC’s Berkshire Teen Trail Crews will give 2,880 volunteer hours to the Appalachian Trail and trails on Mt. Greylock. Eighteen of these participants will leave the program as Leave No Trace Trainers.
Volunteer Crews and Training:
By the end of October 2007, AMC had led over 45 volunteer trail crews and skills trainings at locations in the White Mountains, in Acadia National Park, at Baxter State Park, in the Berkshires, at Mount Cardigan, in the Delaware Water Gap, and at the Maine Katahdin Ironworks property. This is in addition to the hundreds of trail work trips led through AMC Chapters and individual AMC volunteer trail adopters.
