We need volunteers to build the Maine Appalachian Trail Club's newest campsite, near the east base of The Horn on the Saddleback Mt. Range. The first three work trips will be in June (the weekends of June 14, 15; 21, 22; and 28, 29), to take advantage of the peeling season.

We need to clear a long side trail from the campsite to Redington Stream, build several tent pads, construct a privy, and build a number of bog bridges on the side trail and also on the AT near the campsite. Certified chainsaw operators, clipper operators, carpenters, and folks willing to work with digging tools will all be needed and welcome.

This is a beautiful area to work in and side trips to climb The Horn or Saddleback Jr. will be tolerated.

If you are interested in helping with this important project, please contact Dave Field at 862-3674 or meeser3@roadrunner.com for specifics on gathering places and times for each work weekend.

Directions for access to the work site are a little tricky, so be sure to contact Dave in advance to reduce the chances of getting lost.

 

2008 Sawyer Certification Workshop

Chainsaws injure more people per year than all other power tools combined! Have you taken appropriate steps to minimize your risk of injury as you head out to this season's trail projects?

The Maine Appalachian Trail Club, in conjunction with the New England Regional Office of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, will be offering a chainsaw safety workshop October 4/5 in Windham, Maine. The Spring workshop was very successful with 8 new sawyers trained in the two-day course and 7 re-certified in the new one-day program.

This Fall's workshop will be for both new certification and re-certification. Unless we hear differently from the pilot evaluation, the re-certification course will be one day only -- the Saturday of the noted weekend. If your current certification will expire in the next 12 months, or has recently expired, we urge you to sign up for this class and renew your credentials. Space is limited.

Participants are welcomed to bring their own saw -- it must have a safety chain break and should be in good working condition.

If you are interested, please contact local Chainsaw Safety Certification program coordinator Craig Dickstein at craig.donna@wildblue.net or (207) 672-4983.

For more information on the upcoming course content and requirements, see the following at the ATC website: www.appalachiantrail.org/site/c.jkLXJ8MQKtH/b.851183/k.6196/Become_a_Certified_Sawyer.htm.

As the local Chainsaw Safety Certification program coordinator, I would like to start a new program to support Section Maintainers that need limited chainsaw work done in conjunction with their regular maintenance. I would like to maintain a resource list of Certified Sawyers that would agree to help out when called upon by Section Maintainers and Project Leaders in need of Sawyer skills. I know we have our own sections to maintain, but if you would like to be on such a list, let me know. Also, suggest what constraints you may have. For example, a certain District only, max travel distance, preferred days, preferred contact method. Provide your contact information as you would like it displayed and used. Many thanks for considering the above. Will keep in touch with those that I hear from as to the progress of this new initiative. Regards, Craig

Backpacking Maine's AT this year and wondering if it's safe to wade across the Kennebec River?

Well, it's not safe to wade across the Kennebec River, which is the most formidable unbridged crossing along the entire 2,168-mile Appalachian Trail. The Kennebec is approximately 70 yards wide with a swift, powerful current under the best of circumstances. However, as a result of releases of water from hydro facilities upstream, the depth and current of the river surge quickly and unpredictably. You cannot cross faster than the water level rises.

DO NOT ATTEMPT TO FORD THE RIVER.
PLEASE USE THE FERRY SERVICE.

The MATC and the Appalachian Trail Conference have contracted with David P. Corrigan of Fletcher Mountain Outfitters for the next three years to provide a scheduled ferry service across the Kennebec River at the A.T. crossing at no cost to hikers. The Kennebec Ferry will operate daily from:

2008
May 23 through July 17	9 a.m. to 11 a.m. only
July 18 through September 30	9 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.
October 1 through October 13	9 a.m. to 11 a.m. only

This ferry service -- not fording -- is the officially sanctioned means of crossing the Kennebec River on the Appalachian Trail. The A.T. was located here originally because of the existence of a ferry to provide access to Pierce Pond for visiting sportsmen.

Hikers must meet the ferry on either the east or west banks of the Kennebec River at the point of the AT crossing. If the ferry is on the opposite side, a signal flag will be provided to alert the ferry operator.

Hikers will be required to sign a release form, wear a life jacket, and follow the instructions of the ferry operator. If river conditions or weather make the crossing dangerous in the judgment of the ferry operator, the service will be discontinued until conditions improve.

Large groups please call ahead to indicate when you will need the ferry service. No camping and no fires are permitted within the Trail corridor on either side of the Kennebec River. Camping and fires are permitted only at designated campsites.

Donations to help defray the cost of providing this contracted, scheduled service are welcome. Send your donation to the MATC, P.O. Box 283, Augusta, ME 04332.

From May 23 through October 13, no one will be ferried outside of scheduled hours. Before May 23 and after October 13, please call Fletcher Mountain Outfitters to arrange a time to be ferried.

Additional information can be attained by contacting Ferry Contractor:
Fletcher Mountain Outfitters
David P. Corrigan
Registered Maine Master Guide
82 Little Houston Brook Road
Concord Township, Maine 04920
207-672-4879
E-mail: maineguide@live.com

This service is provided only for users of the Appalachian Trail and is not available to the general public. Happy Hiking!

MATC Register Box Program (posted 6-8-2007)

Help Still Needed:

Don Stack writes:

I have had several volunteers contact me about the article in the last issue of The MAINEtainer about the register box program. As a result of these volunteers, I am pleased to announce that now, every current register box (and even one of the proposed new register boxes) has a monitor to check on it and keep it filled with cards.

However, I am seeking some volunteers to do the data entry from the completed cards gathered at these register boxes and the two overnight sites where the Maine AT Club has Caretakers (Piazza and Horns Pond). While this task may not be the type of task that you would typically think of as Club-sponsored work, it is something that you can do for the Club right from the comfort of your home and, most of it can be accomplished at your convenience when you have the time. For those members who do not live near Maine and still want to assist this great Club, this is an excellent opportunity for you.

It involves receiving the cards from the monitor via mail and sorting through them to determine who has indicated they would like more information about joining the Maine AT Club. We ask that you mail these hikers, who ask for more information, a letter and application/brochure in a timely manner. The remainder of the data entry can be done at your convenience - it needs to be finished by January 1 each year. This portion involves entering data into a spreadsheet or database into a computer and on completion, sending that completed work to me for compilation in January.

So, if you want to sit at home and still feel like you are doing something good for the AT in Maine, please contact me regarding this opportunity. I can be reached by e-mail at donstack@sacoriver.net or phone (207) 929-5773 (h) or (207) 749-0370 (cell) or USPS at 11 Patten Farm Rd., Buxton, ME 04093.

Katahdin Thru Hiker Alert!

What you need to know for your
entry into Baxter State Park.

Last updated, May 6, 2008. Copyright © 1997-2008 MATC. This website is
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