As the summer season quickly approaches, the Rangeley Lakes Heritage Trust is expanding trail upkeep on its properties around the region. The nonprofit manages over 40 miles of trails, all with their own needs to stay in shape for public use.

At Hunter Cove Wildlife Sanctuary in Rangeley, Ken Beaulieu, the trail steward for the Rangeley Lakes Heritage Trust, has begun fixing bog bridging before the trail traffic picks up for the summer.

The work at Hunter Cove is part of a two year project to restore a number of trails that were neglected in the past five or six years. Last year, a team cleared growth from its paths and laid 15 yards of gravel.

At the trailhead lies a pile of heavy wood beams. Beaulieu estimated each weighs around 50 pounds. They need to be hiked up to a quarter mile into the preserve to replace old, rotted out timber. Some of them are soaked from rain, making them heavier. 

Some days, Beaulieu can call on a small group of volunteers to help, however he is often working alone.

“It’s just the three of us,” Beaulieu said. “Me, myself, and I.”

Molly Shaw, the communications director for Rangeley Lakes Heritage Trust, said that while the work seems straightforward from the outside, the organization puts much more planning into it behind the scenes.

“There’s a lot that goes into trail building,” Shaw said. “It’s not just clearing some brush and hacking down a trail. There’s kind of an art form to it.”

Projects in the preserves are seasonal. From the fall through the early spring, there isn’t much work to be done on the trails. As soon as the snow thaws and the mud starts to dry, Beaulieu and his volunteers get to work clearing and refreshing paths.

“From May really to probably mid to late June … it’s hard work,” Beaulieu said 

The Forest Legacy Trail is one of the most difficult preserves to upkeep. With more than 10 miles of paths, he says packing in all the gear needed to clear a fallen tree can make for an exhausting day. 

“You’re lugging a chainsaw around, you have loppers. It gets tiring. Literally just walking many of these trails, clearing the blow-downs,” he said.

Beaulieu said most of the trail stewardship is self-funded by Rangeley Lakes Heritage Trust, but for larger projects, the organization will apply for grants. Next year, it will apply for a grant to cover supplies, planning and materials to replace the boardwalk at the Hatchery Brook Conservation Area.

Along with the new bog bridging at Hunter cove, Rangeley Lakes Heritage Trust has other smaller projects planned for its preserves. Beaulieu will construct a connector trail between Hunter Cove and Mingo Springs Birding Trail. Smaller projects include replacing signage at trailhead kiosks with updated information and refreshing trail blazes so hikers have an easier time navigating new paths.

Shaw said that the organization relies on the community to keep its network of preserves well-groomed.

“A lot of people know and love us for the trails,” Shaw said. “It’s definitely something we need support for.”

Beaulieu is always looking for volunteers to help with trail stewardship. Individuals interested in helping out with maintenance work can reach out to him at [email protected].