On April 6th, friends and supporters of the Eastern Trail gathered at Camp Ketcha in Scarborough for the 2nd Annual Taste of the Town Gala.
Guests enjoyed sampling dishes from local establishments, bidding on unique items in the silent auction, and dancing to the music of the Time Pilots band. Net proceeds from the event totaled $11,000 and will be used to support the Eastern Trail’s trail development campaigns.
Thank you to everyone who participated in making the event so much fun.
A special thanks to our Major Event Sponsor Scott and Sunny Townsend Team of Keller Williams.
Join us for a unique and delicious event to benefit the Eastern Trail Alliance and our various trail development campaigns! Sample signature dishes from local establishments, bid on exciting items in our silent auction, then dance the night away to music by the Time Pilots! A cash bar will be serving local beer and wine. Saturday, April 6, 7:00pm – 10:30pm at Camp Ketcha in Scarborough.
Saturday, April 13th – Celebrate Opening Day on the Eastern Trail, 10:00AM – 2:00PM, Biddiford and Kennebunk. Southern Maine Medical Center – Physician Services, 9 Healthcare Drive (map), or at Kennebunk Elementary School, 177 Alewive Road, Kennebunk Bike, Walk or Run the Eastern Trail from Biddeford to Kennebunk roundtrip.
Enjoy Activities Along the way, including Yoga (Standing, Stretch and Stroll), Eastern Trail History, Bike Safety and Checks, and Trail Safety.
Activities at Kennebunk Elementary:
Bike from KES to Mousam River to experience the future trail! (Every hour on the hour – min 6 participants). Take a car to Mousam Embankment or hang out at KES to hear more about our southward plans and status. See the schedule for more details.
Please leave your four footed friends at home for this event, due to the amount of traffic expected on the trail.
Please also check our FaceBook page for more information.
[Ed. Note: The Eastern Trail is specifically mentioned in this article that appeared in USA Today on March 22]
East Coast Greenway will connect trails from Maine to Florida The 3,000-mile East Coast Greenway connects biking and walking paths and will eventually create a park from the Canadian border to Key West, Florida.
In 2015, Florida cyclist Stefanie Boewe suffered a collapsed lung. During her long recovery she read an article about the East Coast Greenway, a 3,000-mile route that connects existing biking and walking paths and will eventually create a linear park from the Canadian border to Florida’s southernmost point. Having grown up in Germany, touring by bike as a child, Boewe realized she missed long-distance cycling. As she recuperated, she began daydreaming about biking the greenway and visiting friends along the East Coast.
“I thought, ‘If I ever recover from this, I’m going to tell these lungs that they can’t say what I can and cannot do,’” Boewe said. “Plus, I had adopted this dog who goes crazy running with a bike.”
In 2017, over a stretch of 89 days, Boewe biked the entire greenway from Key West, Florida, to Calais, Maine, pulling a trailer and accompanied by her 6-year-old Australian shepherd, Murf. She joined a small tribe of cyclists and walkers who have taken on the whole greenway — even though it’s only one-third complete. For these pioneers, creating a patchwork route of protected paths and sometimes-busy roadways was a small price to pay for the adventure — and bragging rights — of being among the first to complete the East Coast Greenway.
Each year, the Gorham Savings Bank Maine Marathon/Half Marathon/Relay organizers select local charities to be the beneficiary of the race proceeds.
This year, the Eastern Trail Alliance has been chosen as one of the five selected local charities. Several local newspapers have picked this story up (more information below).
The Gorham Savings Bank Maine Marathon is a Maine Track Club event. Founded in 1979, the nonprofit, all-volunteer Maine Track Club is Maine’s largest and most active running club. The 2019 event will be the 28th edition — making this one of the longest running marathon events in New England.
This year the races take place on Sunday, October 6, 2019.
January 16, 2019 – FROM JOURNAL TRIBUNE STAFF REPORTS
ARUNDEL – The Arundel Conservation Trust and the Eastern Trail Management District have signed an agreement that will connect the Eastern Trail to the planned trails on Arundel Conservation Trust’s Limerick Road property.
The connection is possible through the generous donation by Phil Labbe of an easement through his land that lies between the Eastern Trail and the Arundel Conservation Trust land.
“We’re thrilled that Arundel Conservation Trust plans to connect to the Eastern Trail from its property in Arundel,”said Carole Brush, executive director of the Eastern Trail Management District. “The goal of the Eastern Trail is to provide a safe, scenic off-road trail for transportation and recreation for users of all ages and abilities. The more connections we have to the trail, the more attainable this goal becomes.”
Arundel Conservation Trust Board Members Leia Lowrey and Dot Gregoire worked closely, over several months, with both Brush from the Eastern Trail and Roger Barham, senior gas engineer from Unitil Corporation to design the connection to meet requirements to protect the underlying Unitil gas line and the construction standards of the ET.
[Eds. Note: The Eastern Trail was selected in this article as the best biking trail in Maine (but of course!)] If a two-wheeled jaunt through scenic landscapes is your idea of a great time, you probably can’t get enough of a good bike trail. They can be a great way to see the sights and get a good workout in.
If you’re looking for a new trail to explore, we’ve got you covered with the best bike trail in each of the 50 states, based on length of the trails, options for beginners and experts, and acclaim from bikers.
For a quintessentially New England outdoor experience, take a ride on southern Maine’s Eastern Trail.
This 22-mile route goes through Maine. Facebook/ The Eastern Trail. A 22-mile route spanning Portland to Kenneebunk, Maine’s Eastern Trail follows both paved roadways (ideal for newbies) and off-road paths to satisfy experienced cyclists’ thirst for a challenge, providing lovely views of parks, rivers, and bays in the process.
ETA members will soon receive our 2018 Annual Appeal in the mail. Our focus this year is on the “Blazing the Trail South” project. Each Annual Appeal donation will be placed toward the $30,000 we need in order to complete the survey for Kennebunk thru Wells to the North Berwick border.
For those who are not members, please read our Annual Appeal and donate as well. We hope you will consider becoming a member, but if you would prefer to remain a donor, we thank you. Go here for our Annual Appeal 2018 web page
My favorite part of the Eastern Bike Trail has always been the sector that traverses Scarborough Marsh. The Sokokis Indians of the Abenaki nation who hunted and fished the wetland called it Owascoag, meaning “a place of much grass.” For years, I’ve ridden the trail enjoying the beauty and serenity of the marsh often observing kayakers and canoeists paddling a stream that meanders through the expansive bog near the Pine Point Road Trailhead. Each time, I’ve had a sense of envy wondering what I was missing.
The 3,100 acre estuary is the largest salt marsh in Maine and habitat for a variety of plants and wildlife. Owned and managed by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, birds abound and numerous species can normally be encountered.
My favorite part of the Eastern Bike Trail has always been the sector that traverses Scarborough Marsh. The Sokokis Indians of the Abenaki nation who hunted and fished the wetland called it Owascoag, meaning “a place of much grass.” For years, I’ve ridden the trail enjoying the beauty and serenity of the marsh often observing kayakers and canoeists paddling a stream that meanders through the expansive bog near the Pine Point Road Trailhead. Each time, I’ve had a sense of envy wondering what I was missing.
The 3,100 acre estuary is the largest salt marsh in Maine and habitat for a variety of plants and wildlife. Owned and managed by the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, birds abound and numerous species can normally be encountered.
Recently, I resolved to stop speculating and act on my curiosity by exploring the marsh from the water. Research indicated there were several boat landings that provide access but none met my needs as I wanted to launch as close to the Eastern Trail as possible so I could conveniently finish the day with a bike ride. My choice was to depart from the Audubon Nature Center on the Dunstan River just a short distance from Pine Point Road Trailhead. From that location, it’s possible to journey inland or paddle southeast towards Saco Bay where there are several opportunities to investigate tributaries that flow through the marsh into the Dunstan.
Tides are a factor to be considered when planning a trip. When I arrived for my excursion, the tide was flowing out and low tide was scheduled for an hour later. Deciding to ride the tide towards Saco Bay, I could take advantage of an incoming tide on the return trip. There are numerous ways to obtain tidal information. I rely on the website www.saltwatertides.
For my outing, I used a twelve foot Casco 120 flat water kayak. Possessing a durable plastic V-shaped hull, it is quite maneuverable yet tracks well enough to provide decent boat speed. Two roomy hatches offer sufficient dry storage for a day trip. From my viewpoint, the Casco was ideal for the intended expedition.
Shortly after commencing, I encountered the deteriorating wooden remains of what appeared to be an ancient structure. Prehistoric Sokokis Indians used weirs to trap fish in the marsh and 19th century farmers built tidal gates to prevent tides from flooding extensive areas providing more acreage for growth of what was then lucrative salt hay. Without specific knowledge, it seems logical to conclude that it was the frame of a primitive fish weir or the remnants of a tidal gate.
Rounding the next bend, I passed under the Eastern Trail Bridge from which I had often viewed boaters in the past. Looking back, I watched a succession of walkers, runners and cyclists crossing the bridge on their recreational and exercise endeavors.
Tides are a factor to be considered when planning a trip. When I arrived for my excursion, the tide was flowing out and low tide was scheduled for an hour later. Deciding to ride the tide towards Saco Bay, I could take advantage of an incoming tide on the return trip. There are numerous ways to obtain tidal information. I rely on the website www.saltwatertides.
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