Leaves and Drainages: A Muddy Mix

It’s fall. That time of year with crisp air, shorter daylight hours, crunchy apples… and what else? Falling leaves! This vibrant foliage settles in voluminous quantities onto the ground in our yards. And the A.T. isn’t immune to this annual jettison of foliage either. But on the A.T. it can create problems with water drainages if not addressed. When it rains the leaves wash into these drainages where they often accumulate in the narrow or flatter locales, essentially damming the flow of water. Where’s the water to go now? In the trail! Water is ruthless and will find its way […]

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Bald Mountain Pond

Bald Mountain Pond Now Protected!

We have some BIG news to share. One of the Appalachian Trail’s most iconic stretches is now permanently protected.  Cold, clear Bald Mountain Pond in Northern Maine welcomes paddlers and anglers from across the country. Hikers on the Appalachian Trail skirt the far shore, threading through century-old forests, taking in views of Mount Katahdin, and bedding down for a night in the sturdy hikers’ shelter just a few steps from the pond’s banks. Many thru-hikers even call reaching this spot the highlight of their journey.  The timber companies that once owned the pond and the surrounding forest historically allowed recreational access […]

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Appalachian Trail Guide in Maine

For Sale at the MATC On-line Store Book and 7 maps:$24.00 MATC Members (20% discount)$30.00 Non-members Book with no maps: $12.00 MATC Members. (20% discount)$15.00 Non-members The Maine edition covers 282 miles from Katahdin in Baxter State Park to the New Hampshire state line in one planning guide and seven water- and tear-resistant maps. The pocket-sized planning guide contains background information, points of interest, and road-access directions. Each map is focused on the Appalachian Trail and overlaps with the neighboring maps. The surrounding area and additional side trails are also included. An easy-to-use elevation profile shows the ups and downs […]

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Submit a Trail Report

Did you observe a maintenance or issue on trail while hiking the AT in Maine? Please send MATC a Trail Report providing details and a photo if available regarding an issue or maintenance need on the Maine AT. We will send your report on to our district managers. You can also view current submitted Trail Reports. Thanks for your help. Report Trail maintenance needs to MATC

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Long-Time MATC Volunteer Featured in ATC Blog

ATC’s blog post from July 28 tells the story of a day in the life of an A.T. volunteer; getting up early on a day off to move rocks, cut brush, and swat bugs. All for a whopping paycheck with lots of zeros, including a leading zero… But the rewards are tremendous and have lasting impacts. Featured in the ATC blog post is MATC legend Dave Field; he’s been maintaining and protecting the A.T. for over 50 years! Be sure to scroll down the page to read about Dave, and watch the “myATstory” short film on his lifetime of efforts!

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June 16, 2020 Update on A.T. Closures and Conditions

From Appalachian Trail Conservancy Bulletin 6/16/2020 With more states relaxing stay-at-home restrictions and more sections of the Appalachian Trail (A.T.) reopening, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) is due for a check-in with the hiking community and wanted to provide the latest status update for the A.T. As of today, all but 5.2 miles of the A.T. have re-opened, leaving only the northernmost A.T. miles on Katahdin closed (which is expected to open July 1). In our previous email, we listed three criteria any one of which, if met, would cause the ATC to re-evaluate its guidance. We are close to meeting one […]

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Volunteer Opportunities Cancelled Summer 2020

Covid-19 (commonly referred to “coronavirus”) is a highly contagious respiratory virus has been diagnosed in all of the states along the Appalachian Trail, including Maine. Due to the high risk of spreading this illness in group settings the Maine Appalachian Trail Club has made the tough decision to discontinue the Maine Trail Crew, in 2020, to keep our staff and volunteers safe. We are concerned about the risk of spreading the virus when crew members travel together in vans, share housing, food, tools and privies. This is disappointing for MATC as an organization and for our many dedicated volunteers. Thank you for understanding. Please consider volunteering […]

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