Into the Northern Wilds; Ecologist, trail crew survey AMC’s Maine land

AMC Outdoors, September 2004

Indian Mountain, Maine — Clipboard in hand, Jane Moscowitch scans the twenty-foot cliff rising above her. Jotting down the plant species that cling to the rock face overhead, she pauses to talk about her summer stomping grounds—the 37,000 acres in central Maine that AMC purchased in December as part of its Maine Woods Initiative.

“The biodiversity of this property is remarkable. I’ve found numerous 300-year-old spruce trees, wetland cedars older than 400 years, and recorded more than 30 distinct natural communities. Look at this sugar maple,” she says, pointing to a massive specimen growing at the cliff’s base. “It’s at least 200 years old.” Moscowitch, a graduate student at the University of Vermont, conducted an ecological survey for AMC as part of her masters thesis in ecological planning. Over the course of the summer, she studied 200 sites throughout the property, recording plant species, tree size and abundance, ecosystem types, wildlife habitat, soil acidity, geology, and other unique natural features.

The goal, she explains, is to create a natural community map of the entire property. Using this as a resource, she will then recommend where AMC should locate a planned ecological preserve of at least 10,000 acres, as well as identify unique sites outside this area that should be maintained as “retention areas,” and permanently protected from disturbance. “The scale of the project here is really exciting,” she enthuses. “This land represents the only place in Maine other than Baxter State Park that protects an entire elevation spectrum from lowland bogs to mountain summits.”

To help visitors appreciate that topography, an AMC trail crew spent the summer building seven miles of trail on the property’s 2,338-foot Indian Mountain. The new trail system—which includes a five-mile hiking/cross-country ski path that encircles the mountain, and a hiking-only trail that ascends to the summit—should be ready for travel this fall, and fully complete next summer.

One damp July morning, as crew members Nal Tero and Aaron Donohoe muscle a huge boulder into position at the top of a newly constructed rock staircase, they discuss the rewards of their work. “It’s satisfying to look back at the end of the day, and see what you’ve accomplished,” remarks Tero. Eyeing the mature spruce forest overhead, Donohoe adds, “Plus, look at where we work! I’ve been filthy and wet for ten days, and it sure beats working in a cubicle!”

Later, as the four-man crew sits down to lunch high on the misty slopes, they talk about their experiences. “It’s so wild here,” muses crew supervisor Ben Cooper. “Our base camp sits by a lake full of native brook trout, where we see moose every day … it feels so untouched.” Team member Nat Crew nods in agreement, “There’s something mystical about the Maine Woods. You see so many fewer people here than other places—peace and quiet are really important up here.”

Both projects are part of AMC’s ongoing work on its Maine Woods Initiative, a long-term effort designed to integrate habitat protection, outdoor recreation, education, and sustainable forestry. A visit to AMC’s Little Lyford Pond Camps provides the opportunity to experience the landscape firsthand—the new hiking trails begin just a five-minute walk from the lodge.

For more information, call 603-466-2727 or visit www.outdoors.org/lodging/lodges/lyford/.

- Matt Heid