Heritage
High Peaks Alliance Launches Scenic 7 Hiking Challenge
Embark on a Memorable Adventure
The Scenic 7 Hiking Challenge features seven exhilarating landscapes that will push hikers to their limits while rewarding them with breathtaking views and serene moments in nature. Participants are required to reach the summits of all four mountains and explore the three scenic trails designated as Challenge locations.
To get started, interested individuals can download the Scenic 7 Hiking Challenge booklet from HighPeaksAlliance.org and begin their journey in Maine’s High Peaks Region. Once completed, participants can return to register as Challenge Champions for a fee of $10, which includes an exclusive patch, sticker, and online member roster listing.
Save these Dates
HPA has organized four exciting hikes, on the first Saturday of each month, to kick off the Challenge:
- July 6 at Poplar Stream Falls with Rebecca Goldfine of Maine By Foot
- August 3 at Blueberry Mountain with Brent West
- September 7 at Perham Stream Birding Trail with Pete McKinley of The Wilderness Society
- October 5 at Forest Legacy with Registered Maine Guide Sam Shirley
These hikes are free and open to all ages but please leave pets at home. Participants should dress for the weather, and bring water and snacks.
“There are so many places to explore in the High Peaks but there haven’t been curated experiences. The Scenic 7 Challenge is an opportunity to commit to adventure and answer the call of the wild,” says Brent West, Executive Director of HPA. “From welcoming beginner tails to advanced backcountry hikes these trails will immerse you in the great outdoors. Do all 7 and be a Challenge Champion!”
“After walking all over the state, I consider the Scenic Seven hikes to be among the best of Maine, for their beauty, nature, peaceful trails, and dramatic scenery,” says contributor Rebecca Goldfine. Goldfine is the creator of Maine By Foot, an online comprehensive guide to exploring the myriad of remarkable trails throughout Maine. Maine By Foot offers guidance on each of the preserves, highlights swimming opportunities, and provides a list of wheelchair-friendly, all-access trails. All of the Scenic 7 trails can be found on Maine By Foot.
The High Peaks Alliance also partnered with Maine Trail Finder, an online database for trails in Maine for hiking, walking, snowshoeing, mountain biking, cross-country skiing, and paddling. Participants can log their hikes on Maine Trail Finder to earn the Scenic 7 badge.
Challenge Sponsors
The Scenic 7 Hiking Challenge is generously sponsored by Maine Lakes & Mountains, Franklin Printing, and Franklin Savings Bank.
“Maine’s Lakes and Mountains offers spectacular ways to hit the trail, and we are excited to partner with the High Peaks Alliance to offer our visitors and residents this new challenge to explore some of the incredible terrain that makes up our region,” states Ethan Vinson of Maine Lakes and Mountains.
Maine’s Lakes and Mountains connect residents and visitors alike to the opportunities that await them in the High Peaks Region and beyond. Whether you’re planning a hike or exploring other scenic areas, Maine’s Lakes and Mountains has the knowledge and resources to make your adventure unforgettable. By choosing them, you’re not only ensuring a memorable experience but also supporting the preservation of these recreational assets.
“We are so grateful to be sponsored by Franklin Printing. They offer exceptional service, and support our mission of access and conservation of our natural resources,” said Amanda Laliberte, Director of Engagement. “Join us in keeping this area wild and accessible by printing with Franklin Printing.”
Don’t miss this opportunity to discover these hidden gems and stunning trails in Maine’s High Peaks Region. Join the Scenic 7 Hiking Challenge and make memories that will last a lifetime!
Download the Booklet
Click the banner and begin the adventure!
Volunteer Spotlight: Carson Hinkley
Meet Carson Hinkley, a seventh-generation resident of the East Madrid settlement. Carson grew up and lives today in the farmhouse across from the Perham Stream Birding Trail trailhead.
One-of-a-Kind
For years, he maintained the trails on his own time and dollars keeping them open to the public year-round for walking, birding, snowshoeing, or sledding.
In 2021, HPA purchased the 80-acre property, with its miles of trails, half a mile of frontage on Perham Stream, and spectacular views of Saddleback Mountain and Mount Abraham from Carson. It was our first property.
Today, Carson continues to greet visitors and maintains the trails. He “prioritized his family’s legacy, the local environment, and public access,” says Lloyd Griscom, HPA Board President.
We encourage you to visit Perham Stream Birding Trail. Carson will be there filling the bird feeders, mowing the trails, and greeting visitors. Tell him we sent you!
High Peaks Hires Seasonal Recreation Ranger
Welcome, Matt.
Matthew Kusper has been involved in the conservation industry since 2018 when he joined his first Conservation Corps. Since then, he’s embarked on trail projects in the Carolinas, Alabama, Virginia, Kentucky, Colorado, and Maine.
First exposed to the highlands of western Maine during his thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail in 2019, he returned to the region in 2021 to lead the MATC’s trail crews for two seasons. Kusper is an accomplished ski bum having worked at Crystal, Stowe, and Saddleback Mountains as a ski instructor, rental technician, lift operator, and most recently as a ski patroller.
Kusper will oversee the trails, campsites, and Leave No Trace outreach in the Bureau of Parks and Lands’ Bigelow Preserve & Flagstaff Lake Public Land, Crocker Mountain, Mt. Abraham, and newly conserved Barnjum areas. “I am absolutely enamored with Maine’s High Peaks,” says Kusper, “and am honored to have the opportunity to improve sustainable access to the region’s abundant outdoor recreation opportunities.”
Please join us in welcoming Matt to HPA.
Ribbon Cutting Perham Stream Bridge
This past Saturday was the perfect day for a cookout. The sun was out, a slight breeze was in the air, and people came from all over Franklin County to join us in the backwoods of Madrid.
This past June, the High Peaks Alliance saw the completion of the Perham Stream Bridge Project. The Bridge is the final product of a three-year collaborative project between the High Peaks Alliance, North Franklin Snowmobile Club, Narrow Gauge Riders ATV club, landowner Mark Beauregard, and others. On Saturday, August the 27th, the High Peaks Alliance and clubs all came together to celebrate the bridge’s completion with a cookout and ribbon cutting ceremony.
Vehicles lined up on the Reed’s Mills’ roadside. Bicyclists, ATV riders, snowmobile riders, community members, and several local officials converged on the bridge for the cookout. The event was attended by 50 to 6o people, much more than was expected. Food and beverages were donated by area businesses including the White Elephant of Strong, Maine, Edmund’s Market of Phillips, Maine, and the Coca-Cola Bottling Co. of Farmington, Maine.
Members of the press from Franklin County Newspapers came to cover the event and some of their articles have already been published. This lovely piece was written by Lauren Abbate for the Morning Sentinal and the Kennebec Journal. Valarie Tucker, a Special Correspondent for the Franklin Sun Journal wrote this article.
Among the attendees were Senator Tom Saviello of Wilton, Maine, Franklin County Commissioner Gary T. McGrane, Ralph Luce of the North Franklin Snowmobile Club, and Charlie and Kathy Gould of the Narrow Gauge Riders ATV Club. Several HPA board members were present, as well as a local Game Warden. Nancy Perlson acted as the High Peaks Alliance’s spokesperson. [Tucker 2016]
Senator Saviello, Nancy, Commissioner McGrane, and Ralph Luce all spoke in front of the assembled attendees before the ribbon cutting. Commissioner McGrane stressed how important projects like this were to Maine’s Economy. Though the effects are not always visible, non-profits contribute $10 billion to Maine’s economy and volunteers contribute 350,000 hours of their time every year. [Tucker 2016] He also made the observation that the bridge provided connectivity between sections of Franklin County that expanded the economic impact of outdoor recreation and sports. [Abbate 2016]
Senator Saviello congratulated the organization and collaboration that went into the completion of the bridge, saying “That’s why this success lays out here because you did it together.” [Abbate 2016]
Public access is a major interest of the High Peaks Alliance. The bridge is just one of many trail connectivity, and economic development issues that the High Peaks Alliance has worked to address. As Nancy Perlson put it, “For this region, as most of you probably know, backcountry recreation is kind of the backbone of the regional economy. So it’s important to have these kinds of facilities and infrastructure that let people safely and comfortably enjoy what we have to offer.” [Abbate 2016]
The old bridge had been patched together from the remains of old riveted iron beams salvaged from the railroad and was becoming unsafe. Ralph Luce commented that when pulling trail grooming equipment over the bridge, he could feel the bridge’s failing structure reacting to the weight. [Abbate 2016]
The support girders were badly rusted and the center support was washed out by Tropical Storm Irene in 2012. The new bridge doesn’t require a support in the stream and was able to utilize the existing granite cribbing to minimize impacts on the stream which is a tributary of the Orbeton, which supports native brook trout and Atlantic salmon.
The multi-use trail which accesses the Perham Stream bridge, crosses through six thousand acres of working forest, which was recently protected by a conservation easement in partnership with the Trust for Public Land. Funding from the Forest Legacy Program, the Land For Maine’s Future program and many generous donors supported the acquisition of the conservation easement. The Linkletter family continues to own the land and harvest trees. Income from tree harvests and the easement sale support their mill operation and contribute to the region’s forest products economy. The High Peaks Alliance served as a local partner for the TPL, organizing critical local public support for the project. Public support allowed the project to successfully compete for funding and established the terms of the easement which preserves the beautiful trail for multi-use public access.
The High Peaks Alliance was grateful to meet with so many members of the Franklin County community and is especially appreciative of our collaborative partners with the North Franklin Snowmobile Club and Narrow Gauge Riders. We would like to thank those that donated food to our celebration from the White Elephant, the Coca-Cola bottling Company, and Edmund’s Market. And, an especially grateful thank-you to those who provided our funding at the Franklin County TIF Committee, the Betterment Fund, and the Maine RTP Program.
Citations:
Tucker, V. (2016, August 28). Bridge spanning Perham Stream now open.Franklin Sun Journal. Retrieved August 29, 2016, from http://www.sunjournal.com/news/franklin/2016/08/28/bridge-spanning-perham-stream-now-open/1983987
Abbate, L. (2016, August 27). Perham Stream Bridge completion touted as successful collaboration. Morning Sentinal. Retrieved August 29, 2016, from http://www.centralmaine.com/2016/08/27/perham-stream-bridge-completion-touted-as-successful-collaboration/
Rangeley Region Guides and Sportsmen Association’s Outdoor Sporting Heritage Day
Rangeley Region Guides and Sportsmen Association threw its annual Outdoor Sporting Heritage Day on August 9th. This year’s theme was Dogs, and I could not have been happier!
I, Dylan Cookson, AmeriCorps member, and MCC Environmental Steward am a big fan of Dogs! And there were eager, friendly, four-legged friends everywhere.
There were vendors selling dog collars and scarves, dog treats, and dog artwork. Towards the end of the day, many of the visiting dog owners brought their dogs together for a splash competition in the clubhouse pond.
Children and teens would throw objects for dogs to fetch into the pond. The object was to get the dog to make the largest splash they could.
I attended the event with board members, Kirby and Elaine Holcombe. We had many people stop by the booth to purchase raffle tickets, and ask about our projects. We also had a visit from member Nancy Perlson and her handsome Australian Shepherd Puppy, Scout. That’s him on the right. Isn’t he precious!
Carrabassett Valley Summer Fest
Just off the Sugarloaf Regional Airport in Carrabassett Valley, Maine is KC’s Creativity Center. This business provides classes on creative pursuits to its patrons. It also hosted the Carrabassett Valley Summer Fest.
AmeriCorps member, Dylan Cookson, set up and ran a booth from 12 to 6 pm. The day was punctuated by rain which forced many of the patrons to leave and many of us to shelter under our pop-up tents.
The Festival had live entertainment in the form of steel drums and country music. Apart from the rain, it was a good day with many people stopping to ask about the High Peaks Alliance and our projects.