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:
A new 1.5-mile trail running parallel to Trout Brook will provide ski (and hiking) access to Long Pond from the Hedgehog checkpoint area. A side trail along the way takes you to Trout Pond, an attractive pond for fly-fishing and moose watching. The trail can be used to access Moose Point Cabin on skis or snowshoes when Long Pond is frozen over. Final touches on the new Laurie's Ledge Hiking trail included a direct trailhead access from Little Lyford Pond Camps and a connection to the Lollipop Loop hiking trail, which will now become a permanent part of the Laurie's Ledge Trail. AMC also graded and removed large obstacles from extensive portions of the Indian Mountain Circuit Trail and the Hedgehog Gate Trail, which will make these trails skiable for longer periods during the winter.
Trail work on AMC’s Katahdin Iron Works property:
Since its purchase of the Katahdin Iron Works property in 2003, the Appalachian Mountain Club has built more than 10 miles of new trails in the area. As part of its 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. AMC’s trail maintenance program helps to realize these objectives.
Here are some highlights of trail work on the property:
- In May 2006, AMC trail crews completed the planning and lay-out for the relocation of a section of the River Trail North around sensitive and unstable shoreland. Approximately 1-½ miles long, this relocation was completed in June. It includes several scenic points and allows dry access to Second Little Lyford Pond.
- Crews also completed 800 feet of work on the River Trail South. This project included 220 feet of bog bridging, six cross drains, placement of two signposts and adding gravel to a 100-foot section of treadway.
- Also in May, crews completed bridging of the outlet stream of First Little Lyford Pond. This 18-foot-long bridge should allow a dry summer access to the second pond, but the trail sections approaching the bridge have been reworked to allow skiers and dog sleds a safe and smooth early season access to Little Lyford Pond Camps from the north.
- In June, crews had completed construction of six of nine planned new bridges on the property. These bridges contribute to a shorter and easier route for skiers, dog sleds and hikers from the Hedgehog Gatehouse to Little Lyford Pond Camps. Crews are also working on a three-mile stretch of the River Trail North, excavating the tread surface on the Hedgehog Gate Trail, and creating a new trail around Long Pond.
- Key points summary of the 2006 trail work season:
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- A total of 15 miles of all-season trail were newly opened
- The crew built a whopping 14 bridges; 750' of bog bridging, and a 500' rock retaining wall
- A new campsite was created on Long Pond and the existing KI-Jo Mary campsite and boat access on Long Pond was improved
In addition to these projects, AMC staff and volunteer trail crews have built the new Laurie’s Ledge Trail, with a connection to the Lollipop Trail; graded and removed large obstacles from extensive portions of the Indian Mountain Circuit Trail and the Hedgehog Gate Trail; and built a new,1-1/2-mile trail running parallel to Trout Brook that provides skiing and hiking access to Long Pond from the Hedgehog Gate checkpoint area.
Highlights From 2005 Grafton Loop Trail:
In fall 2005, AMC completed the final 3.5 miles of the Grafton Loop Trail in the Mahoosucs. The loop trail is approximately 37 miles in total length, and includes approximately 8 miles of the Appalachian Trail. The newly constructed trail on the west side, the portion that AMC will maintain into the future, is about 13 miles long. One designated campsite has been constructed and more will be completed over the coming years. The eastern half of the trail opened in 2003. The Grafton Loop Trail Coalition and its partners are working to open the western section soon.
White Mountains & Mahoosucs:
The AMC Professional Trail Crews installed a 50’ fiberglass composite bridge over Cascade Brook at the junction of the Basin-Cascades Trail and the Cascade Brook Trail (A.T.) (see photo above). The new bridge replaces the bridge that collapsed in 1986. Other summer projects included erosion control work on the Lion’s Head Winter Route, reconstruction of the north fork of the Hancock Loop Trail, and extensive reconstruction on the lower half of the Fishin’ Jimmy Trail. This fall, a White Mountains Trail Crew of 7 completed the Grafton Loop Trail, repaired trail at the Blue Hills Reservation outside of Boston, made the Pemi Trail in Franconia Notch skiable, removed an unsafe bridge on the Connie’s Way Trail, and cleared over 500 blowdowns in a single week on winter trails after heavy snowfall. Volunteer trail adopters have reported 8,236 hours so far.
Berkshires:
2005 was our most successful year to date of the Berkshires Volunteer Trail Crews, with full teen crews throughout the summer repairing sections of the Appalachian Trail in Massachusetts. AMC’s Ridgerunners also monitored and maintained the A.T. in Connecticut and shared low-impact backcountry recreation tips with over 4,000 hikers. This fall, a small professional trail crew repaired major damage on the Roaring Brook Trail caused by heavy rains and a clogged bridge span. The crew is also replacing a washed-out bridge at Sage’s Ravine.
Volunteer Crews and Training:
By the end of October 2005, AMC had led 56 volunteer trail crews and skills trainings at locations in the White Mountains, at the Grafton Loop Trail, in Acadia National Park, at Baxter State Park, in the Berkshires, at Mount Cardigan, in the Delaware Water Gap, and at the Maine Kathadin Ironworks property. This is in addition to the hundreds of trail work trips led through AMC Chapters and individual AMC volunteer trail adopters.
