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Maine Appalachian Trail ClubVolume XXXII Number 3 Summer 2009

Trail evolution: first just 2 poles strungfrom trees, now modern‘moldering’ privy

MATCBarbara Gorrill,membershipsPO Box 55Gray, ME 04039

NONPROFIT ORGPOSTAGE PAIDGRAY MAINE

PERMIT 55

Camp group helps PoplarRidge Privy Upgrade

by Dave FieldThe Poplar Ridge Lean-to pit privy was

built by Jim Mitchell and his SCA crew in thelate 1970s, replacing the traditional pole nailedbetween two trees that was the “privy” standardat MATC campsites for many years. The SCAsmoved the privy to a new hole in 1986. DaveField and Bob Kimber moved it in 1993, dig-ging a hole that Bob could barely climb out.

Dave, Dick Fecteau, Barbara Workman,and Tom and Helen Spring moved it again in2001, using up the last hole location that wasavailable at the site.

Waste takes a long time to deteriorate at3000 feet and it seemed a good idea to trysomething different, so Dick Fecteau arrangedfor a crew from Camp Tekakwitha to meet withhim and Dave on July 26 to build a molderingprivy base for the Poplar Ridge site.

Dave drove over on the morning of the26th and packed chainsaw, tools, and spikesover Saddleback Jr. to begin work on somebadly needed bog bridging. The day broughtfog, drizzle, and near zero visibility from thesummit of Junior. Dave had cut, peeled, andsliced four trees by the time Dick and the CampTeki crew (12 boys and two counselors) arrivedin the early afternoon, on their way to theCamp Teki boys carry in privy materials More photos on page 2

campsite with cedar lumber prepared by DanaHall for the new privy base. Just imagine pack-ing those six-foot planks over Saddleback Jr. ona trail that is not cleared for loads that high!

Monday morning brought more fog, butdrier conditions. Dave worked with two CampTeki boys to finish bog bridges, then joined theprivy crew. Dick had the project well under way,with the base nearing completion and the crewhauling dirt to cover the old privy hole (whichwas already filled to ground level with waste).The real challenge came when it was time to liftthe old privy house up on to the new base andslide it into place, but by this time the sun hadcome out. Everyone was feeling more cheerful.

The old privy house received a new coat ofstain and a new roof, with Dick clinging to anearby birch tree to tack on the final roof panelas Dave and a couple of Tekis built some morebog bridges nearby. (The new facility even has atoilet seat, compared with the simple hole thatgraced the old one.) On both days we met manyhikers, heading north and south, who expressedtheir appreciation for the work being done.

MATC owes thanks to Camp Tekakwithafor a tremendous amount of work done by itscampers on behalf of the AT in Maine. TheseFrench-Canadian youngsters are hard-working,cheerful, and fun to be around.

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Page 1: Dick Fecteau hanging from a tree,attaching the new privy roof. Right, CampTeki boys work on the moldering base.Below, moving the old privy to the newmoldering support.

Dave Field photos

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After President Milt Wright called the meeting toorder at 9:05 am, before 110 MATC members, ElsaSanborn presented the Treasurer’s Report. She said theinventory listed is guide books; prepaid expenses are a halfyear rent for the crew camp, which must be paid inadvance; expenses of $7,050 listed for base camp wenttowards the search for a permanent base camp siteincluding a soil analysis. Total assets of the club are$503,000 and it has very few liabilities.

The Stewardship fund is over $300,000.Elsa also noted that the wind power opposition has

taken some of the club’s funds, and there has also beensome loss of paper value for investments.

Elsa reviewed a breakdown of MATC’s 2008-2009revenues and expenses. The club has received more than$160,000 in grants, which were designated for the Care-taker and Ridge Runner program and for the Maine TrailCrew. Total income was $217,000. Elsa explained thatfund raising usually costs $5000 per year and the currentstatement, which shows $5677, encompasses expenses fortwo years. The statement indicates $17,800 in net income.

Tom Lewis presented the 2009 – 2010 budgetwhich was prepared by the Finance Committee and forwhich the Executive Committee has already voted itssupport. Proposed expenditures total $235,000. This is aslight increase over the budget for last year, which was$220,000. The club normally budgets a slightly higheramount than what it actually spends. Tom noted that someincome is already in the bank, including $20,000 forCARE from the Davis Conservation Foundation and fromthe Quimby Foundation. ATC has contributed $45,000 forthe Trail Crew. Maine Outdoor Heritage Fund has added$40,000 for the Trail Crew and for CARE. In all,$228,300 is pledged to CARE and to the Trail Crew.

Gordon Clarke motioned to accept the proposed2009 to 2010 budget. The motion was approved.

David Corrigan reported on the Kennebec Riveroperations for the 2008 season. 1179 hikers used the ferryservice, a good showing despite high water that haltedservice on two occasions. There were seven confirmedforders. David is hoping for an even better season thissummer.

Sarah Carpenter prepared the ferry schedule fordistribution. Hours are:

Jul 17 to Sept. 30, 9 to 11 am and 2 to 4 pm; andOct 1-12, 9 to 11 am.Steve Clark agreed to take on the duties of Corre-

sponding Secretary from Dick Doucette, who asked inJune to be relieved of his responsibilities for familyreasons. Steve explained that he used to just pick up andsort letters and now most correspondence is by e-mail.Steve received and answered 81 contacts. The two mostfrequent inquiries are how to get to the trail and if it ispossible to hike the Hundred Mile Wilderness in threedays. Milt Wright read a sampling of the inquiries. “Arethere plug-ins for lap tops along the trail?” and “Is there asection appropriate for a group of nudists?” both broughtlaughs from the audience.

President Milt Wright cited the description ofMATC on the L. L. Bean web site: “The Maine Appala-chian Trail Club (MATC) is a volunteer driven publicservice organization formed in 1935 to manage andmaintain the Appalachian Trail (A.T.) in Maine from thesummit of Katahdin to Maine Highway 26 in GraftonNotch. Not a hiking or outing club, the MATC existssolely for the protection and perpetuation of the Appala-chian Trail. Among the group’s projects are lean-to andsite construction, trail relocation, brush and blowdownremoval, blazing trails and footpath improvement. The

MATC also places five caretakers and ridge runners atbusy back countryA.T. campsites. These caretakers reachan estimated 10,000 backpackers (each year) with LeaveNo Trace education with a focus on youth groups.”

Dave Corrigan said he provided canoe crossing forhikers over the Kennebec. Dave took over for SteveLongley who was honored by ATC for his many years ofservice to the trail. Dave’s canoe has a white blaze on thebottom so hikers can feel secure that they are staying onthe white blazed trail.

Terry Karkos resigned from the webmasterposition in late 2008, feeling that the job took more timethan he had to give. Dave Theoharides took over thewebmaster position, and has been able to update the siteand links. ATC is in the process of changing how itoperates its own website, and David says MATC will beable to benefit from those improvements.

Mark Fortin resigned his position as club Historian,and Ray Ronan took over. Several club members havelocated boxes of materials including photos, slides anddocuments. Ray and Dave Field are in the process oforganizing and scanning those materials. The next step topreserving these historic materials will be to find a facilitywhere they can be safely stored. Ray has been communi-cating with Fogler Library at the University of Maine, inOrono, the Maine State Library, in Augusta, and the MaineHistorical Society, in Portland.

Phil Pepin resigned from the Executive Committeeand from his position as District Overseer during Milt’sterm. Peter Roderick took over as Overseer of the Ken-nebec District and Tony Barrett joined the ExecutiveCommittee as a Director.

Milt cited changes on the trail including a mudslideon Moody Mountain in the summer of 2008. This is a verysteep section with iron rungs and rock steps. LesterKenway, Tom Gorrill, Dave Field and others have set atemporary reroute and the Maine Trail Crew will work thissummer on a relocation. MATC has also rerouted a sectionof trail in the Bigelow Preserve, establishing a new moreesthetically pleasing trail along the shoreline. The AT andMaine Huts and Trails will share 0.9 miles, which willserve as a connector trail for Maine Huts and Trails.

Bill Plouffe, who serves on the ATC board, provideslegal services for the latest wind power opposition.

In discussions with ATV enthusiasts, the NationalPark Service and the State of Maine have agreed to swapsome land along the Barnjam Road, near RedingtonTownship, to allow passage of all terrain vehicles along alogging haul road. NPS prohibits motorized passagevehicles on its trails. With the swap, the ATV passagewould be on state lands.

President, Milt reported volunteer hours to theNational Park Service. From October 1, 2007 to Septem-ber 30, 2008, 600 MATC members volunteered 20,067hours in service to the trail, though Milt feels that somehours were not reported.

Milt acknowledged Holly Sheehan for her service ashalf time club coordinator. Her efforts helped to raise morethan $100,000 in grant monies for the club.

Milt introduced the Executive Committee members:Vice President, Lester Kenway; Secretary, Janice Clain;Treasurer, Elsa Sanborn; Overseer of Lands, Dave Field;District Overseers, Rick Ste Croix, Julian Wiggins, PeterRoderick, Dick Fecteau, Tom Gorrill; Directors, DennisAndrews, Don Stack, Bob Cummings, Bill Eddy, BruceGrant, Bill Millis, Craig Dickstein, TonyBarrett.

Lester Kenway reported on the search for apermanent base camp location. A Base Camp Committeehas spent more than a year looking for a suitable property.

They seek: a location central to the AT, on the Route 2corridor, within reasonable distance to transportation hubsin Bangor, Augusta and Portland; a location accessible toMCC in Augusta; 2-6 miles from a commercial center;few or distant neighbors; approximately 50 acres ofwooded land or close to public property that is forested; aparcel that has “interesting” land features and that is largeenough for bunk houses; soils adequate for a septicsystem; preferably land that is available for purchaserather than lease.

The committee visited fourteen different properties,but has yet to make a final selection, though three parcelsremain on the list of favorable sites. Discussions with theSomerset Woods Trustees, one of oldest land trusts in theUS, offer the most promising possibilities. Their sites haveample land for building construction as well as forchainsaw training, and for practice with trail building.They are most interested in leasing at very attractive rates.

The question for the Base Camp Committee, and forMATC, centers on the need for a significant capitalcampaign and the concern for whether the base campshould be on land owned by the club or on leased land.

Lester expressed disappointment in the delay insecuring the base camp site, but assured that the currenteconomy is in the club’s favor as land sellers haven’tcaught on that prices are not as high as in the past.

Lester Kenway also reported on the Maine TrailCrew, which is preparing for its 18th year.. Lester explainedthat the original Maine Trail Crew was established bySteve Clark in the 80s.

Three Maine Conservation Corps teams will bebased in Garland for the summer, with two additionalMCC teams based in Augusta/ Hallowell working in thewestern part of the state. This allows for five teams on thetrail at once. MATC has engaged a new coordinator, JulianGarrett, who comes from Winslow. Lester will to interviewcandidates for a second position. The crew schedule isposted on the MATC website. Lester will send e-mail tooverseers and to maintainers to inform them when the crewwill work on their section.

The season’s projects will use a combination ofMATC Trail Crew and Public Lands Corps funding. Theschedule includes eleven projects of two to six weeks anda couple for nine. Lester encourages all members to helpout on projects, whether joining on pack in days orspending time with the crew on its work projects. He listedsome of the projects on the schedule: NesuntabuntMountain, Rainbow Lake west end (requires flying to thesite), West Peak White Cap, near Sidney Tappan campsite,West Baldpate (year seven of a ten year project), FlagstaffLake reroute, Moody Mountain, inserted as emergency,White Cap north slope (close to 700 stone steps since1993), Hunt Trail rock work, Old Blue, north side of GulfHagas Mountain near SidneyTappan campsite.

Lester also announced work trips to rebuildChairback Gap lean-to, a trip to replace the summit signon Katahdin, a project to be completed with Friends ofBaxter State Park; and work on Little Boardman Mountainto relocate the trail on National Park Service land.

On another trail issue, Baxter State Park hasconstructed a trail near Grassy Pond and proposed that theAT be moved to that reroute, to get last section of trail inMaine off the Park Perimeter road. The Executive Com-mittee is waiting for a report from a special committeebefore making a decision.

Steve Clark and Bill Plouffe reported on the latest

Janice reports on many issues faced by members at meeting

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events in the wind power threats to the AT. Harley Lee hadoriginally proposed sites on Redington and Black NubbleMountains, and saw his original proposal and a smaller,Black Nubble only proposal rejected by LURC. His is theonly wind power proposal in Maine ever to be turneddown. He lobbied the governor’s Wind Power Task Forceto place those lands on the list of areas to be expedited forwind power sites, and lost. He approached the town ofCarrabasset Valley, which presented a bill in the legislatureto annex the Redington and Black Nubble lands to itstownship, which would bring the lands within the expe-dited area. The bill requesting the annexation, with nomention of wind power, was to be presented to a legisla-tive State and Local Government Committee on April 15.If this annexation move is rejected by the committee,(which it was) it ends of Lee’s efforts. MATC hired ChrisO’Neill, a former legislator, to act as lobbyist and consult-ant. Maine Audubon, AMC and the Natural ResourcesCouncil of Maine have joined with MATC in opposition tothe annexation and to the proposed wind power site onhigh peaks so close the AT. Chris feels that the legislatureis concerned by the “good government” argument. SteveClark has a letter going out to the full membership withsuggestions for contacting legislators. Dain Trafton, whoserves on the MATC Wind Power Committee, recom-mended that people attend the committee meeting to showthe force of their concern.

Steve also voiced concern for the public image ofthe organizations involved in the wind power opposition,and assured club members that MATC is not against windpower in general, only against this particular site becauseof its impact on the trail. He noted that the public isfavorable to wind power, and cautioned that MATC becareful about its own image, being certain that we don’tappear anti wind power. He also observed that, should thisproposal be accepted, there would be no more reviewprocess as the “bar for approval would be set so low.”

Two other wind power issues may impact the AT,one in Roxbury that is 9-10 miles from trail on Old Blue,and one on Stewart Mountain, in Highland Plantation.Both are projects proposed by Independence Wind, acompany headed by Rob Gardiner and Angus King. TheRoxbury project is far enough away from the trail that it isnot an issue for the AT community. The Stewart Mountainproject is still in the planning stages. The proposal is forabout 30 to 40 wind turbines along the mountain ridge inan L-shaped formation. Transmission lines are already inplace. The highest point, at 2500 feet and about 4 milesfrom the closest point on the AT, is visible from AveryPeak and from a point near West Carry Pond. It wouldalso be visible from the trails on Sugarloaf. Bill Plouffeand Milt Wright met with Rob Gardiner and Angus King,who had already spoken to other groups and were con-cerned for MATC reaction. They had done one visualassessment, but they needed to do one from Little Bigelow.MATC representatives mentioned mitigation because ofthe visual impact on the trail and the Independence Windrepresentatives agreed to discuss the plan. At this point,the greatest concern is for the views from West CarryPond, which is about 3 1//2 miles away from StewartMountain. Rob Gardiner is in the process of makinganother visual assessment. Steve Clark has talked withJody Carton and Pam Underhill, and they will haveanother party perform a visual assessment from a couplepoints on the trail using Forest Service methodology. Thedate for the assessment is in mid May. ATC has establisheda policy regarding wind power, which MATC has alsofollowed; it may oppose, remain neutral, or endorse theproject. MATC and ATC will make a statement based ontheir assessment.

Steve Clark thanked the members of his committee,which includes Bill Millis, Bill Plouffe, Dain and Vera

Trafton, Bob Cummings Tom Lewis and Tom Winsor.Dave Field provided an historical presentation of

the building of the AT. Dave has obtained a copy of theinformational movie, now on DVD, made and distributedby the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club. The film, whichhas captions but no narration, has a half hour of footage onhow to build and maintain a trail, and on the tools to beused. The film was made in the 1930s and includesdemonstrations featuring Myron Avery.

Laura Flight, AMC chapter chair and MATCCampsite Committee chair, reported on the activities ofher committee, which has been reconstituted in the lastyear. The committee is in the process of setting an indi-vidual management plan for each lean-to. One of theirpriorities for this year is enhancement and replacement ofChairback Gap lean-to. Work trips are scheduled for July11-12 and Sept. 12-13.

The committee has also revised forms to helpcampsite maintainers report on their sites. Informationsubmitted using these forms will be posted on the website.

Peter Roderick, Nominating Committee chair,presented the slate of officer candidates. Those candidatesare: President, Lester Kenway; Vice-President, TonyBarrett, Recording Secretary, Janice Clain; CorrespondingSecretary, Steve Clark; Treasurer, Elsa Sanborn; Overseerof Lands, Dave Field; District Overseers, Rick Ste. Croix,Julian Wiggins, Peter Roderick, Dick Fecteau, TomGorrill; Directors, Dennis Andrews, Bob Cummings, CraigDickstein, Bill Eddy, Steve Gaffney, Bruce Grant, BillMillis, and Don Stack.

Peter placed the slate as a motion, seconded byGordon Clarke. The members in attendance voted toaccept the slate.

Peter acknowledged the other members of theNominating Committee, Tom Gorrill and Nancy Fischer.

Milt Wright called for an amendment to the MATCconstitution. Article VI, section 3, deals with ExecutiveCommittee voting when not in a scheduled meeting. Milthas asked that the phrase “or electronic mail” be insertedin two sentences, to meet the current available means ofcorrespondence. The motion was approved by a majorityof those in attendance.

Lester Kenway presented an expression of apprecia-tion to Milt Wright for his service to the club and hisservice as president for the last two years.

Matt Stevens, ATC Conservation ResourcesManager, gave an update on the New England Office andservices available. New England regional office is nowlocated in South Egremont, Massachusetts, in a buildingdonated to ATC in 2004. Matt explained that he will workmore closely with MATC than in the past as he lives nearthe old regional office in Lyme, NH. He added that onedistrict officer has been eliminated and that the ATCbudget has shrunk because of the economic situation in thecountry. He explained that ATC has granted $10,000 to theCARE program in past years, but will not be able to makea contribution this year. ATC has also not been able tofund the sawyer training sessions to the same extent as inpast years. The spring course will go on as scheduled. ATChas had to reduce from four workshops to two in theregion, and one of these is in Maine. ATC is looking forsome funding to help out with fall training, but that sessionis uncertain at this time.

ATC is continuing its trails assessment and isworking to organize the assessment to make it moreefficient and less costly. A 48.6 mile section from GraftonNotch is complete and the work will move north this year.Assessors will work with Lester, and they are looking forhelpers to work mid to late July.

In accordance with the MEGA transect project, ATCis working on rare plants monitoring and is revising itsprotocol for natural heritage monitoring.

Janice Clain presented the CARE Committee,numbers for hiker contacts in the 2008 season; PiazzaRock, 1511 hikers; Horns Pond, 1809 hikers; Gulf Hagas,3655 hikers; and Abol Bridge, 396 hikers.

The CARE Hiring Committee, composed of BillEddy, Bill Millis, Barbara Gorrill and Nancy Fischer,interviewed candidates at the time of the conference, allbut one position was filled. All chosen have through hikedthe AT. Alexie Russ, from Brunswick, thru-hike ’08, willbe at Piazza Rock. Ray Brassington, from Albany, Penn-sylvania, thru-hike ’05, will be at Horns Pond. JoanHenricksen, currently in St. George, Utah, thru-hike ’07,will be at Gulf Hagas. David Terasevich, from Vestal, NewYork, thru-hike in ’02 and a veteran ridge runner of fiveseasons, will be back at Abol Bridge.

New volunteers on the CARE Committee are RaeBelanger, who will coordinate food planning and prepara-tion for the CARE training session in June, and GeoffShadman, who has agreed to serve as Assistant SiteSupervisor for the Abol Bridge ridge runner position. Hewill work with Jean Hoekwater to give an MATC voice indecision making for that position.

The District Overseers gave an overview and updateon their trail sections, accompanied by Dave Field’s slidepresentation.

Tom Gorrill, Baldpate District, supervises 47miles of the AT from Route 26 in Grafton to Route 4, plus24 miles of side trails. He has 33 maintainers and allpositions are currently filled. Maintainers logged over1600 volunteer hours, and installed a privy at the Knollcampsite on the Grafton Loop Trail. They still need toplace a privy at Town Corner site. Tom states that volun-teers in his section will need to do a lot of bog bridgingthis year. He also described the Moody Mountain slide lastsummer. The Maine Trail Crew will relocate the MoodyMountain trail this summer. The Route 4 parking lot willbe enlarged and entrance relocated.

Dick Fecteau Bigelow District, from Route 4 inRangely to the Long Falls Dam Road, for a total of 68miles. He has 24 maintainers, who logged 1619 hours in71 trips that included 74 people. Volunteers built a newRedington Stream camp site. At the time of the conference,one maintainer position was open in the Bigelow district, a3.1 mile section from the Caribou Valley Road to NorthCrocker.

Peter Roderick, Overseer Kennebec District,from Long Falls Dam to Route 15 in Monson. His districthas 54.3 miles of trail and 22 maintainers. Volunteers inhis section replaced a lot of bog bridging last season, andwill continue to work on bog bridging projects this season.They brought in material by boat in the form of a raft.Peter states: “we’re all about bog bridging in the Kennebecdistrict.” One other group project in the district was a tripto replace the privy at Pierce Pond. He has one maintainerposition open, at the Pierce Pond Campsite. Peter recog-nized one maintainer, Melvin McCorrison, for 40 years ofservice to the club.

Julian Wiggins Overseer White Cap District,from Route 15 in Monson to the Jo Mary Haul Road. Hehas one new maintainer, Geoff Shadman, who will takeover the section from Route 15 to Leeman Brook. Thisdistrict has many needs for bog bridging. As mentionedearlier in the program, there are two weekends set aside toreplace the Chairback Gap lean-to. The first weekend, July11-12, volunteers will cut and peel, and the secondweekend, September 12-13, they will construct the newshelter.

Rick Ste. Croix, Overseer Katahdin District,which stretches from the Jo Mary Haul Road tothe peak of Katahdin, for a total of 55.7 miles and 4 milesof side trails and including 7 campsites. There are 10 trail

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By Lester C. Kenway,President, MATC, and Tony Barrett, vicepresident.

ONE SATURDAY IN late July this year was aspecial day on Katahdin. Some 17volunteers from throughout New England,

and even one from Florida, gathered at ChimneyPond at 9:30 in the morning to carry a new summitsign and framework up the Saddle Trail to BaxterPeak. Temperatures were mild, wind was light fromthe Northwest, and we were treated to about 15minutes of sunshine before spending all day in thefog on the mountain.

It was a Class II day that was rapidly deteriorat-ing, but that did not deter volunteers who carried thereplacement Appalachian Trail northern terminussign to Baxter Peak, the highest summit of Katahdin,the highest point in Maine. Due to the extremeweather conditions, the terminus signs only lastabout 10 years. The old sign had been repainted butwas so worn that the routed letters were almost gone.

The group moved up the mountain in an almostreligious-like procession sharing the weight of thesign, the large support frame and tools (over 100pounds). The iconic sign, which marks the end orbeginning of almost every AT thruhike, is the requi-site hikers’ photograph companion. In fact, passinghikers paused to be photographed beside the signwhile it was going up the trail.

It took over an hour to install what some say isthe largest backcountry sign on the entire AT. Thelarge frame assembly was weighed down withliterally tons of rock to withstand the high winds andstorms that frequent the exposed peak.

Baxter Park Trail Supervisor Paul Sannicandrowas on hand for organizing and guiding the group upKatahdin.

Everyone pitched in to distribute the 6 timbers,4 cedar planks, the new summit sign, tools andhardware among the volunteers. It was a great groupof people, with only a few members of MATC or theFriends of Baxter State Park in attendance.

Preparation for this event had been going on for

Of particular note was having our new vicepresident Tony Barrett along for the day. Tony and Ifound ourselves hiking together at a similar pace,and took the time to visit and compare notes onfuture club projects.

We all arrived at Baxter Peak around 1:00 pmand quickly set to the task of rebuilding the sawhorseand mounting the new sign. Helpful hands wereeverywhere and a group of 8 hikers lent theirs, too. Iasked 6 people to form a human workbench and webolted the two halves of the sawhorse frame together.The old sign was unbolted, and the old frame wastaken apart to be packed down in short order. Once

17 volunteers replace the sign atop Katahdin last monthseveral months. I (Lester) volunteered to make thenew sign in November of last year; I was subse-quently volunteered to orchestrate the installation aswell. The sign was made from 4 pieces of white pinethat were laminated and reinforced with 2"x 6" backbraces. The sign is stained dark brown with whiteletters and weighs 27 pounds.

Paul and I prefabricated the sign frame inFebruary. We cut, mitered, planed, and predrilled theunit and assembled it at the BSP shop. Over thewinter I applied a water seal finish and doublechecked the assembly. It is the same “saw horse”design that Steve Clark invented in the 1960’s. Theold frame had been in place since John Neff’s crewinstalled it in 1977. It held up very well.

Elsa hiked with me on Friday night as I packedthe sign to ChimneyPond in preparationfor the work trip onSaturday. It rainedheavily and thingsgot dark early,making for aninteresting trip. Weexperimented withumbrellas whichworked surprisinglywell. It was very nicenot to need to wear araincoat while hikingup the trail in therain. We finally got toChimney Pond about9:00 PM and madeourselves verycomfortable at thecrew camp whereRanger Tom Bell hada fire going to dry usout. Mac ‘n Cheesewith hot dogs andpeas never tastedbetter!

Left, Lesterrouting the newsign. Right, the oldand the new signs.Left to right, PaulSannicandro,Baxter Trailsupervsor, andLester Kenway,MATC, president.Above, volunteersplace the new signon the summit.Photos by HuiYeng Chang.

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By John Parsons, Member of Board ofDirectors, Arnold Expedition HistoricalSociety

THIS ARTICLE SHEDS a little light on theBigelow fire tower and the trails leading up toit. This information comes from Duluth Wing,

a great friend of many, and an even greater friend tothe forests of Maine, for Duluth (Dude) served inthree capacities: Watchman, Ranger and DistrictForest Ranger, for 38 years, 1947-1984. This articleis dedicated to him for his hard work and dedicatedservice to the Maine Forest Service.

The first continually manned fire tower in theUnited States was built in Maine on Squaw Moun-tain in 1905. The Bigelow fire tower soon followed.At 4088 feet, East Peak (Avery Peak) on Mt Bigelowwas the obvious place to locate this first line ofdefense. Although West Peak is 4150 feet, strategi-cally, East Peak was the right place to put the towerbecause of fire detection coverage.

Both peaks are barren - no tree growth. Accord-ing to Dude, the conditions on the Bigelow peaks aresimilar to the conditions of the arctic. The view isideal. In fact, because of the terrain and some logicalthinking on Dude’s part, this tower is not very tall atall. It stands off the ground on top of a tall stonemasonry foundation. That was tall enough, especiallybecause past towers suffered ruination from severeicing. The view was perfect.

There were 3 fire towers constructedon East Peak. The 1st one, soon after the1905 Squaw Mountain tower, was awooden cab on steel legs. The 2nd towerwas built in 1917 and was a 38 foot steeltower. But, in 1962, Dude constructed anew tower, a 12 by 12 ft western stylebuilding. Dude was a hard worker. Thatwinter, Dude, alone, constructed a newbuilding inside the forestry headquarters,which was previously the Town of Eustisschoolhouse. This structure had windowsand insulation and was equipped withlightning protection.

Building a fire tower as a winterproject several miles away, in town,sounds a bit like building a yacht in thebasement, only more difficult. Well, Dudehad a plan. Upon completion, the towerwas taken apart, piece by piece. Then 150pound bundles of his work were flown tothe top of East Peak by a SMALL Bellhelicopter, piloted by George Johnson ofthe Maine Forest Service. Dude andwatchman Bill Conner reassembled theentire building, piece by piece. With toolsand torch, the old tower and steel struc-ture were taken apart and the steel wasreused in the construction of the newfoundation. The concrete and gravel usedfor this foundation also was flown up themountain by helicopter. The stones were mined

Bigelow fire tower and trails mostly the work of Duluth Wing, fire wardennearby. The helicopter strained and was barely ableto reach the heights. Water for the concrete wasmostly lugged 1/3 of a mile up hill out of the colspring. Rain water was also collected with tarps.After 188 man days the tower was completed.Unmanned, it still stands to this day as a wonderfulhistorical reminder of the way life used to be. Themen that served on this mountain spotted many firesto the salvation of this beautifully forested country.

To give a little credit to some of the watchmenserving in these towers I mention the followingnames according to Duluth Wing: Ben Safford,1924-1929, Herbert Blackwell, 1930-1932, EverettParsons – years unknown, Bill Conner, for some 10years, dates not known, Stillman Johnson, 1945 or46, (Stillman and his wife lived in a log cabin up top)Franklin Sargent, 1948 and 49 and Duluth (Dude)Wing, 1947 and 49. Dude had reported at least 3fires, using an instrument called an Alidade table (abrass and glass covered sighting table with map andcompass readings). Fires were reported by radiofrom the spring of 1948 on.

So what did these guys do in the event of astorm? Well, there is a 12ft by 20ft cabin up therethat Dude built in the col, but there was a nearerplace. There was a tin shack that was built nearbythat the men could retreat to in the event of a lighten-ing storm. This shack was wire grounded to the earththrough a metal rod, although poorly. The terrainsimply did not offer ideal conditions for a good earth

ground on the mountain top. The best way to ensure agood ground was to wet the ground rod. I am sureliving through a thunder storm up there had itsmoments!

The original way up to the tower was a road toa hiking trail up the north side of the mountain nearthe Roy Parsons Farm. The trail started up themountain at the road’s end, 1½ miles up. The CCCbuilt this road sometime around 1933. They also rana poll phone line along the road. The Parsons trail isnot discernable today, although when the lake is lowyou may try to locate the road at the Parsons farmcoming out of the lake, and then look for remnants ofthe phone line while ascending the mountain trail.

UNLESS YOU ARE adventurous, I wouldrecommend the easier way on the South orEast side. When you are on top, just for a

moment try to envision Major Timothy Bigelowstanding there, next to you. Legend says it was 234years ago that Col. Benedict Arnold ordered Bigelowto take a few good men and hike this mountain in thehope that he could see the “Spires of Quebec City.”Col. Arnold and his 1,100 man army were near here,traversing the Dead River in 1775, attempting tosneak into Quebec City to liberate Canada from theBritish. Though truly a valiant mission by all whoattempted, it failed to accomplish its goal.

On the south side of Bigelow there is a trailthat Dude and his helpers, Sheridan Scibbner and

Helon Taylor cleared back in 1949 and50, called the fire warden’s trail. It islocated off of route 27, about 2 milesNorth of Sugarloaf where a sign says,Stratton Brook Pond. Drive in about 2miles to the brook and hike for about 2 ½hours to the col.

This tower has long been out of us,replaced by air patrols conducted by theMaine Forest Service. It is my under-standing that the administration of theBigelow Preserve would like to see theremains of the fire tower removed fromthe mountain. Unfortunately manyhistoric sites get closed down. Youcannot rebuild history once it is gone.When it is gone, it is gone forever! Thisis not an eyesore, it is a thing of beauty!It was only a few years ago, until heretired, that Kenny Wing, Dude’s succes-sor painted and replaced glass on thistower in an attempt to maintain it.

I can only hope that this piece ofMaine history will get the respect itdeserves. Yes, it requires effort, and somemoney. But will that not be worth it whenin the future you and your kids and thentheir kids have the privilege to hike past ahistorical tower and see for themselveswhat life up here was once like for menwhose roots started right here in a town

that is now under that huge lake, at the base of thebeautiful Bigelow range? Enjoy the mountain.

Avery Peak, Bigelow Mountain. The fire towercan be seen on the summit ridge.

MAINEtainer Page 7

Credit Card #

Bigelow. One project would protect two parcels usingForest Legacy money designated for state or privateownership of forested land. MATLT works in partnershipwith State of Maine and Heritage Trust. MATLT pays 25%of costs. Its primary concern is to keep development fromencroaching.

Tony Barrett announced that Walkin’ Jim Stolzwould visit Rangeley Lakes School on April 17 for amorning program. His visit was arranged by a teacher atRangeley who participates in the ATC “A Trail to EveryClassroom” program.

Carey Kish is preparing a new book on Maine ATlean-to registers. He is looking for information and willneed help from club members, especially campsitemaintainers. Carey’s efforts will help with plans todocument the history of MATC.

Steve Pinkham announced that he has written abook on Maine mountains, available in May from DownEast Books. Steve researched the history of place names,fire towers, plane crashes, and tragedies and collectedthem in his book “The Mountains in Maine, IntriguingStories Behind Their Names.”

Dave Field announced that he is seeking ideas for asuitable location and ways to celebrate the club’s 75th

anniversary in 2010.In response to a statement earlier in the program

regarding the large numbers of college orientation hikingtrips in the Hundred Mile Wilderness, Tony Barrett notedthat Bowdoin College has announced that it plans toeliminate hiking trips in deference to the impact onenvironment.

The conference was adjourned at 2:30 pm andmembers met with overseers and with other club officials.

Respectfully submitted,

Janice ClainRecording Secretary

(GLT) in conjunction with the Appalachian Trail

Road will be graveled and built to accommodate21 vehicles, trees will be planted between Route

The present too small kiosk will be replaced by a

the GLT passes was purchased with an easement

The AMC will build a new campsite on this

the MATC will have privies installed this year at

Discussions are still occurring between two

sections in the district. Volunteers contributed 1945 hours

last year. Larry Clark has served 31 years as a maintainerfrom Nahmakanta Lake to the Pollywog Stream Bridgeand Kevin Farr and Steve Sessions have served 39 yearsmaintaining the section from Pollywog Stream Bridge to

Rainbow Lake Dam side trail..Rick worked last year with the Baxter State Park

Trail Crew to create a new high water trail to avoid twofordings of Nesowadnehunk Stream. The Maine TrailCrew worked three weeks last summer on the Hunt Trailand will be back for another three weeks this summer.

Dave Field explained corridor monitor duties,which are to keep track of boundary lines and monitor forencroachment on park lands. There are 31,646 acres ofNational Park Land with 301.27 miles of boundaries.Monitors were able to locate 185 monuments last seasonand inspected 24 miles of boundary, spending 297 hours inthe field. Dave currently has very five corridor sections inthe White Cap district and two in the Baldpate districtunassigned. Dave will conduct corridor monitor trainingon June 6 in Elliotsville and on June 20 on the back side ofSugarloaf. In addition to the volunteer efforts, professionalsurveyors promised to be on the Maine trail for a monththis year.

Another project mentioned earlier in the program isthe Natural Heritage Monitoring of rare plants through theATC MEGA transect project.

Carole Haas told of Maine Appalachian TrailLand Trust plans. The group is making purchases, focusingon the high peaks between Madrid, Rangeley, Stratton and

Continued from page 4

MAINEtainer Page 8

By Laura FlightFive volunteers spent two days in July

felling, milling, and debarking trees in prepara-tion for the Chairback Gap lean-to repairs. Ledby our President Lester Kenway, Bruce Grant,Michelle Curtain, (who took these photos) EricaKaufmann, and myself humbly assisted in thisprocess. Some monestrous spruce were skillfullyfelled, then de-limbed, propped up, 3 slidesmilled off, and left to dry. We had great weather(it only rained at night!), the bugs were friendlyat times, and we all went home with the in-famous exhausted but accomplished feeling.

With this now drying supply of timber, weplan to replace the three front logs (including thedeacon’s bench) as well as completely redo thebunk/floor on the September 11-13 trip. Inaddition, we will jack up the structure andhopefully replace the roof.

And we are looking for YOUR help duringSeptember 11-13!! We will have our work cutout for us (no pun intended), as we have a lot ofmaterials to carry in and a lot to do. We wouldlike to get as many hands for any or all of thedays on the September trip as possible. Whatbetter way to spend an autumn weekend than inthe crisp, northern, air… when the bugs areheading south, and the hikers are headingnorth… doing some honest, physical, rewardingwork… with a great bunch of volunteers?

Please visit the website (http://www.matc.org/announcements.html#worktrip)for more information, or contact Lester Kenwayat 207-947-2723 or trailser@myfairpoint.net

We need help on Sept. 11-13 for Chairback Gap leanto repairs

The Horns Pond side trail assignment is open.Access to this trail is from the end of the StrattonBrook Pond road which is the trailhead for theBigelow Firewardens Trail. The Horns Pond sidetrail junctions with the Firewardens trail 2 milesfrom the trailhead. The Horns Pond trail is 2.4 mileslong and is in good shape overall. Total elevationgain from the trailhead parking area to Horns Pond isabout 2000 feet.

Applicants should be willing to commit tomaking at least 3 trips per season, Spring, Summerand Fall to clear waterbars and blowdowns, doannual brush clipping as needed and blazing everyfew years. Just three tools are needed on mostmaintenance trips, a small handsaw, hand clippersand a short hand hoe.

Anyone interested in this trail assignment mayapply ASAP and I will contact all applicants thisFall.

Bigelow District Overseer, Dick Fecteau284 Ramsdell Rd. Farmington, Me. 04938207-778-0870rfecteau@midmaine.com

Horns Pond trail needsmaintainer

Photos by Michelle Curtain.

MAINEtainer Page 9

the new frame was assembled, the task of stackingrocks on it began and continued until I was finallysatisfied that it would stay in place and survivepeople removing rocks, as they always will.

Cameras were numerous as pictures were takento record the old sign, the new sign and the replace-ment process. Most of the event was recorded onvideo as well!

As we packed up our tools and old sign lumber,the sky darkened, and a very heavy fog/mist began toblow in our faces as we started down the SaddleTrail. It was as if Pamola, the avenging spirit ofKatahdin, had just allowed us to do our task beforetesting our mettle with some wet weather.

Everyone made it down the mountain in goodseason, with no mishaps. Jarod Hester, of Micanopy,Florida, volunteered to pack the new sign up themountain, and then packed the old sign all the waydown to Roaring Brook. Kudos! For most people itwas a 12 hour hike on the mountain. Being a littleslower than most, I pulled into Roaring Brook atsunset. Elsa and I started for home, finding the onlyhot food available in Millinocket was at McDonalds.That tasted pretty good too.

The battered old sign was carefully wrappedand carried down the mountain. It will be retired to awarm and sheltered museum in recognition for itsyears of good duty. Hikers now have a familiar andfreshly painted sign to greet them at the northernterminus of the AT – at least for a couple of years.

Thanks go to everyone who helped us put upthe new sign. If you couldn’t join us this time, youwill have another chance in 10 years – see you then!

Continued from page 5 Invite a friend to join MATC

Please check the membership category and the amount of contributionyou wish to make.

Individual ($15) ____ Family ($20)____ Organization ($25) ____

Additional Contribution __________________

Name _____________________________________________________________________________

Address ___________________________________________________________________________

Town ________________________________ State________ Zip ________

Telephone ___________________ Email ______________________ (both optional)

Family member names for membership cards

_________________________________________________________________________________________

Check activities of special interest: Trail Maintenance ___, committee work___,

Other: ________________

Send form or just a note with your dues or contribution to:

Barbara Gorrill, MATC,PO Box 55,

Gray, ME 04039-211

Sawyer CertificationWorkshop to be heldOct. 3-4 in Windham

The Appalachian Trail Conservancy’s sawyercertification program teaches Trail volunteers how tosafely operate a chain saw to remove downed treesand cut materials needed for Trail projects. We offerfree training courses, free personal protective equip-ment (PPE), and reimbursement of first-aid and/orCPR certification costs.

The Maine Appalachian Trail Club, in conjunc-tion with the New England Regional Office of theAppalachian Trail Conservancy, is planning the fallchainsaw safety workshops for October 3-4 inWindham at Larry Clark’s woodlot

The workshops will be for both new certifica-tion and recertification. The recertification coursewill be one day only, the Saturday of the notedweekend. The one-day recertification class is forSawyers with a current Level B certification.

If your current certification will expire in thenext twelve months, or has recently expired, we urgeyou to signup for a workshop and renew your creden-tials. Space is limited. Please contact Craig Dicksteinat craig.donna@wildblue.net or (207) 672-4983 orPO Box 128, Caratunk, Maine 04925.

MAINEtainer Page 10

by Dave Field

At the recent biennial conference of theAppalachian Trail Conservancy in Castelton,Vermont, members of the Maine AppalachianTrail Club enjoyed a presentation by DaytonDuncan, co-producer with Ken Burns of the newdocumentary series “The National Parks,America’s Best Idea.”

The 12-hour series will premiere on PBSTV on September 27.

A few days before the series begins, Jenni-fer Rooks will air a Maine Watch TV specialabout Maine’s units of the national park system:Acadia National Park, the Appalachian NationalScenic Trail, and the St. Croix Island Interna-tional Historic Site.

On July 27, I hiked up Saddleback Jr. withJennifer and her cameraman Chad to be inter-viewed about the Appalachian Trail in Maine. Itwas an absolutely beautiful, sunny, warm dayand the opportunity for great photography of thebeautiful alpine zone on Junior and of thesurrounding mountains could not have beenbetter.

We had the good fortune to meet “Padre”, aLutheran minister from Long Island who washiking south and provided a good interviewopportunity.

Even better, the camera had just been set upat the summit of the mountain when a youngman from South Carolina came along headingnorth. He had left Georgia on March 4 andprovided Jennifer a wonderful opportunity to askquestions about what it is like to through-hikethe AT.

The whole Maine Watch show will beavailable on the MPBN web site if you are notable to see it “live.”

David B. Field, 191 Emerson Mill RoadHampden ME 04444

Maine public television interviews Dave, hikers on Saddleback

Don Stack needs a register box monitorfor the box located near Conference Bridgein the Bigelow Preserve (the bridge crossesStratton Brook). The responsibilities includegoing to the box a few times each hikingseason, restocking the box with blank cards,and removing the cards that have beencompleted by hikers. These cards are mailedto a volunteer who enters them into a com-puter spreadsheet for the club. If this soundsof interest to you, please contact Don Stackat donstack@sacoriver.net or 207-749-0370(cell) or 207-929-5773 (home) or by mail at

11 Patten Farm Rd., Buxton, ME 04093.

Lester reports that it is time to put the trail crew away for the winter.We are going to meet at the Garland Base Camp at 9:00 AM on Saturday, August 22 to finish

putting away everything and clean up what is left.• We will be putting some tools away;• putting some tents away;• and cleaning up the house.• Bring your work gloves!

We will have lunch for everyone, and a short meeting to discuss the 2009 season,We would like to be done by 3:00 pm. Let us know if you can join us, so we can plan lunch.Call for directions if you haven’t been to the Garland sheep farm before.See you soon,Lester C. KenwayPO Box 8057Bangor ME 04402207-947-2723207-945-6050 (FAX)

Work session August 22 will put awayMaine Trail Crew gear for the season

MAINEtainer Page 11

In his effort to fill all 70 Corridor Monitoringassignments and train both new and experiencedmonitors, Dave Field conducted two workshops

this spring. These photos were taken in theBigelow District at the June 20th workshop or

nearby along the corridor. These photos depict asampling of the issues and challenges involved

with monitoring the AT boundarycorridors in Maine.

Clockwise from above: Thousands of NPS ATMonuments like this lay waiting for corridor

monitors to locate, uncover and check on theircondition — marking the boundary of NPS lands.

Dave Field with camera. Geoff Shadman,Martha Graff, Michele Curtain and Tony Barrett

are among the boundary volunteers.And finally, an oil spill from an illegal crossing of

the corridor. The chainsaw was included toprovide a size perspective.

Photos by Tony Barrett.

MAINEtainer Page 12

is the newsletter of the Maine Appalachian Trail Club. Opinionsexpressed herein do not necessarily reflects the views of MATC, itsmembers, officers, or directors. The Mainetainer is published fivetimes a year. Our mission as a club is to construct, maintain, andprotect the section of the Appalachian Trail extending from Katahdinto Route 26 in Grafton Notch, and those side trails, campsites, andshelters accepted for maintenance by the club. We seek to makeaccessible for hiking the wild region of Maine through which thetrail passes. The Mainetainer welcomes letters, feedback, andinformation from members and friends of the trail. Send your com-ments, photos, and information to:

Bob Cummings616 Main Road

Phippsburg, Maine 04562drummore@gmail.com

PRESIDENT: Lester Kenway, 15Westwood Rd.,. Bangor, 04401-8087, 207-947-2723(h), 745-8826(cell)trailser@myfairpoint.net

VICE PRESIDENT, Tony Barrett,185 Long Pt. Rd, Harpswell04079, 833-0939,abarrett@suscom-maine.net

SECRETARY: Janice Clain, PO Box89, Levant, 04456,jclain@aol.com, 884-8237

TREASURER: ElsaSanborn. PO Box 8087. Bangor,04402-8087, 207-947-2723,ejask@myfairpoint.netCORRESPONDING SECRETARY:

Steve ClarkOVERSEER OF LANDS: David B.

Field, 191 Emerson Mill Rd.,Hampden, 04444, 862-3674, 852-7644(c),

meeser3@roadrunner.com

OVERSEERS OF TRAILKATAHDIN DISTRICT: Rick Ste.

Croix, 17 Kenneth St., Augusta,04330 621-1791,ricknrachel@local.net

WHITECAP DISTRICT: JulianWiggins, 79 Bennoch, Rd, Orono,04473, 975-2011,julianwiggins@gmail.com

KENNEBEC DISTRICT: PeterRoderick ,1027 Watson PondRoad, Rome, ME 04963. 293-2704,Roderick1027@myfairpoint.net

BIGELOW DISTRICT: RichardFecteau, 284 Ramsdell Rd.,Farmington, 04938, 207-778-0870,rfecteau@midmaine.com

MATC Executive CommitteeBALDPATE DISTRICT: Tom Gorrill,

27 Wildwood Ln., Gray, Maine04039, 657-4249(h), 657-6910(w),tgorrill@maine.rr.com

ATC REGIONAL REP: Jody Carton,PO Box 312, Lyme, NH, 03768-0312, 603-795-4935,jcarton@appalachiantrail.org

DIRECTORSDennis Andrews, 87 Gage St Apt 3,

Augusta, ME 04330-6451, 215-7005, bostondork@roadrunner.com

Bob Cummings, 616 Main Rd.,Phippsburg, 04562 207-443-2925,drummore@gmail.com

William Eddy: PO Box 1011Rangeley,04970-1011, 207-864-5782,eddy52@myfairpoint.net

Steve Gaffney, 207-624-6088 (w),soggycarhartts@hotmail.com

Bruce Grant, 396 Board Eddy Rd.,Dover-Foxcroft, 04426, 564-3098,343-0918(c)brucegme@localnet.com

Willard Millis (Bill), 421 Azalea Lane,Sidney, 04330, 207-465-7038,mbm@airolink.net

Craig Dickstein, Box 128, Caratunk,04925-0207 207-672-4983,craig.donna@wildblue.net

Donald Stack, 11 Patten Farm Road,Buxton, 04093, 207-929-5773, 207-749-0370 (c), 883-8155(w),Donstack@sacoriver.net

CLUB COORDINATOR, HollySheehan, 231 Maine Ave. Portland,04103, (207) 615-5794, backupphone, (207) 400-6352matc@gwi.net

Help Wanted:Assistant Guidebook Editor

Duties: Primarily in the area of the business side of the guidebook process i.e.putting together the print specifications, gathering bids and negotiating/interacting

with print vendors to deliver the excellent MATC product known asThe Official Appalachian Trail Guide to Maine.

You can be involved with other aspects of the process.

For FMI: Ray Ronan, Editor walkinhome1@yahoo.com 207.892.2600

Laura Flight with chainsaw on her Grafton Notch Loop Trail section.Jeff Aceto photo

Ray needs Guide Book help. Help Wanted/Needed on August 15 and 16

To help, join us in Augusta. The doors open to the right of theprinter’s loading dock out back at 7 am. The club has just printedthe 15th edition of the Appalachian Trail Guide to Maine.

We have 10,000 copies that must be packaged together with 7maps and shipped to the ATC. Last time (2004) we were able to getthis done by working hard for one weekend and we were blessed tohave many hands both days. I hope that we can repeat that perfor-mance this time. I will pray for rain so as to keep the dirty looksdown.

If you cannot make it at 7 am we will appreciate any timevolunteered. You should probably bring a lunch but I will haveDunkin’ coffee there.

Directions to J.S. McCarthy: From I-95, take Exit 112BAugusta/Belgrade that heads to 27 North. Go a few hundred yards,passing Irving Blue Canoe on the left, Comfort Inn on the right.Turn left into Augusta Business Park.

J.S. McCarthy on the right over and down a slight hill. Phonenumber to call Ray that day would be 689-4667. FMI call RayRonan at 892-2600 or email walkinhome1@yahoo.com.