KINGFIELD – In the face of the accelerating Coronavirus pandemic, Maine Huts & Trails made the decision on March 15 to immediately bring winter self-service lodging operations to a close to protect the well-being of guests, volunteers, staff, and the greater community. The huts will remain closed until further notice.
The board is, by necessity, adopting a very cautious and conservative approach to the months ahead. MH&T’s goal is to serve the High Peaks region and its outdoor oriented visitors through future decades and generations, and decisions are for the long-term.
The huts will not be open during typical spring self-service season from April through June. These are MH&T’s slowest months of the year in terms of guest visits and associated revenues.
MH&T is not anticipating being open for their usual full-service summer and fall seasons either, due to the most likely continuous economic conditions and consumers’ anxieties with regard to social gathering.
MH&T has always been reliant on fund-raising and philanthropy to fully off-set the costs of summer and fall operations, and are anticipating people’s charitable giving to conservation and outdoor recreation to be challenged by lost income and wealth due to the Coronavirus as well as a natural and appropriate shift in giving toward health and human services.
In light of events MH&T has cut costs to the bare minimum, which includes reducing staff capacity.
Trails as an Antidote for COVID-19 Cabin Solitude
MH&T has long championed physical, emotional and spiritual health benefits of active time spent in the outdoors. Fresh air and sunshine help to boost one’s immune system. It is critical to follow the guidelines for social distancing, and in that context, experts suggests trail exercise, while following the six-foot rule, is an acceptable outdoor activity. For maximum safety wide trails free of significant hazards (like the Maine Hut Trail) help to maximize separation and to minimize risks of accidents that might add strain to the medical system.
While the huts are closed, membership and support will be visible in those trails. MH&T is going to be coordinating and working with partners attending to them as a resource to the public for miles of healthy social distancing.
From Present to Future
Last fall MH&T set their sights on being open for the winter. Nearly 1,100 contributions totaling over $500,000 (as well as generous in-kind support from local businesses) enabled them to be open.
Winter 2019-20 was immensely gratifying and heart-warming for the love shown by the MH&T communities – those in Franklin and Somerset Counties, as well as the broad community of members and friends of Maine Huts & Trails.
Amazingly the huts were staffed all winter long by many dozen dedicated and hard-working volunteer caretakers who looked after the huts as warm and welcoming gathering places.
More than 2500 guests shared time, recipes and ingredients around the kitchen, and stories by the wood stove. Guest reviews remained extremely positive, heartfelt and appreciative.
MH&T is evermore grateful to the broad community, to the winter’s staff, and to incredible volunteers in the huts and on the trails for support and efforts. MH&T has spent generous contributions carefully, and are working on a plan with the ambition of being open next winter.
