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.

Before Trail Work Lunksoos (on the way to Deasy from Wassataquiok)
After Trail Work

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.

Jas, Sophie, Bill, and Julia learning about how the map would have been used to locate fires (thank you, Bill, for the lesson!)]
Jas, Sophie, Bill, and Julia learning about how the map would have been used to locate fires (thank you, Bill, for the lesson!)]
Jas, Sophie, Bill, and Julia learning about how the map would have been used to locate fires (thank you, Bill, for the lesson!)]
Jas Smith, Sophie, Bill Duffy, Julia Daly

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!

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.

View from the Bottom of Mars Hill
Under the Windmills at Mars Hill June 8
Getting Ready to Work at Mars Hill June 8

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

Borders and Blowdowns

As the spring and summer hiking season gets underway here in Maine, we’ve been receiving a lot of requests for information on the status of the Maine / New Brunswick border and the trail conditions on the Maine IAT. Here’s the latest.

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