AMC Outdoors, April 2003

By Craig Romano

Have you ever sat on a ledge, looked out at the surrounding ridges and peaks, and thought, "They should build a trail there. It's perfect — right up that valley and over to that summit. All it would take is a crew and a few tools." It might be the perfect spot, but visualizing a trail is a heck of a lot easier than actually building one.

Trails can't just be built to every pretty ridge, pond, and peak. Environmental regulations place restrictions on public property. Private property involves special permission — not often easily attained. Furthermore, trail building can be expensive. Maintaining trails requires still more money — and continuous stewardship.

According to Carl Demrow, co-author of AMC's Complete Guide to Trail Building and Maintenance, to successfully build a trail a slew of factors must come together. First, there must be a clear vision as to why it's being built, where it will go, who will use it, and how it will be built. It must be feasible. It must be compatible with the environment. It must be constructed with respect to all that it will affect. And, most important, it'll require the hard work and cooperation of a myriad of individuals, organizations, and agencies.

Recently, in western Maine's rugged Grafton Notch, all these conditions came together. And on National Trails Day, June 7, officials will cut the ribbon for the eastern half of the new Grafton Loop Trail. (The western half will open in 2005.) This new 42-mile loop marks AMC's largest trail-building project in a quarter of a century.

Construction began three years ago on 34 miles of new trail. Incorporating eight miles of the Appalachian Trail (AT), the Grafton Loop Trail provides a grand circuit around the Bear River Valley. Following a skyline route from East Baldpate to Puzzle Mountain, the loop traverses wide-open ledges and lonely summits. It then descends to cross the Bear River and makes an ascent — skirting Bald Mountain before entering the alpine world of Sunday River Whitecap. From there, it courses through Miles Notch and around Slide Mountain before closing the loop on Old Speck's rocky summit. Complete with 10 backcountry campsites, the Grafton Loop Trail will offer a multi-day backpacking alternative to the heavily used Appalachian Trail.

Taking nearly a decade to come to fruition, the story of how this backcountry byway came about is complex. The first hikers to trudge this route will see only the final chapter. Take a look back at all that came before.

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Conception