Annual Meeting 2023

The Maine Chapter of the International Appalachian Trail will hold its 29th Annual Meeting live and in-person at Mt. Chase Lodge, on the shores of Upper Shin Pond on May 19-21, 2023.  

We have some great evening talks lined-up. Long time IAT Board Member and friend Will Richard will be one of our keynote speakers. In a presentation entitled "The Maritime Far Northeast - Maine to Greenland - A story'', he will recount his work with Dick Anderson and others during the early years of the IAT, his documentary work with anthropologist and archaeologist Bill Fitzhugh of the Smithsonian Arctic Studies Center along the Labrador coast, as well as his long-standing work with Anne Andriesen and René Kristianson at the Children's House in Uummannaq, Greenland. We'll also have a chance to learn more about the Dark Skies effort in Maine by Maine IAT board member Nancy Hathaway, and especially about the Dark Skies Sanctuary that comprises the greater Katahdin region. With any luck, the sky will be clear for some stargazing after the evening presentation. 

The official Annual Meeting will be held Saturday morning, May 20, and will include a report from the Strategic Planning Committee, in addition to regular updates and a presentation by Don Hudson on the vegetation of the alpine summits of Maine, with a focus on Katahdin, as well as some of the floristic connections along the high points of the IAT from Maine to Scotland and beyond.

This year’s gathering will once again include options for a hike or two Saturday afternoon, as well as the opportunity to participate in the Fiddlers and Fiddleheads celebration that will be held at the Patten Lumbermen's Museum just down the road.––all this along with some great meals from the kitchen of Mount Chase Lodge

Space is limited at Mt. Chase Lodge. If you’d like to stay at the Lodge, visit their website to get a good overview of accommodations. If you are interested in staying in one of the five suites in the Lodge, please reach out to Amy (coordinator@maineiat.org). We will fill these rooms on a first-come-first-serve basis. Otherwise, you can reserve a cabin directly at either Mt. Chase Lodge or Shin Pond Village. Camping will also be available at Shin Pond Village. Those planning to stay in a cabin, tent or RV site at Shin Pond Village should contact them by calling 207-528-2900 or visiting their website.

Questions? Contact coordinator@maineiat.org for help!