This page is for all Maine Appalachian Trail Club trail maintenance tips or instruction.

NOTE: To receive an MATC trail maintenance section, one must be a member of MATC,
with trail maintenance skills. These can be learned by joining MATC
or the Maine Trail Crew worktrips or attending the MATC trail maintenance workshop.

KATAHDIN District Overseer Rick SteCroix

(The Katahdin District extends from the Jo-Mary Haul Road to the Summit of Katahdin.
It consists of 55.7 miles of the Appalachian Trail and 2.6 miles of side trails.)

Katahdin District - 2007 Annual Report
October 2006 through September 2007

Volunteers

• 3 maintainers made 0 work trips
  
• 3 maintainers made 2 work trips
  
• 1 maintainer made 3 work trips
  
• 1 maintainer made 6 work trips
  
• 1 maintainer made 7 work trips
  
• 1 maintainer made 8 work trips

Trail Work

     Painting of white blazes on the A.T. and blue blazes on side trails was done where needed. Cleaning of water bars and drainage ditches was also done. Some bog bridges were replaced, a few water bars were built, some step stones were added to muddy areas of the trail.

     Most trail signs are in good shape. Beaver activity continues at the Elbow Pond outlet bridge in Baxter State Park. The Maine Trail Crew was not scheduled to work in the district this season. The Baxter State Park Trail Crew worked two weeks quarrying rock and building rock steps on the A.T. (Hunt Trail) north of Katahdin Stream Falls.

Campsites

     Trash was picked up and carried out, fire pits were cleaned of ashes and unburnable trash. Abandoned clothes, gear, food and books left behind by inconsiderate hikers was also carried out and disposed.

     All campsite signs showing directions to water sources, privies and tent sites are in good shape. The moldering privy at Hurd Brook Leanto, built in September 2000, is doing well. The moldering privy at Rainbow Stream Leanto, built in June 2001, is also doing well. The five pit privies at the other campsites are in fair to good shape and "holding their own."

     The pit privy at Rainbow Spring Campsite is full and will have to be moved in 2008. Various bootleg campsites continue to be used along the trail and the maintainers continue to clean up the trash left behind and break up the illegal fire rings.

A.T. Corridor

     The balance of the A.T. == about 14.5 miles -- is in Baxter State Park from Abol Stream to Baxter Peak, Katahdin. The Nature Conservancy bought land in September, 2002, which includes about 15 miles of the A.T. from the Golden Road to Murphy Brook. This tract of land is known as the Debsconeag Wilderness. Wood harvesting on this TNC land ended on Dec. 31, 2005.

     The Whitehouse Camps owner continues to put up business cards and signs at the junction of the A.T. and the Mahar Landing side trail. This matter was referred to National Park Service Ranger Todd Remelay by the Maine A.T. Club Executive Committee.

Abol Ridgerunner

     Sandie patrolled a 7-mile section of the A.T. from Rainbow Ledges to Abol Stream in Baxter State Park. The ridge runner program is made possible with the cooperation of the National Park Service A.T. Office, Baxter State Park, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy and the Maine A.T. Club.

     I would like to announce the addition of two new maintainers to the district:

1. Janice Clain of Levant, Maine, who is also our club secretary, has volunteered to help Sid Quarrier, as needed, with his trail section located on Little and Big Boardman Mountains. She has additionally decided to take on the corridor monitoring position for that same section of the trail and has for a number of years acted as the contact person for the Gulf Hagas Ridge Runner, and is responsible for checking the Gulf Hagas register box.
   
2. Charles Reitze of Millinocket has agreed to take on the section from third to fourth mountain.

     I would like to wish them both luck with their work!

     Requests for help in the 2008 trail season include:

• Finishing a short reroute located just south of Little Boardman Mountain.
  
• Rerouting the lower section of the White Brook Trail away from the old firewarden's trail to a new location.
  
• Construction of a considerable amount of bog bridging in the Gulf Hagas area.
  
• Hardening of the Chairback Gap bog crossing.
  
• Hardening of a boggy section south of Third Mountain.
  
• Replacement of bog bridging between Fourth Mountain and Barren Mountain.
  
• Removing a camper top from gravel pit in the area of Beaver Pond.
  
• Construction of bog bridging in the area between North Pond Tote Rd. and Mud Pond.
  
• Replacing a rotten privy crib at Long Pond Stream Lean-to.
  
• Eventual replacement of Chairback Gap Lean-to & Leeman Brook Lean-to (not in 2008 but coming soon).

     Watch for requests for volunteers to work on these projects during the 2008 season. I plan to organize a bog bridging extravaganza late this spring!! Good luck in 2008!

     View from the summit of Whitecap 6/16/2007:

     We still have a single maintainer opening in the Whitecap District:

     The Route 15 Trail Head Parking Lot. This opportunity can provide a maintainer with a section which is easily accessed. A great way to get involved and help out the AT community!

     Barbara was born in Bar Harbor, Maine, on May 4, 1947, and grew up in Southwest Harbor, Maine, where she was able to develop her lifelong appreciation of the natural world, animals and especially horses. Barbara graduated from Southwest Harbor High School and raised two wonderful children, Lisa and Kris, while also working to support them.

     Barbara was a true Renaissance woman. A wide array of interests and skills allowed her to enjoy many occupations throughout her life. Among them, she ran a horse riding stable in Seal Cove, worked at the Ellsworth American newspaper, sold insurance and real estate on Mt. Desert Island, and helped manage hotel services at Sugarloaf.

     Barbara moved to the Capitol area in 1990 when she started employment with the Maine Department of Transportation. Barbara built a home in Farmington with her life partner Richard Fecteau in 2001 and transferred to the Dixfield regional office of MDOT in 2004.

     Barbara's life was filled with love for her family and friends, and her many varied interests. Barb was a mentor to many and always took time to connect with and bring out the best in people. She chronicled life with her writing and photographs, and enjoyed building, gardening, dancing, Tai Chi, yoga, swimming, paddling, hiking, climbing and skiing. Barbara cherished her adventures in Maine, Colorado, Utah, Newfoundland and the Canadian Maritimes. She approached life fearlessly and lived it fully, always with a smile and a twinkle in her eye. Barbara volunteered much of her free time to the Maine Appalachian Trail Club, Maine Handicapped Skiing and Women Unlimited.

     Barbara purchased her family's camp on Graham Lake in Mariaville during the Fall of 2005 and spent many days there doing restorations, building retaining walls and most importantly taking quiet time to be present in the moment.

     Barbara was an authentic spiritual seeker who by example taught the value of living a life with enthusiasm and an open heart. She embraced life with the same strength and grace as she eventually embraced death. She faced her final illness with steadfast courage and the anticipation of reuniting with her beloved daughter, Lisa, who passed away in 1989.

     Barbara is survived by Richard Fecteau of Farmington; her son Kris Harper, his life partner Marie Blanchard and their son Ryon Harper, all of Seal Cove. Barbara is also survived by family members residing in Southwest Harbor, including her parents, Velma Leighton Workman and Warren Workman; her sister and brother-in-law, Brenda and Keith Seavey; her niece Michelle Campbell, and Michelle's family. Additionally, Barbara is survived by the numerous members of the Fecteau family and a great number of friends who will miss her dearly.

There will be a celebration of Barbara's life at the Unitarian Universalist Church, 69 Winthrop St., Augusta, Maine, on Saturday, February 2, 2008, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The celebration will include readings and opportunities to share brief memories and view hundreds of Barbara's photographs. There will be a potluck meal with plenty of time to connect and socialize with family and friends.      If you wish to make a charitable donation in Barbara's memory please consider the Barbara A. Workman Trust. Barbara has requested that this Trust be funded with a sizable portion of her estate. The intent of Barbara's Trust is to assist persons and/or organizations that offer health or spiritually oriented retreats. Contributions may be sent to the Barbara A. Workman Trust, care of Richard Fecteau, 284 Ramsdell Rd. Farmington, ME 04938.

     We want to thank the Maine Trail Crew for their hard work continuing the trail relocation work on the west side of Baldpate and have installed more than 550 rock steps and 30 waterbars to date. The relocation of this section is now nearly half done, but will not be opened to traffic until it is completed. They also improved two additional tent pads to ease the crowding at the Baldpate Lean-to site.

     The major portion of our time this summer was spent on the Grafton Loop Trail installing privies (fun, fun!!). We completed privies at the Stewart, Lane and East Baldpate sites. Chris and I want to thank the many volunteers without whom this would not have happened. Next year we hope to compete the privy at the Town Corner site.

     We also made significant repairs at the Sabbathday Pond campsite to the group tent platform, which should now last another several years before a complete replacement is needed.

     We would like to welcome several new maintainers to the district:

1. Beth Doyle and Erin Amadon (both Maine Trail Crew members), to two open sections on the Grafton Loop Trail. Their extensive trail experience will be a great asset.
   
2. Lars Jansson, who will take over as the Baldpate Campsite Maintainer.
   
3. Dave Senus, who has just been assigned the section of the AT from Route 17 to the Bemis Track old railroad grade.
   
4. Mike Zimmerman, who is maintaining the Bemis Stream Trail and, believe it or not, travels all the way from Roque Bluffs!

     I enjoyed getting to know them all and wish them the best of luck with their work!

     We are looking forward to the 2008 season and, please don't hesitate to contact me if you notice something along the trail that needs attention.