District Overseer Reports
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Club work trips included two to finish up the 300 feet of bog bridge replacement on Fourth Mtn. Bog; replacing the foundation logs at Leeman Brook Shelter; and fixing the roof at Logan Brook Shelter. In addition, several members helped pack in and pack out our ridgerunner, Krisdin Diehl, to her Gulf Hagas work camp. The Maine Trail Crew spent six weeks in the district, both up Chairback Mountain hardening the trail and rerouting around a wet mess in the Gap, as well as working on the Gulf Hagas Rim Trail. They were joined at times by MATC members. Finally this summer, an opportunity was made and utilized when two members of the NPS/ATC trail assessment team were available to walk and assess the district, as required every so many years, and I was able to facilitate that activity. This is the basis for future trail crew projects and funding, and I was glad to get it done. This hiking season is looking at again a lot of extra activity. The trail crew alone has slated twelve crew weeks for a continuation of the Rim Trail work, and new hardening efforts in the area of Long Pond Stream shelter; the Cloud Pond area; and Fourth Mtn. We are also “on the list” to have two newly designed moldering privies to replace the badly deteriorating ones at Carl Newhall and Logan Brook Shelters…all we need do is get them up there and build them….stay tuned for work trip postings. . Posted 1-18-13  View from the summit of Whitecap Ron Dobra |
KENNEBEC DISTRICTOverseer : Craig Dickstein
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BIGELOW DISTRICTOverseer Dick Fecteau(The Bigelow District extends from Route 4 to the Long Falls Dam Road. It has 68.3 miles of A.T. and side trail.)
Bigelow District – 2013 Annual ReportPosted 3-3-14 I received trip reports this past season from 26 maintainers who turned in 2000 plus volunteer hrs. A total of 147 individuals worked on 86 trips in the district this past year.One Extra Special Project; Eleven thousand pounds of debris located near the old firetower on Avery Peak and the decades of accumulated trash near the firewarden’s cabin in Bigelow Col was removed under the direction of Horns Pond Caretaker Ian Fitzmorris with the help of numerous volunteer hikers. Ian partnered with BPL’s Americorp volunteer Mike MacDonald who also hauled trash and made dozens of dump runs. BPL’s Peter Smith requested a Maine Forest Service helicopter that assisted the trash removal by lifting the larger pieces of debris from the mountain. Additionally BPL supplied enough cedar lumber to replace the tent platforms at Bigelow Col which was delivered by the helicopter. Volunteer hours for this effort totaled: 1,634 people with 6,529 hours! Other highlights include; To address the issue of beaver activity the 24′ long “JT Horn” bridge over Bog Brook was extended by eight feet and the second 16′ bridge was replaced with a 24′ span. This was accomplished with the help of twelve teenage boys from Camp Tekawithka during the last week of June. Additionally they hauled cedar boards up to the Little Bigelow campsite and built two new tent platforms…in the pouring rain. Major clipping was completed along the AT over the summits of the Crockers, a distance of over 3 miles. The side trail to the Caves on Cranberry was reestablished, this is a large slab cave just 0.2 miles off the Range Trail west of the summit. The privy at the Crocker cirque campsite was relocated and repaired by site maintainers Jim and Sandy Osterrieder. The annual mid season mixer at Horns Pond was accomplished by the MATC caretakers with a visit from Maine ATC staffer Clair Polfus. Ian Fitzmorris was the Horns Pond caretaker this past season. Ian was very efficient as a caretaker and ridge runner in the area, plus being a friendly and helpful host to many hikers. Ian will be returning to Horns Pond this coming season. Returning during the last weekend of July the Camp Tekawithka boys did extensive clipping on the Range Trail from the AT to the summit of Cranberry. The Maine Trail Crew, under the expert direction of Nathan Ventura, worked three weeks constructing a number of drainage structures and stone steps on the lower half of the Horns Pond side trail. This effort completed a project started last season. Also constructing numerous drainage structures and stone steps last season was a Maine Conservation Crew under the direction of Savannah Steele. They did excellent work from the Caribou Valley Rd. north to the summit of North Crocker. This was a six week project. Yet another Maine Conservation Crew worked for five weeks constructing drainage structures and stone steps on the south side of Saddleback Jr. under the direction of Jevin Hoeper. This crew did some fantastic work in muddy conditions. Steve Masse returned to Piazza Rock as caretaker this season. Steve was very effective as a caretaker, site maintainer and ridge runner in the area, plus being a friendly and helpful host to many hikers. Major projects next season; Dave Field has proposed and the MATC exec committee has accepted a new side trail that will connect the AT with the Fly Rod Crosby trail in Madrid. Dave has flagged a route along the prominent ridge on the south side of Saddleback. Dave has often referred to this as the original trail up Saddleback for the berry pickers from Madrid. It will be called the Berry PickersTrail and hopefully will be opened by the end of next season. The tent platforms at Bigelow Col will be replaced with the lumber that was air lifted last Fall. Many thanks to all the District maintainers and volunteers who do the vast majority of routine work that includes; blowdown removal, waterbar cleaning and blazing, without which there would be no Appalachian Trail in Maine. Dick Fecteau
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BALDPATE DistrictOverseer Tom Gorrill
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