Trail Work Report-June 2024

Carrying Beams to the lean-to

Trail Work-June 2024
Fort Fairfield, Beaver Bypass, and Mars Hill

On June 6, a trail crew of eight IAT members went up to the Mars Hill area to work on parts of the trail in need of maintenance.

On our first day of work (June 7), we walked up to the Fort Fairfield lean-to. Originally constructed in 1998, the shelter needed to be jacked up and have some old sills replaced. Julia Daly and Bill Duffy had gotten started on the repair process back in March, sledding in new cinder blocks that would be used to replace the old ones, but our larger spring crew arrived to finish the job. After carrying two 100-pound beams to the lean-to using ratchet straps and four people on each beam, we spent the morning lifting the shelter and clearing overgrowth from around the site.

With so many trail crew members that weekend, we were able to get the Fort Fairfield work done in just a few hours. We then split into two groups: one headed to Mars Hill, while the other went to the Beaver Bypass along the US-Canada border (the Beaver Bypass was evidence of our earlier discussion that morning about beavers’ ability to drastically alter the landscape).

The next day (June 8) we went to work on Mars Hill. When we reached the near top of the hill, I couldn’t see the blades of the windmill through the mist but I could hear them whirring around – IAT hikers have commented on how much they’ve enjoyed sleeping to the sound of the windmills. We got out of the trucks, grabbed our tools, and zipped on our raincoats. Although it was too overcast to take in the view that looks down from Mars Hill onto New Brunswick, it was a cool experience being shrouded by mist at the top of the hill.

Our first stop at Mars Hill was the lean-to, which dates back to October 1996. The first Mars Hill trail crew had used a lawn roof rafter to get the parts for the structure up to the campsite at the hill’s summit, but our spring crew just worked on cleaning up and safety-proofing the designated fire pit, clearing weeds and charred wood.

We then continued on from the campsite to clear the rest of the trail as it winds along the hill. I must note that my favorite part of the IAT that I saw throughout the trail work weekend came about half a mile southbound from the Mars Hill lean-to: the young forest that flanks the trail is open and lush and green. Before the IAT signed an easement with the Mars Hill landowner Wendell Pierce and forest re-grew around the trail, the area had been farmland – Eric Hendrickson told me that sheep had grazed up and down the side of the hill. On June 8, 2024, the trees and ferns looked especially beautiful given the recent (ongoing) rain (downpour).

This past winter, Eric and Elaine Hendrickson had made note of fallen trees that would need to be sawed out of the way, so we focused on clearing out the trail. Given Josh’s efficiency with the chainsaw, we finished up the work by mid-day, and were finally able to retreat back into the trucks, heavily rained-on but feeling good about what we had accomplished that weekend at Fort Fairfield, the Beaver Bypass, and Mars Hill.

If you’re interested in getting involved with helping keep the trail nice for our hikers, please sign up to be notified of future trail work by visiting: Trail Work Volunteer Sign Up

Will French (Enlightened Rogue) finishes 2,160 miles on the IAT!

Dick Anderson and Don Hudson presenting Will French with a Poster

On August 27, 2023 a small group gathered to present Will French, aka Enlightened Rogue, with a framed poster of the International Appalachian Trail in recognition of his completion of a portion of the trail in each of the 23 sections of the trail. He was the second person to hit 2,000 miles on the trail (he hiked 2,160) and the first person ever to complete a section in each state, country, province, or region of the trail!

Will French and his Famil

Attending were Dick Anderson, Don Hudson, and Amy Barker of the Maine Chapter as well as Will’s family; “Frankie” and Poppy his grandchildren, and Tarah his daughter. Frankie and Poppy have joined him on many of his adventures. Also in attendance was Tim “Long Distance Man (LDM)” Anderson, a long-time hiking partner and friend of Will’s.

Will was kind enough to share a few of his photo albums from each section. He brought three and said he had many more at home! He also brought photos of the flags of each section that he had taken while hiking. Will said that he did much of his planning on an iPad mini during the long, dark New England winters. He also did the entire hike without a cell phone!

After hearing some of his stories of his adventures, Dick and Don presented him with a framed map of the International Appalachian Trail to recognize his accomplishment.  Will is now working on a presentation of his 15-year journey which he will hopefully present at our Annual Meeting in 2024!

Will finished his IAT journey this past summer in the Faroe Islands and the Isle of Man, as he describes in his own words below.

My International Appalachian Trail adventure began unknowingly in the spring of 2009. I answered an ad from Tom who was looking for a hiking partner in Scotland. Why not?! 15 years later I have completed my International Appalachian Trail hike.

My goal was to put my boots in all of the 26 regions that the IAT is located, in total 2,160 miles. This was the mileage of the Appalachian Trail in 1998, the year I completed my AT thru hike.

This past winter, I planned the final hike to the Isle of Man in the Faroe Islands. Joining me were two grandkids; “Frankie,” age 17 and Poppy, age 11. I searched for trail information online as well as flights, lodging, local transportation and other details.

The trip was planned for June 18 to July 4, we flew to Edinburgh and spent two days visiting the city before flying to the Isle of Man. The next morning, we began on a six-day hike on a rail trail to Peel on the West Coast. We found the “Way of the Gull” coastal path, which we would follow for 55 miles. Our lodging included a church bunkhouse, guest houses and hostels.

We commuted to the trail most days with local buses and vintage steam trains. This trail offered good coastal views, sea cliffs, rocky beaches, good and bad weather, many sheep and some road walks. We had a good hike back to Edinburgh before flying to the Faroe Islands the next day.

We arrived in Tórshavn, the capital city and arrived at our college dorm and summer hostel. We rented a car to reach the scattered trails for the next three full days of hiking. The weather here is often cold, cloudy and windy. We started with a long drive to the north coast on the island of Streymoy and hiked over a high pass between two very small villages.

The first day was a nice long walk and only a few hours of rain. The next day we hiked out of Tórshavn and hiked with coastal views to another small village with Middle Ages history. Its church was built in 1111 and continues to welcome worshipers.

Later that day, we drove to the island of Vágar and hiked to sea cliffs and a coastal waterfall. Lastly, we traveled to the north coast of Eysturoy. To get there we drove through the only undersea tunnel with a roundabout. We had overcast weather as we started to climb the highest mountain in the islands. As we reached the summit, the clouds lifted and offered good views of the surrounding coast.

Slættaratindur is my Katahdin of the International Appalachian Trail. The opportunity to hike the trail with family, good friends and many strangers was quality time and the fellowship experienced in many countries is a wonderful memory. Thanks to Dick Anderson for such a crazy idea.

Slættaratindur summit “my Katahdin”

New FarOut Guides for Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island now available!

The Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia sections of the IAT/SIA have been added to the FarOut trail app for long-distance hikers. Formerly known as Guthook Guides, the new sections join IAT/SIA guides for Maine, New Brunswick and Quebec which were released in 2020.

For those unfamiliar with FarOut, it was first developed as an iPhone app in 2012 by AT thru-hiker (and Maine native) Ryan Linn and has become the most widely used trail app for long-distance hikers in the years since.

The app allows hikers to download detailed, up-to-date maps and information on campsites, water sources, resupply opportunities and more to any smart phone. Additionally, users can share information about current trail conditions, hiker-friendly towns or places to get a good hamburger.

The guide app downloads everything to a hiker’s phone, so a cellphone signal is not required on the trail. User created comments are saved in the app and may be uploaded when cellphone or WIFI service is available. The guides can also be viewed  in a web browser on any computer.

The Prince Edward Island and Nova Scotia sections are available for $5 and $9 (USD). The original Maine and New Brunswick sections are available for $7 (USD) each and the Quebec section is $13. You can but all five sections for $30 – a 25% savings! For more information visit the FarOut website.

Road Walks on the Maine IAT

Mapp of the Maine IAT

Why is there so much road walking on the Maine section of the IAT?

This is an incredibly fair question with an equally fair answer: throughout its existence, the Maine chapter of the IAT has relied on the generosity of landowners to secure the route for the trail. In the early years of the project, the owners of Mars Hill Mountain were the first to sign an agreement that allowed the IAT to cross their land. Permission to use the 20’-wide international border swath between Mars Hill and Fort Fairfield followed quickly. A $5,000 grant allowed for the purchase of materials to build the first lean-to on Mars Hill. The materials needed for the lean-to near Fort Fairfield were donated, as were the next 7 lean-tos built for the trail. In all cases, volunteers contributed the labor to create the campsites and improve the trail. In contrast, the Quebec chapter of the IAT was given hundreds of thousands of dollars to build the infrastructure needed to support the trail located largely on publicly owned ‘Crown’ land. The route in Quebec was secured and all campsites were built by June 2001 because of this significant public investment. Over the past 30 years, and without significant public financing, the Maine chapter has worked hard to move the trail off public roadways. What follows is a brief history of the major land acquisitions that transformed the route of the IAT in the land east of Baxter State Park.

The original goal of the IAT was to connect the highest points in Maine, New Brunswick, and Quebec. This meant, ideally, starting at the summit of Mount Katahdin, which remains within the boundaries of Baxter State Park (BSP). However, issues around park capacity and limited infrastructure were cited as reasons to prevent the IAT from marking permanent trails within the park. In contrast, Forillon National Park in Quebec worked with the IAT to establish and mark existing trails. This kind of public support was not offered to the IAT in Maine until the land east of Baxter was donated to the United States to create Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument.

In the early years of the IAT in Maine Baxter State Park Director Buzz Caverly and IAT Founder Dick Anderson agreed that IAT hikers could make their way on park trails so long as they had campsite reservations for their time in the park. Thru-hikers could reserve access to shelters to utilize around 47 miles of trails through the park. The route would then pick up on Grand Lake Road at the northern boundary before connecting to Route 159. This route is shown in green on Map 1. For those who were unable to reserve lean-tos, the IAT led from the southern boundary of the park, connecting with the AT at Abol Bridge. This route––a road walk––followed the Golden Road and Routes 157 and 11, shown in pink on Map 1.

Mapp of the Maine IAT
This map shows the route through Baxter State Park, in green, that could be used with campground reservations and the route, in pink, which avoided the park and utilized public roadways. The blue outline signifies the boundaries of BSP.

In addition to negotiations with Baxter State Park, the IAT also met with the succession of landowners, including Great Northern Paper Company and JD Irving, in the effort to shift the trail from the side of the road into the woods east of the park. These conversations and negotiations stalled or ended quickly in large part because the landowners were wary of working closely with the IAT due to difficulties they experienced when the AT became a National Scenic Trail in the late 1960s. One such negotiation for access to land east of Baxter State Park ended with laughter on the company’s part because of how little money the IAT offered for a trail easement.

This situation would change once Elliotsville Plantation, Inc. (EPI) entered the picture in 2003. Even as the relationship with Baxter State Park and the IAT improved, the IAT was still unable to establish permanent trails within the park. Fortunately, the land east of the park, though heavily cut over, was the perfect place for establishing a permanent trail. Roxanne Quimby, founder of Burt’s Bees and EPI, began her acquisition of land east of Baxter by purchasing T5R8 township and a portion of T3R8, the latter including the summit of Deasey Mountain, outlined in red on Map 2. She was very open to collaborating with the IAT from the beginning of her ownership. By 2007, the IAT had signed Memorandums of Understanding with EPI the trail and campsites. The IAT was then able to establish a permanent trail, starting at a ford of the Wassataquoik Stream and ending at the summit of Deasey. As EPI purchased more land in the area, which included swapping property with a landowner, the IAT was able to construct the route we have today by 2008, shown in purple on Map 2. Further collaboration with the Quimby Family Foundation resulted in grants to fund work trips, trail building, and trail guides. Trail development in Maine has been funded largely by individuals, private corporations and foundations, without the provincial and federal support provided the Quebec and New Brunswick chapters.

This map also shows the route through BSP (shown in green), the alternate route (shown in pink), and the current route of the IAT (shown in purple). The red box indicates the general area in which Roxanne Quimby purchased land in 2003 at the beginning of her negotiations with land owners east of BSP. The difference between the pink and purple routes helps to illustrate the impact the land negotiations with EPI had on the quality of the trail.

Sophie Leigh, a student at McGill University in Montreal, wrapped up her Maine IAT internship in late July. The internship is open to Maine and other United States students at McGill by a generous Maine alumnus of the university, John Wasilewski. Sophie spent hours pouring through the Maine IAT archives at the Maine Historical Society in Portland to understand how the trail came to be, and especially how the route evolved over the years. Sophie also spent time helping to clear and maintain the section of trail from Wassataquoik Stream to the summit of Deasey, and that particular experience likely inspired this blog post.

Trail Work Report-June 2025

Don, Julia, Sophie, Bill, and Jas in front of Earl’s Erratic on the first workday

Thursday, June 5, 2025

Bill Duffy, Sophie Leigh (our history intern this summer), Don Hudson, Julia Daly, and Jas Smith all met up at the Lunksoos Lodge in the late afternoon/evening. There wasn’t a shared meal that night, so dinners ranged from meals people brought to snack bars and peanuts. The mantles were causing problems, but solar lights turned on at 9:30 pm and didn’t shut off until 2 am, which was a problem for people sleeping. We ended up using headlamps and unplugging the solar lights as the trip went on. Sophie set up shop in the lodge on a mattress in the back room, Don slept on the porch, Julia and Bill both slept in their cars, and Jas slept in the Deasey cabin all by himself.

Don, Julia, Sophie, Bill, and Jas in front of Earl’s Erratic on the first workday
Don, Julia, Sophie, Bill, and Jas in front of Earl’s Erratic on the first workday

Friday, June 6, 2025

The day started off bright and early with granola and yogurt for breakfast, the preparation of lunches, and an hour-long drive down to the trailhead where the IAT fords the Wassataquoik Stream. Smoke from the recent wildfires in Manitoba was visible in the sky, obscuring any views of Katahdin, though it wasn’t too noticeable at ground level. There was a bit of sun throughout the day.

We met up with Amy and Dylan from the National Park Service, signed the appropriate paperwork, grabbed gear, and hit the trail. Dylan, an NPS archaeologist, was tasked with collecting data on the area surrounding the trail in hopes of identifying potential archeological sites, as well as documenting severe blow downs and new tags that were added to the trail. Amy was responsible for making sure we didn’t do anything we weren’t supposed to do. We successfully forded the stream and headed north up the trail toward Deasey Mountain.

Don, Dylan, Jas, Amy, Julia, and Sophie fording the Wassataquoik, which was thigh deep for some of us
Don, Dylan, Jas, Amy, Julia, and Sophie fording the Wassataquoik, which was thigh deep for some of us

The trail was in relatively good condition, with few major blow downs that we couldn’t clear with loppers, hand saws, and determination. Several new blazes were put up, and a handful of existing blazes were re-affixed or replaced. In some particularly dense areas, or areas where the trail had been recently re-routed, tags were added to clarify the route. The black flies were relentless, but we pushed on and made it all the way up to the Nose of Deasey for lunch. Sophie, Bill, Julia, and Jas hiked onward the little ways up to the Fire Warden’s Cabin, which remains in poor condition. Around 2 o’clock, everyone began the hike back down the trail toward the Wassataquoik.

After an 11-mile day on the IAT, we headed back to Lunksoos Lodge where we met up with Nancy Hathaway, who had just returned from California after a grueling 20-hour travel day (thank you for your dedication, Nancy!). Sophie went for a swim, and we all enjoyed spaghetti with a choice of pesto or marinara sauce with beef and Italian sausage (or both) to close out a hard but fulfilling day. Nancy camped out on the couch in the lodge.

Saturday, June 7, 2025

The day began again with granola and yogurt, the preparation of lunches, and the hour-long drive down to the trailhead. Nancy decided not to join us on our trail work excursion and instead hung back at the lodge and assigned herself dinner duty. Amy and Dylan also did not join us for this second day, as was planned. Though there was some rain expected in the forecast, everyone stayed mostly dry.

We forded the stream and hiked directly to the Fire Warden’s Cabin, as little work needed to be done between the stream and the cabin thanks to the efforts of the day before. Any remaining work was planned for the return trip, as the goal was to potentially reach the summit of Lunksoos. After hiking the steep section up to the summit of Deasey, we had lunch while being attacked by black flies which were somehow worse than the day before. The Lookout Tower was in excellent condition, and Bill gave a quick lesson on how the wardens would have used their maps to triangulate where fires were. We decided not to continue further and instead headed back down towards the Wassataquoik, doing the little work that was needed as we made our way back.

Everyone returned to the lodge by around 5:30 to find a beautifully set table with snacks and sides for the fajitas, which Nancy quickly got to heating up. It was delicious and well-deserved after a 13-mile day on the IAT.

The dinner table we returned to after a long day. Again, thank you, Nancy!]
The dinner table we returned to after a long day. Again, thank you, Nancy!]

Sunday, June 8, 2025

Breakfast was a bit fancier on the last day, with egg and sausage sandwiches for those that wanted them. Everyone helped with cleaning up the lodge and packing up cars, then headed out on their own time. Thank you to everyone who came for making this trip so successful. Also, shout out to Sophie for lowering the average age by 10 years!

In Memoriam-Dave Rand

Long-time Maine IAT Board member and trail crew head Dave Rand, passed away on April 10, 2025. Dave became involved with the IAT in 2002. The story told by Dave was that he received an out-of-the-blue phone call by IAT founder and director Dick Anderson asking if he could design and build a prefab privy that would be easy to transport and assemble at lean-tos being planned for the trail in Maine. A somewhat confused Dave, who had been the Principal at the Higgins School in Mapleton, Maine, agreed to give it a shot. Later he found out Dick had meant to call a different “Rand” in the Presque Isle area who was an actual carpenter. By that point the die had been struck and Dave became the Maine IAT’s chief P.E. (Privy Engineer).

In addition to P.E., Dave also took the lead on trail and lean-to maintenance. This included the historic Deasey Mountain Fire Lookout, which is where I first worked with Dave in September, 2006. The weather was miserable that day and the steep path up the mountain was more of a stream than a trail. Nevertheless, Dave calmly trundled along with a half-dozen 6 foot boards strapped to his back and bags of tools and hardware in each hand to rebuild the lookout door which had blown off the building. 

In addition to P.E., Dave also took the lead on trail and lean-to maintenance. This included the historic Deasey Mountain Fire Lookout, which is where I first worked with Dave in September, 2006. The weather was miserable that day and the steep path up the mountain was more of a stream than a trail. Nevertheless, Dave calmly trundled along with a half-dozen 6 foot boards strapped to his back and bags of tools and hardware in each hand to rebuild the lookout door which had blown off the building. 

Dave helped construct most of the Maine IAT lean-tos, often hauling timbers and other construction materials in his old blue Ford 150. After all the bridges were removed on the Elliotsville Plantation, Inc. properties (now the Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument), Dave rigged up his ATV with seats over each rear wheel, a large tool box on the front, and a trailer behind which allowed him to transport tools and trails crew (including my dog) to maintain the lean-tos and trails that were inaccessible from any nearby roads. 

Dave owned a small farm in Washburn and brought many “farmer smarts” to the trail. This included his command of an enormous ditch scythe for quickly clearing blackberry and hobblebush that grew profusely in some sections of the trail. On Mars Hill he used his brush hog to keep a fresh path mowed through an overgrown field. 

Dave’s greatest asset was his perpetually positive disposition. Even when the weather was foul, the blackflies thick, or some piece of equipment had broken, Dave never uttered a discouraging word. He will be missed!

Dick Anderson Elected to The Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame

Dick Anderson had been elected to the Appalachian Trail Hall of Fame!
 
Dick recently recalled that the germ of the idea to create an International Appalachian Trail was likely planted when he and Don Hudson visited the summits of Mt. Albert and Mt. Jacques Cartier (in a helicopter!) in June 1988 as part of the Caribou Reintroduction Project.
 
A project such as the IAT is an exercise in relationship building, and no one does that better than Dick, as captured by just a few images from Bill Duffy of Dick’s adventures on the trail over the years.
 
The words ‘International Appalachian Trail’ and ‘Dick Anderson’ and ‘Thinking Beyond Borders’ are included in a sculpture celebrating the AT and the IAT in Omagh, Northern Ireland, dedicated in 2022. Quite a tribute!
 
Please join us in congratulating Dick! It’s quite an honor.

Last IAT Sponsored Hike of the 2024 Hiking Season

Seven hardy adventurers joined Elaine and Eric Hendrickson over Indigenous People’s Weekend to hike in and around the north entrance of Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument.  It rained, the wind blew, and a rainbow crossed the sky. It rained and the wind blew some more, but everyone stayed!  The foliage was beautiful! Our hikers joined us from Aroostook, Washington, Hancock, and  Cumberland counties.  Not everyone knew  each other, but by the end of our three-day adventure, we were all hiking buddies swapping stories and photos madly back and forth.

On Thursday evening, October 10, Fran Marquis and Robert Lind joined us at the East Branch Campsite for dinner and camping.  Eric covered the picnic tables with a tarp to cut down on the wind that blew up the East Branch of the Penobscot River.  Friday dawned sunny.  Our first stop was to explore the CCC (Civilian Conservation Core) camp remains that are in the woods behind the Forestry Station on Rt. 159.  One old chimney still stands with many others crumbling in the woods.  We met the rest of our hikers at the trail head of the Sebeois River Trail.  Joining us were Mary Jane Good, Christina Perkins and her dog, Rye, Christy and Margaret Stout, and Erik Giggey.  The first leg of the hike brought us to the picnic area overlooking the falls about on the Sebeois River.  We stopped for lunch and photos before heading on to the cabin located off the trail where hikers can stay.  After exploring the cabin, we decided to hike a bit further down the trail before turning around to head back to the cars. 

Christy and Margaret had reservations for dinner and the night at Mt. Chase Lodge. The rest headed to East Branch Campsite to set up their tents. Gathered around the picnic table for supper, where we swapped outdoor cooking ideas, stories and learned how to use Airdrop on Apple phones.  It rained and the wind blew all night.  I am glad to report nobody got wet in their tents! 

It stopped raining Friday morning, but the wind was still blowing.  A decision was made to drive to Haskell Gate and hike to Haskell Hut, through Haskell Campsite, and then to Haskell Rock Pitch where Eric explained the history of the pitch and how it got its name.  The falls were beautiful.  Lots of photos were taken and later shared.  From there we did a bit of caving.  Huge conglomerate rocks were dropped by the glacier forming talus caves further up the trail toward Messer Pond.  Eric led the group through the passage to the other side of the rocks by climbing and crawling under and around some of giant boulders.  No one got stuck or freaked out!  From there we headed around to the front of the rocks to have lunch in their shadows.  Most of the group  headed back to our campsite with a quick stop at Mother Nature’s Garden.  A few decided to hike into the old spring house with Eric near the Matagamon Gate, while Robert and I walked back from there by way of the Oxbow Road to our campsite.  By then, it had clouded up again as the wind continued to blow.  A fire was definitely needed.  Treats and desserts were shared along with more hiking, camping stories, and cooking tips.  

Saturday dawned sunny, but many folks had to leave, so we packed up camp and headed in separate directions.  What a great weekend of making new camping and hiking friends, learning about the history and geology of the area, and swapping stories despite the weather! 

Hiker packing up a tent

Eddie Woodin makes his 27th gift to the Maine Chapter of the IAT’s Annual Appeal

As we prepare for the season of giving, we’re filled with warmth and gratitude for the incredible generosity of our members and supporters.

Recently, Dick Anderson, Eddie Woodin, and Walter Anderson celebrated Eddie’s 27th year of support for the International Appalachian Trail.

Thanks to Eddie Woodin and many others like him, the Maine Chapter of the IAT is committed to maintaining the footpath that links Maine to Canada, ensuring that everyone has the chance to explore and learn about the diverse natural wonders that connect us all.

This giving season, if you feel inspired to support our mission, we invite you to visit our 2024 Annual Appeal page.

Thank you once again for your unwavering support of the International Appalachian Trail, and thank you to Eddie for his unwavering support through the years!

IAT Sponsored Hike to Orin Falls, led by Cliff Young and Nancy Hathaway

A few folks canceled before the hike was scheduled to begin, leaving us with six remaining participants. We met as planned at the Sandbank Campground. Nancy received a call from the Steinbrock’s explaining that their GPS directed them to use the Roberts Road from Millinocket to the Swift Brook Road and National Monument. As they headed north the road deteriorated, and they decided that the best course of action was to return to Millinocket.

Now down to four, we set off for the Orin Falls trailhead. The roads are in fairly good condition all the way from Stacyville to the campground and trailhead, easily passable for Virginia’s Tesla.

A short distance into the hike brought us to the junction with the IAT, just before it leaves the old Wassataquoik Tote Road to the Wassataquoik Stream ford and Deasey Mountain.

Continuing north we soon reached the Wassataquoik Lean-to. It really is a beautiful setting just after crossing the bridge over Katahdin Brook.

Continuing north we soon reached the Wassataquoik Lean-to. It really is a beautiful setting just after crossing the bridge over Katahdin Brook.

Another mile and a half along the Wassataquoik Tote Road and we could hear the falls ahead and to the north. The short trail on the right is reached which leads to Orin Falls. A jumble of large boulders with several small drops. The rains a couple of days ago made for some good flow. With no dams, the flow is entirely dependent on rainfall this time of year.

Time for a break and a snack before heading back.

The foliage along the trail was at or near peak and the clouds eventually gave way to occasional blue sky.

It was a beautiful day for a hike, and a great time was had by all.