Author: Amanda Baker

On 9/27/2014 – members of the IAT Maine Chapter Walter Anderson (Yarmouth), Nancy Hathaway (Surry) and newly recruited members Bill Rixon (Freeport) and Katy Sullivan (Portland), set out on a beautiful Indian Summer day to attend the “Stars Over Katahdin” (SOK) event hosted by Elliotsville Plantation Inc.(EPI) Katahdin Woods & Waters on the East Branch of the Penobscot River. EPI is the landowner of many thousands of acres east and adjacent to Baxter State Park. Both Bill, and Katy are skilled astronomers and educators who graciously agreed to perform as the principle astronomical instructors for the SOK event.

New IAT Members Bill Rixon (Freeport) and Katy Sullivan (Portland)

Approximately 35 souls, including the Maine Chapter IAT, Maine Conservation Corps, Colby Outing and Space Clubs, Forest Ranger and family and assorted locals, assembled at 11:00A on a beautiful Indian Summer day at the EPI Woods & Waters Sand Bank Picnic area. Susan and Mark Adams, Recreational Managers for EPI at Lunksoos Camp led a daytime tour of the EPI Katahdin Woods and Waters Loop Rd. followed by group hike and mountain biking up Bernard Mt. near the IAT. At sunset EPI hosts, Susan and Mark, generously provided a sumptuous campfire supper for all, complete with dogs, corn, veggies and assorted goodies.

Skywatchers

After sunset, the group assembled at the Star Watch site close to and just east of an imposing Mt. Katahdin. Devoid of any light pollution, an incredibly dark sky provided the backdrop for a vast and brilliant assortment of stars, constellations and astronomical phenomena. The highlight of the SOK on the EPI Loop Rd. event occurred when Bill Rixon and his colleague, Katy Sullivan, with skill and patience, expertly delivered several hours of awesome North Maine Woods astronomy to a rapt audience of star gazers.

We all express our heartfelt gratitude to Susan and Mask Adams (EPI) and Nancy Hathaway (IAT) for organizing and coordinating this unique and spectacular event!

Updates from Paul Wylezol and Don Hudson at the IAT AGM in Plymouth….

10/9/14 – Final day of the IAT AGM in Plymouth, England. It started out with a half-day walk of the Mt Edgcumbe section of the IAT South West Coast Path National Trail (http://www.nationaltrail.co.uk/south-west-coast-path), led by City Councilor Andrew Thompson and trail manager and AGM organizer Mark Owen. The walk ended in Plymouth where the IAT/NT executive members had lunch with the Lord Mayor and his wife at Royal William Yard (the historic dockyard where the Royal Navy supplied its ships). The group then continued on to Plymouth Hoe – site of the Eddystone Lighthouse, Sir Francis Drake statue (Drake lived in and sailed from Plymouth) and various war memorials – and the Mayflowers Steps, where the Mayflower Pilgrims departed for America in 1620 and Sir Humphrey Gilbert departed for Newfoundland in 1583. From there it was off to the Plymouth Gin distillery for a tour and a few sips of the gin supplied to the Royal British Navy. No wonder they were once the largest navy in the world!!

10/8/14 – Day Three of the IAT AGM in Plymouth, England included a day-tour of English Riviera Geopark and South Devon AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty). Stops included the seaside town of Torbay, Kent’s Cavern (site of many prehistoric hominid and animal bone discoveries), Thomas Newcomen’s steam engine in Dartmouth (the world’s first steam engine) and Prawle Point, a National Trust landscape in south Devon.

10/7/14 -IAT AGM at the National Marine Aquarium at Plymouth, England. Guest presenters included BBC presenter and Plymouth University Professor Iain Stewart and English Riviera Geopark Coordinator and Chair of the UK Global Geoparks Forum Melanie Border.

10/7/14 – We dined at the Plymouth Gin Distillery’s Barbican Kitchen last night following a full day of meeting. The IAT is in good hands.

10/6/14 – Day one included a day tour of Dartmoor National Park (pictured below) and Morwellham Quay (an historic copper mine and UNESCO World Heritage Site), as well as a train ride back to Plymouth on the scenic Tamar Valley Train Line.

10/5/14 – Wonderful walk on Dartmoor, stopping to see Bronze Age mining sites

Dick Anderson, Eddie Woodin, Don Hudson

Eddie Woodin continued his long-time support of the IAT Maine on October 26th when he presented a check for $1,000 to Don Hudson and Dick Anderson. Eddie has been a supporter from the beginning in 1994 when he helped get our small bank account started. With his help, and the help of many other members, our small budget has always been balanced. We really appreciate the financial support of all our members and friends, without which we would not have been able to make the amazing progress we have made in the last 20 years.

Recently, IAT member, Roger Gilmore, and his family hiked in to the IAT Katahdin Brook campsite. A generous donation from the Gilmore family helped fund the lean-to located at the campsite. Roger was very moved when he saw the dedication plaque mounted in the lean-to. The plaque reads “The Katahdin Brook Lean-to was made possible by the generosity of Katahdin Log Homes and the family of Roger Gilmore, a life-long lover of the Appalachian Trail and the International Appalachian Trail.”

Roger participated in many work trips on the IAT during the early days. He helped locate the trail up the backside of Deasey and helped build some of the IAT’s campsites. He is a great outdoors person and spends much of his time hiking and enjoying the environment.

The IAT organization is very grateful to the Gilmores for their contribution that helped fund this campsite as a memorial to Roger’s great love of all trails.

Susan Kaplin, Director of the Peary-MacMillan Museum and Arctic Studies Center, at Brunswick Maine’s Bowdoin College, hosted an illustrated talk and book signing reception for Maine IAT Board member Will Richard and his Co-Author William W. Fitzhugh , on September 25th, to celebrate the publication of their book, “Maine to Greenland, Exploring the Maritime Far Northeast.”

(From right to left: Susan Kaplin, Director Peary-MacMillan Arctic Museum, Wilfred Richard, William Fitzhugh and unidentified audience member)

The audience of about 200 included Dick Anderson and Don Hudson, IAT founders, and Walter Anderson, IAT Geologist. Dr. Fitzhugh gave a presentation on the potential effects of global warming on the residents of the Maritime Far Northeast and Dr. Richard presented photographs and discussed his research on the residents of west coast Greenland. In addition to Will’s spectacular photographs of the territory, the book contains an entire chapter on the history of the IAT.

(Co-authors William W. Fitzhugh and Wilfred Richard seated in foreground)

(Dick Anderson with Wilfred Richard)

For more information about the book go to the Portland Press Heraldreview by Thomas Urquhart, a Maine Chapter IAT Board member.

Books can be purchased directly from Will. Book is $40.00, $5 for postage and $2.50 sales tax if you live in Maine. Make check payable to “Wilfred E. Richard”. Mail your check for either $45.00 or $47.50 to:

Wilfred E. Richard, 34 Pond Road Georgetown, Maine 04548

The International Appalachian Trail and The Appalachian Trail Conservancy received grants today from the Quimby Family Foundation! Dick Anderson (left) Amy McCormick of the ATC (center) and Don Hudson (right) attended the Quimby Family luncheon to receive this award. The IAT’s grant will be used for building the capacity of all chapters to communicate better about the community and natural resource values of the IAT. A great day in Maine for footpaths!

With help from Susan and Mark Adams, Walter Anderson, Herb Hartman, brothers Bob & Alan Johnston, Don Hudson, Cheryl & Kirk St. Peter, Dave Rand, Earl Raymond and Cliff Young the following work was accomplished on the June 2014 Bowlin Camps-based Work Trip:

The trail was checked from the Grand Lake Road to the summit of Lunksoos Mt.Several blowdowns were cleared on the way up to the Lunksoos campsite from Bowlin.Tags and posts were checked and a few tags were placed where needed.The Lunksoos lean-to and privy were inspected and the fire ring was mineralized.The view of Katahdin from the lean-to was cleared and log deck brush was cut back.The Grand Pitch campsite and privy were swept.Grass was cleared down to mineral soil around the fire pit.A new route to skirt the wet section of the Old Telos TOTE Road after The Pines was established by making a trail up to the K Comp road and then returning to the Old Telos Tote Road at the log landing clearing .

As always, IAT Chef and Chief Geologist, Walter Anderson, provided some delicious meals, Poland Spring water and kept the group entertained with his stories, rants and heckles. Thank you to Bob Johnston for his delicious beef stew and salad. Newly appointed Maine Chapter Vice President, Cheryl St. Peter kept everyone pleasantly delighted with her strawberry-rhubarb cake and fudge!

(left to right) Bob Marvinney, Walter Anderson and Don Hudson

On Tuesday, May 20, Don Hudson, Bob Marvinney and Walter Anderson of the Maine Chapter of the International Appalachian Trail departed Maine to attend the 2014 Joint Annual Meeting of the Geological Society of Canada- Mineral Association of Canada (GAC-MAC). The meeting was attended by approximately 900 professional geologists, educators, public officials and industry representatives.

The GAC-MAC program consisted of numerous oral presentations and poster exhibits covering a variety of theme sessions, including “Geoheritage: Earth’s Past, Our Future”. At this very well attended session the Maine IAT delivered an oral presentation entitled, “The International Appalachian Trail: The Ancient Ambassador of the Geosciences to Modern Society:” Presentations were also given by Bob Marvinney and Henry Berry of The Maine Geological Survey and Doug Reusch of The University of Maine Farmington. The International Appalachian Trail was well represented at the GAC-MAC annual meeting.

Respectfully submitted: Walter Anderson May 2014

Will Richard Photo

From June 4 – 7, the International Appalachian Trail held its 20th Anniversary IAT North America General Meeting at Twin Pine Camps near Millinocket, Maine. Located in view of (Mount) Katahdin – the end of the AT and beginning of the IAT – it was here at the 2008 AGM that the IAT decided to extend across the Atlantic Ocean to Western Europe and North Africa. A special focus of the 20th anniversary meeting was geo-heritage, including presentations by a number of respected geologists from the U.S., Canada and Scotland.

The Maine Chapter of the International Appalachian Trail is pleased to announce that Dr. Jim Hibbard, Professor of Geology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh , NC. has accepted our invitation to speak on the “Origin of the Appalachian Orogen” at the International Appalachian Trail Annual General Meeting on June 5-7, 2014 at the Twin Pines Camps, Millinocket, Maine.

Dr. Hibbard grew up at the juncture of the northern and southern Appalachians, in the Hudson Valley and Catskill Mountains of New York. He was introduced to the newly emerging concept of plate tectonics at Colgate University, where in 1973 he received his BA in geology. He went on to continue his studies at Memorial University of Newfoundland, where he received in 1976 an MS in geology. While at Memorial University, he was a research assistant to Dr. Harold (Hank) Williams and helped develop the first Tectonic Lithofacies map of the Appalachians. He subsequently spent 7 years as a project geologist of the Baie Verte area for the Geological Survey of Newfoundland and Labrador. He returned to academia for his PhD in Geological Sciences (1988) at Cornell University; where his studies focused on deformation paths of Miocene rocks of the Shimanto accretionary plate tectonic complex in southwest Japan. Professor Hibbard has been at North Carolina State University since 1988, where he teaches structural geology, tectonics, and Appalachian geology. His research focuses on Appalachian tectonics culminating in his becoming chief compiler of the new Lithotectonic Map of the Appalachian Orogen which will be on display at the Annual General Meeting in Millinocket. His publications are too numerous to be mentioned here, but can be made available upon request.