Through our membership with the Appalachian Mountain Club we volunteered to participate in a "seniors" week in early September working on trails. Our week was in Acadia National Park on Mt. Desert Island. For a small fee we were provided room and board for 6 days and our promise to work four days. We stayed at Echo Lake Camp which is a seasonal family camp with lots of recreational equipment available for our use. Breakfast and dinner were served in a large dining room and we prepared lunch to eat at the work site. Every meal was a feast. After dinner we either sat around a fire in the dining room or in the library. We went to sleep in our platform tents listening the the loons out on Echo Lake.
The work was more challenging than I had expected for a "seniors" week. But, I now know, that just describes the workers not the work. There were 11 of us in this together. We were greeted by a very qualified 28 year old leader who was planner, supervisor, cook and van driver. She was quite expert at all tasks and especially talented in the kitchen.
Our major task was to build about 300 feet of new trail. This trail will be part of several miles of ADA (America Disabilities Act) approved trails in and around Acadia National Park. The area was staked out but we had to grub it out and put in gravel to make it ready for wheel chairs.
A secondary job was to high line boulders down a mountain so step builders could make steps on a mountain trail. (see video)
Friday we were on our own until dinner time to do what ever we wanted. Some went hiking, kayaking, biking, shopping in Bar Harbor, or other coastal towns.
It was a good week of hard rewarding work, making new friends and enjoying one of the wonders of our great country, Acadia National Park.
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