In Memoriam of our friend Earl Raymond
Continue readingDonate in Memory of Earl Raymond
To donate in memory of Earl Raymond, please visit the link below or mail a check to:
Maine Chapter of the International Appalachian trail
PO Box 320
Dresden, ME 04342
![Earl Crossing Katahdin Stream](https://www.maineiat.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Earl-Raymond-300x300.jpg)
Earl’s Alidade
After two years of planning, construction, and cajoling, Earl Raymond, Maine IAT’s official surveyor and trail router extraordinaire, was joined by a group of Maine IAT board members and friends on Deasey Mountain to install a replica of the original alidade used by wardens to pinpoint the locations of forest fires in Maine’s north woods.
![](https://maineiat.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Installing-the-alidade-1024x576.jpg)
An alidade consists of a circular map, oriented to align with true north, and a center mounted horizontal bar with two vertical sighting vanes.
![](https://maineiat.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Map-closeup.jpg)
The bar is rotated while the fire warden sights through the vanes on a distant object (a wisp of smoke, for example). The warden can then note the bearing of the object on the map. When a second warden on a different mountain sights on the same wisp, the two bearings can be be used to triangulate the location of a fire.
![](https://maineiat.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Alidade-group-1024x363.jpg)
After installing the device, Earl gave his group of helpers (all of whom managed to squeeze into the small 8 x 8-foot lookout cabin) a quick lesson on alidade use which you can see on this YouTube video.