There’s more to Appalachian Trail than Georgia to Maine … much more

Carey Kish at 7,400 feet on South Rim Chisos Mountains.
For many years, as far as this hiker was concerned, the Appalachian Mountains extended geographically from Georgia to Maine.And when I thru-hiked the 2,100-mile length of the Appalachian Trail from Springer Mountain to Katahdin in 1977, I figured I’d covered the great range from end to end.I didn’t give the matter much more thought until 1994, when the International Appalachian Trail was proposed by Joe Brennan, the former Maine governor, and conservation advocates Dick Anderson and Don Hudson.
That’s when I learned (or perhaps learned anew) that the Appalachian Mountains didn’t terminate in Maine but rather extended far across the border into Canada. In 1997, John Brinda became the first person to thru-hike the new pathway, from the eastern slope of Katahdin across northern Maine into New Brunswick, then on through the Chic-Choc Mountains of Gaspesie National Park to Cap Gaspe in Quebec.
By 2002, the IAT was extended to the tip of Newfoundland at Crow Head, the natural northern terminus of the Appalachian Mountains in North America.It wasn’t enough for the dreamers among the IAT group to stop at an 1,800-mile trail across Maine and three Canadian provinces, however.
By 2009, plans were under way to extend the IAT across the Atlantic Ocean to Europe and Africa. Huh?
Somewhere among the geography lessons you and I sat through in grade school, we learned about the supercontinent of Pangea, formed some 250 million years ago when the Earth’s continental plates collided to form a continuous land mass. The Appalachian Mountains were created from this great collision, making them the oldest mountains on the planet.
When Pangea began to split 230 million years ago, mountain building ceased as the North American continent drifted northward and the six other continents settled into their current position on the globe. This left remnants of the Appalachian Mountains not only along the eastern seaboard of the U.S. and Canada, but in Europe and North Africa as well. Wow.
It’s little wonder then that the notion of the IAT as not only an international but an intercontinental trail has been actively pursued over the past seven years. Incredibly, there are sections of the IAT in Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Greenland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales, England, France, Spain, Portugal and Morocco, as well as Maine, New Brunswick, Quebec and Newfoundland, all locations of the ancient Appalachians.
Which brings this story to Texas.
In December I traveled to Big Bend National Park, about 2,000 miles from Maine and 1,100 miles west of the southern tip of the Appalachians as the crow flies. Poking through the visitor center at Panther Junction, I gravitated from the books, maps and souvenirs to the natural history exhibits. And there I made an astounding discovery, at least to me.
With great interest, I read that a natural extension of the Appalachian Mountains once towered above the Big Bend region, created by the same continental forces that formed Pangea. Known as the Ouachita Mountains, they snaked through what is now Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Missouri and Texas. The only exposed remains of this range are found in Arkansas and the Chihuahuan Desert of West Texas. Wow again. I wonder if the IAT folks knew this, I thought.
With the breakup of Pangea, 100 million years of erosion followed, reducing the Ouachita Mountains to a broad plain of rubble. The Cretaceous Sea covered the region, then disappeared. Thrusting and faulting occurred, and then eons of volcanic activity, transforming the geologic face of the Big Bend country into what is visible today.
Big Bend National Park protects 802,000 acres of this stunning mountain and desert landscape, while the adjoining Big Bend Ranch State Park preserves an additional 311,000 acres. On three visits here over six years, I’ve hiked more than 150 miles of trails, from the canyons along the Rio Grande River to 7,825 feet atop Emory Peak in the Chisos Mountains. With every footstep through this country, I am ever amazed that it is physically connected to my beloved Appalachian Mountains.
One day, maybe, the International Appalachian Trail folks will look to expand along this southern extension of the Appalachians, perhaps linking the Pinhoti Trail in Alabama, the Ozark Highlands Trail in Arkansas, the Ozark Trail in Missouri and the Lone Star Trail in East Texas with the trails of Big Bend. Imagine thru-hiking from Morocco to Mexico!

Special Thanks to Longtime Sponsor and Friend, Eddie Woodin

(Dick Anderson, Don Hudson, Eddie Woodin, Walter Anderson)
Don Hudson, Walter Anderson and Dick Anderson took time during half-time of the Patriots, Steelers football game—being watched by them at Romeo’s Pizza in Yarmouth,Maine, to accept a 1000$ contribution from their friend and fellow Patriots fan,Eddie Woodin.
Eddie is a generous and long-time supporter of the International Appalachian Trail-Maine Chapter.
His support is greatly appreciated by all the Board members.
And the Patriots won the game!!!!!!!

ALDHA 2016 35th Annual Gathering, OCT. 7-10 Williamstown, Massachusetts

Highlighted by a blaze of fall colors, Board Members of the Maine Chapter of the International Appalachian Trail (MIAT) traveled along the Mohawk Trail (Rt.2) to Williams College, Williamstown, Mass. to attend the 3-day Annual 35th Gathering of the Appalachian Long Distant Hikers Association (ALDHA).

The MIAT participants; Dick Anderson, Walter Anderson, Cliff Young, Bill Duffy, and Josh Bowe, arrived Friday noon at Greylock Hall to assemble our assigned information/display booth, strategically located next to the ALDHA registration table and with prominent visibility and ready accessibility for visitors. Attendance at the “Gathering” was designated at 500 souls.
In addition to our information booth, the ALDHA program included two 1 ½ hour slots for five MIAT power point presentations: (1) IAT History & Deasey Mt. Historic Fire Cab Designation (Dick); (2) Pioneers in Appalachian Geology (Walter); (3) IAT AGM in Ireland & Northern Ireland (Walter); (4) Hiking the IAT in Greenland (Bill); (5) Katahdin Woods & Waters National Monument (Walter). All were well attended. Attendance for presentations 4 & 5 were packed with standing room (50+) & well applauded. The mention of Roxanne Quimby was greeted with standing ovation and cheers!

A variety of interesting folks visited our booth over two days including, several of whom recently hiked the IAT in the British Isles on the West Highland Way, Great Glen Way, Cape Wrath and the Ulster Way. Ron Tipton, Director of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) and Sandi Mara, Chair of the ATC Board of Directors and her husband Chris honored us with a lengthy visit and discussion. A famous long distant hiker, trail name “Billy Goat” stopped by and informed us that he was 2300 miles short of a total of 50,000 miles hiked!
This ALDHA 3 day event was, as usual, a great way to meet and network with a lot of avid long distant hikers and inform them of IAT news and hiking opportunities.

Celebrating a National Treasure – Katahdin Woods & Waters National Monument

Roxanne Quimby, Lucas St. Clair, and his twin sister Hannah Quimby hosted a grand celebration on the shores of Millinocket Lake at New England Outdoor Center’s Twin Pine Camps. The Natural Resources Council of Maine, The Wilderness Society, The Pew Charitable Trust, the National Parks Conservation Association, and the Conservation Lands Fund joined Roxanne, Lucas, and Hannah in thanking everyone who contributed to securing the designation of the Katahdin Woods & Waters National Monument by President Barack Obama.
Don Hudson, Phine Ewing, Walter Anderson, Elaine and Eric Hendrickson, Lindsay and Michael Downing, Mark and Susan Adams, Bart DeWolf, former board member Eric Horschak, Aaron Meguier, Terry and Craig Hill, and numerous other IAT members and friends were on hand to bask in the great excitement and appreciation sparked by the Quimby family’s generous gift — the largest gift to the people of the United States since the days of John D. Rockefeller and Paul Mellon.
The New England Outdoor Center’s Matt Polstein welcomed nearly 300 people to the formal gathering, looking out across Millinocket Lake to Katahdin, shortly after 5:00 pm. Sunday, August 28th. The highlight speeches were made by Secretary of the Interior, Sally Jewell and Liliane Willens. Secretary Jewell spoke about the significance of the gift to the nation, the importance of land such as this to the health and well-being of all Americans, and the special qualities of the land — the East Branch of the Penobscot, the hiking opportunities — especially the IAT, and the richness of the geologic heritage.

Secretary Sally Jewell addresses the gathering mentioning the significance of geology to the richness of the area and to the International Appalachian Trail for helping to promote it.
Liliane Willens, Roxanne’s aunt, regaled the crowd with stories about her family’s path from Russia, through Shanghai, to the United States beginning after the Russian Revolution and concluding at the end of World War II. Lily believes Roxanne developed qualities of perseverance, grit, and determination from her maternal grandmother, who had lead the family through much of that trek. When Lucas St. Clair addressed the crowd he too raised a great laugh of appreciation when he spoke about the power and dominance of women in his family, and how at a young age he learned not to second guess either his mother’s wisdom or her determination to get a job done. Lucas was clearly relieved that this particular job was done!

Roxanne Quimby’s aunt Liliane Willens speaks to the crowd about the qualities of perseverance and grit her niece learned from her maternal grandmother.
The hard-working staff of NEOC provided the wonderful setting for the gathering, along with delicious food and drink. Dave Mallett and his band took the party deep into the night with an endless serenade for the party-goers.

Dave Mallett tunes up to serenade the crowd after a wonderful buffet dinner prepared by the staff of the New England Outdoor Center.
The first 31 miles of the IAT is now on land considered by President Barack Obama to be a national treasure, and we agree!

Obama signs order to create national monument in Maine’s North Woods

The president uses his executive authority to create the national monument on land donated to the federal government by entrepreneur and conservationist Roxanne Quimby.
President Obama designated more than 87,500 acres of forestland in Maine’s fabled North Woods as a national monument Wednesday in a historic but unilateral decision following years of bitter debate.
With the stroke of a pen, Obama created the Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument – the second national monument in Maine history after Acadia National Park’s precursor – on land east of Baxter State Park in an area facing severe economic uncertainty. The move is likely to delight conservation activists and infuriate local opponents fearful the designation is trading potential industrial-based opportunities in the Katahdin region for mostly seasonal tourism jobs.
The designation is a substantial yet partial victory for Roxanne Quimby, the wealthy co-founder of the Burt’s Bees product line whose nonprofit, Elliotsville Plantation Inc., donated the land to the federal government this month. Quimby has pushed for years for a full-fledged national park in the North Woods but sought a lesser monument designation because it did not require congressional approval.

Roxanne Quimby donated 87,500 acres in the Katahdin region and advocated for its designation as a national monument.
“The new national monument – which will be managed by the National Park Service – will protect approximately 87,500 acres, including the stunning East Branch of the Penobscot River and a portion of the Maine Woods that is rich in biodiversity and known for its outstanding opportunities to hike, canoe, hunt, fish, snowmobile, snowshoe and cross-country ski,” reads a fact sheet released by the White House. “In addition to protecting spectacular geology, significant biodiversity and recreational opportunities, the new monument will help support climate resiliency in the region. The protected area – together with the neighboring Baxter State Park to the west – will ensure that this large landscape remains intact, bolstering the forest’s resilience against the impacts of climate change.”
Obama’s decision is unlikely to end the robust and often tense debate that has divided the Katahdin region’s business community and even some families, however.
While organizations such as the Katahdin Area Chamber of Commerce hope it will lure more tourists and create jobs, opponents warned it could further destabilize a forest products industry struggling to rebound from the closure of the Millinocket and East Millinocket paper mills. Many others have mixed views, seeing significant jobs potential but not in the industry that was once the backbone of the region.
Gov. Paul LePage as well as U.S. Rep. Bruce Poliquin, R-District 2, strongly opposed Quimby’s plan, based in large part on feedback from the forest products industry, sportsmen and others. The other members of Maine’s congressional delegation have been divided on the issue.
Residents in several Katahdin area towns such as East Millinocket and Medway have cast non-binding votes opposing a monument. Yet polls suggest the majority of Maine voters, including a majority in the state’s northern congressional district, supported a hypothetical monument designation.