PHILLIPS – It’s a heritage trail; it’s a nature trail; it’s a recreational trail. It’s a new trail that wends its way through the life and times of Maine’s first registered guide, Cornelia “Fly Rod” Crosby (1854 – 1946).
For all those reasons and more, it’s time to celebrate, say the volunteers of the High Peaks Alliance, who, over the past decade, mapped, cleared, and bridged the trail that currently runs from Phillips, crossing the Appalachian Trail, to Saddleback Mountain. When completed it will run all the way to Rangeley.
The day-long celebration, offering several guided tours and lunch, will be held on Sunday, August 10th. Beginning at 9 am at the trailhead at the Phillips Area Community Center grab some coffee and cake and join a walking tour through downtown Phillips, across and along the Sandy River, through the Dill Woods to the Sandy River & Rangeley Lakes Railroad Museum.
You’ll get to see where Crosby lived on Pleasant Street. And you’ll not only learn about the glacial history of the Sandy, you’ll also learn about the economic history of the two-foot rail line that opened up the north woods to logging and made Rangeley a destination resort in the late 19th century, where “Fly Rod” guided Teddy Roosevelt and others.
There will be a picnic, complements of the High Peaks Alliance, at the trailhead on the Reeds Mill Road in Madrid, within a stone’s throw of the Orbeton Stream. Following lunch there will be a tour of the nearby historic Reeds Mill Church.
After lunch, you can take a leisurely hike with one of the creators of the trail. Then wind down the day at the Perham Stream Bridge (via bike, hike or atv) to learn about collaboration between the local motorized and non-motorized clubs in maintaining the trail networks in the area.
The public is invited to join any one or all of the tours. For a detailed event map check us out on Facebook, www.highpeaksalliance.org or call 265-6136.
How about serving some caribou steak shipped down from AK? That would be nice and tasty.