Campsite Maintainer Wanted – Kennebec District

Horseshoe Canyon Campsite and Lean-to: This Kennebec District campsite along the beautiful West Branch of the Piscataquis River needs a maintainer! There are a couple of different ways to access this campsite, but none require a high-clearance vehicle. The shortest way to access it is about 0.2 miles on a maintainer trail, fording the river, and then 0.3 miles on the A.T. The lean-to is in good shape, and a new moldering privy was built in 2022. Privy maintenance for the new privy will involve “raking the pile”, , but it’s really not that bad (witnesses available upon request)- become an MATC […]

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Maintainer Needed in the Baldpate District

Maintainer Needed in the Baldpate District AT Side Trail: Bemis Stream Side Trail:  Gated bridge over Bemis Stream to the intersection with the AT.  Bemis Road can be accessed via Route 17 south of Rangeley, ME.  Approximately 3 Miles long. This section used to be part of the AT but was relocated many years ago.  The southern end of this section starts at the gated bridge over Bemis Stream.  This requires a 3 mile hike from the parking lot on Bemis Road.  The section terminates at the intersection of tis trail with the AT, a distance of approximately 3 miles.  […]

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MATC Annual Meeting

Please join us at the Annual Meeting, held in person for the first time since 2019. Saturday, April 22, 2023, 9 am – 4 pm Schair-Swenson-Watson Alumni Center, Colby College, Waterville, ME (Directions) Hear what’s going on in the club. Get ready for a successful season. Highlights include:  Barry Dana Barry Dana is a teacher, artist, and former chief of the Penobscot Nation. He grew up on Indian Island in the Penobscot River, where he learned traditional skills and values from tribal elders. Barry creates traditional styles of birchbark baskets, many etched with artwork or quill decoration. Credited with reviving the […]

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Advisory to Appalachian Trail Certified Sawyers on Battery-Electric Chainsaw Use

While corded electric chainsaws have been available for years, over the last decade, chainsaw construction design has evolved to include battery‐powered cordless designs. As these quieter, lighter tools have become increasingly available, there is increasing likelihood that A.T. Certified Sawyers would prefer to apply these tools in lieu of gas‐powered chainsaws in the course of their work to maintain the A.T.

This advisory aims to provide reasonable considerations to the benefits, drawbacks, and other considerations of these respective design models of saws, that all require adherence to accepted safety practices.

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Summer 2023 Trail Crew Projects

The Maine Trail Crew is a joint venture between the Maine AT Club and the Appalachian Trail Conservancy that is dedicated to repairing steep and washed-out sections of the AT.Volunteers are welcome to join us for one to six weeks from June 19 – August 24, 2023.Projects run from Monday morning (you must arrive Sunday by 4pm) to Thursday or Friday. Check out the Summer Project List below. For more information about Volunteering with the Maine Trail Crew click here.

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Maine Lobster Now Sponsors MATC

MATC is happy to announce that Maine Lobster Now is now a sponsor! Maine Lobster Now’s mission is to provide customers throughout the United States with access to fresh seafood. Located in Southern Maine, they are dedicated to establishing lasting relationships with local fishermen in an effort to support the local economy and to continue offering the best products available.

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Corridor Monitors Wanted

OPEN MATC CORRIDOR MONITORING ASSIGNMENTS (Updated 1/7/23) There are only nine opportunities left for becoming involved in this exciting aspect of caring for the Appalachian Trail in Maine.  For information about corridor monitoring and field training sessions, visit the MATC website at www.matc.org or contact me (Dave Field) at 862-3674, meeser3@roadrunner.com.  You must participate in a field training session before an assignment will be made permanent.  If you are unable to join a group session, I will make arrangements to train you on your own section. Note: The mileages given for each section are the distances along the boundary lines […]

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Maintainer Patch

Trail Maintainer Wanted – Katahdin District 

Rainbow Ledges –This section starts at the signpost on Rainbow Ledges and extends south 3.5 miles to the Rainbow Mt. side trail junction. This assignment also includes the 0.4 mile side trail to Big Beaver Pond and the 0.75 mile side trail to Rainbow Mt., which has excellent views of Katahdin and the peaks of southwest Baxter State Park. There is no direct road access to this section of the A.T., it is accessed via a 1.5 miles maintainer access trail and then hiking south on the A.T. for 2.5 miles to Rainbow Ledges. MATC asks that maintainers make 3 […]

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Campsite Maintainer Wanted – Baldpate District

Bemis Mountain Campsite and Lean-to: This Baldpate District campsite in the Rangeley Lakes region needs a maintainer! If you have a 4-wheel drive vehicle or ATV/UTV (a high-clearance vehicle isn’t enough), drive access is about 2.5 miles up a steep, loose gravel road with drainage dips. From there, walk access is about 0.4 miles with 330 feet of elevation gain on a flagged maintainer trail. The road can also be walked (1,050 feet of elevation gain), if you prefer or do not have a vehicle up to the challenge. The lean-to is in decent shape, and a new privy was built […]

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