Maine’s High Peaks Region will welcome its newest trail on Saturday, August 25th from 10am to 3pm as the Fly Rod Crosby (FRC) Trail is dedicated at the Phillips Area Community Center. The Fly Rod Crosby Trail is a project of the High Peaks Alliance and will eventually stretch 45 miles from Strong to Oquossoc. It is being developed in three segments of which Phillips to Saddleback Mountain is the first. The dedication will celebrate the completion of the first 20 miles.
The trail is based on the life and times of Maine’s first registered guide: Cornelia “Fly Rod” Crosby. Ms. Crosby was a famous fly-fisherwoman, journalist and the first person to market the Maine Woods as an early destination for tourism. Fly Rod lived in Phillips, where the first section of trail starts, and worked closely with the SR&RL, whose abandoned bed stretches north and west through Madrid and Sandy River Plantation. The trail stays close to the RR bed then takes off into the backcountry as it follows Orbeton and Hardy Streams around the western shoulder of Saddleback Mountain, finally ending at the ski resort.
The Fly Rod Crosby Trail is a project of the High Peaks Alliance (HPA), a small non-profit in northern Franklin County whose mission is: “to ensure and enhance public access to recreation in Maine’s High Peaks Region.” HPA is made up of local people who hunt, fish, hike, ski, bike, ATV, and snowmobile. The group advocates for collaboration and cooperation in order to preserve public access to recreation for current and future generations. “This new trail wouldn’t be possible without the generosity of so many private landowners who gave permission for the trail to cross their land and the wonderful effort by all of our volunteers,” said Ben Godsoe, who has been working on this project since 2010. “We are especially proud that we could offer a total of 11 jobs over 3 years to local youth to work on the trail.”
Schedule of Events:
History Walk:The dedication will kick off with a “History Walk” around downtown Phillips. The walk will leave the Old Gym on Depot Street at 10am and feature the Beal Block, Vose House, and Narrow Gauge Railroad Museum.
Train Rides: For a small donation walkers can take a ride on the Sandy River & Rangeley Lakes Railroad, which will be giving rides from 10:30-11:30am.
Short Ceremony: At 11:30am, Maine Senator Tom Saviello will help dedicate the trail at the Phillips Area Community Center (Old Gym).
Cookout: From 12 – 1pm there will be a cookout in the same location, music, and lots of trail information available.
Guided Hikes: From 1-3pm there will be guided hikes on the Fly Rod Crosby Trail. One hike will follow the Sandy River through the forested Railroad Park in Phillips and then wind back to the trailhead (loop of approximately 1.5 miles). The other hike will start at Star Barn Bed and Breakfast (carpool leaves at 1pm from the trail head) and go to Orbeton Stream (Loop of approximately 3 miles). Hikes leave from the Phillips Area Community Center at 1pm.
Hike your own hike! There will be lots of free maps and trail information available at the dedication throughout the day. Please stop by and pick up a map so you can get out on the trail whenever you feel like it! You can also download the trail maps from our website for free (Click Here to download maps!).
Come on down to Phillips on August 25th and help High Peaks Alliance celebrate the creation of the new Fly Rod Crosby Trail from Phillips to Saddleback Ski Area! Check back often to get updated information about the trail dedication.
