Casco Bay Trail Alliance

What if the northern terminus of the Eastern Trail at Bug Light in South Portland allowed 

a trail user to continue north through Portland, Falmouth, Cumberland, Yarmouth and beyond? The Casco Bay Trail Alliance is focused on just such a vision, and you can view their efforts at: cascobaytrail.org. Let them know you care about building more long-distance trails north of Portland, join their mailing list, and see how you might lend a hand to make this vision happen sooner rather than later.

Eastern Trail Events

 

JA5K

The 4^th Annual John Andrews 5K was held on Aug 1. The event was fortunate to have 

incredible weather, 107 runners, and most of all finally an opportunity to run a non-virtual event (although we do appreciate those who did run remotely from other places!). View the results HERE.

 

Please send any comments or thoughts for improvements next year as we think about resetting the date to spring and honor the founder of the Eastern Trail—John Andrews. Thank you for your participation in this event as it supports the ongoing effort to maintain existing trail and build new off-road trail.

 

Maine Lighthouse Ride

We are nearly full at nearly 800 riders for this event, which will be held on Sept 11, 2021, so sign up soon if you want to participate, see great lighthouse vistas, and support the trail.  REGISTER NOW for the Maine Lighthouse Ride!  Hope to see you there!

 

Thank you to all the organizations and business that are sponsoring the ride in this year. We greatly appreciate the support.

 

Interested in helping at the MLR?  We need a few more volunteers! SIGN UP to volunteer at the Maine Lighthouse Ride:

 

Bonfire and Brew and MEND 10K

We have two other exciting fall events planned for October this year. The Bonfire and Brew is a casual outdoor event that will be held at Camp Ketcha on Oct 7^th and the annual MEND 10K run will be held on Oct 17^th.  LEARN MORE about Eastern Trail events. 

 

Ironman on the Eastern Trail

Each year the Ironman event is held on the Eastern Trail in Old Orchard Beach on Aug 29th. We are proud to partner with this event and the Eastern Trail Alliance supports and aid station. We need your help, so please consider signing up to volunteer. This is a very exciting and fasted-paced event that you will undoubtedly learn a bit about how such events are managed, view exciting running on the trail, and help make the Eastern Trail aid station the best it can be. And, by donating your time, you can help raise $15 per shift worked to benefit the Eastern Trail.   VOLUNTEER for the Ironman. Be sure to sign up for RUN AID STATION #3 HOSTED BY THE EASTERN TRAIL ALLIANCE AND TROOP 0097.

 

Full Moon Walks

The Eastern Trail hosted full moon walks will take a brief pause in August but will resume in September and be held each month through the winter. The start times for gathering will start to get a bit earlier each month as the days get shorter, as we show off the incredible beauty of Scarborough Marsh—the state’s largest saltmarsh at 3,100 acres—with views of both the setting sun and the rising moon. We will keep the total number of participants to 20 people, and ask that participants are vaccinated or where a mask. Thank you for your understanding. Look for new dates starting in September, visit EVENTS.

 

Trail Building Update

The Gap

Understandably many people continue to ask about the progress and timing of the “Gap” section of trail in Scarborough. Thank you for your continued support and understanding as we move forward with the Town of Scarborough, Maine Department of Transportation, and others. Here is a summary of the project happenings and expected timelines:

• The Town of Scarborough is working to finalize landowner agreements required to ensure right of way for the trail.
• The project is currently expected to go out to construction bid (Town of Scarborough) this fall, 2021.
• Construction is anticipated to take 18-24 months once it begins as there are five expected bridge crossings on the 1.6 mile stretch, including a very large bridge over the Higby Rail Yard just south of Pleasant Hill Rd. This bridge is complex as it crosses several active rail lines, will navigate high tension electrical wires, and will meet ADA compliance regarding slope.
• We are working with the consulting engineer and Town of Scarborough to possibly open some trail before the entire section is constructed (i.e., use a bit of finished trail on one end).

 

New Trail Feasibility Work

The Eastern Trail is working with VHB engineering on two feasibility studies for new off-road trail sections for the 11-mile Kennebunk to North Berwick and in the 3-mile downtown Biddeford/Saco section. This work includes engagement with local communities, the Eastern Trail, and many professional engineers and planners who are looking for innovative ways to build more off-road trail and improve overall safety and enjoyment for users. On July 20 and July 30 our team went out to look at both sections that are under feasibility study to better understand firsthand how improvements might be made, where there are constraints such as wetlands that need to be avoided, and other factors that will allow us to have a better understanding of preferred options and associated costs. Below are a couple of photos of our explorations—could this be future Eastern Trail?

      Future off-road                                   Future trail in                                  Future view of

      Eastern Trail in                                   North Berwick                                wetlands in Wells

      downtown Saco