Maintaining Trails
Summer continues to fly by. The weather has continued hot and wet. Some outside events got washed out, but the 7 Lakes Stewardship Committee has been out a couple of times doing critical maintenance on several of the local hiking trails. This group puts in a lot of time keeping the local trails in safe, hiking condition and able to withstand wet weather without serious erosion. If you enjoy getting out on the trails, please consider signing up for one or more of our trail work days. Contact Dan Woughter (495‑6039) for the latest schedule, which is usually posted on the sign in front of the Resource Center.
Last week’s projects included staging a large load of lumber from the Community Docks behind Day’s Store across the lake to the Kennebec Highlands property surrounding the 7 Lakes Dolly property. Shawn Landry volunteered his fireworks barge for the job and towed the loaded barge across the lake behind his jet ski, while I transported three other volunteers across the lake in my boat. When they got across the lake, 7 Lakes Land Steward, Dan Woughter jumped into the water to tow the barge ashore so new CEO Chris Monz and other members of the committee could offload the lumber. Later this summer, the lumber will be used to construct about 150 feet of board walks at the bottom of the Long Pond Mountain Bike Trail.
I managed to get out for a couple of mushroom foraging trips. This has been an exceptional year for yellow chanterelles so far, and the black trumpets are beginning to emerge. Highbush blueberries are beginning to ripen along the shorelines, and red raspberries appearing along woods roads. I got my biweekly water quality monitoring completed between rain events. Along the way, I met the Hoeman-Arnberg family from Topsham, who are renting a camp in Mt. Vernon on lower Long Pond of Porcupine Ridge. Dad was teaching his 7and 9-year-old kids how to swim, as the family dog watched. The family lives on a farm along the Cathance River that is in a conservation easement with the Brunswick-Topsham Land Trust. They have been renting the same camp every summer for several years.
Take advantage of the rest of the summer and get out on the lakes or hike or bike in the hills. And take a kid along. Or a parent or grandparent. You will be creating memories that will last. 7 Lakes Alliance is hosting many interesting events, including Tuesday afternoon (3:00 – 4:00 p.m.) presentations by Chewonki. More info is available at the 7 Lakes website. Pick up the latest map of the local trails at Day’s Store or the 7 Lakes Alliance building. Individual trail maps for most of the trails can be downloaded from their website.
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