Maine Huts and Trails

it's amazing what a little fresh air can do for the soul. i left friday afternoon for the newly completed Poplar Stream Falls Hut, the first of twelve huts to be built along the 180 miles of trail systems to be created through western maine mountains. we strapped on the skis for an hour and half ski through sweet evening light on groomed trails up to the hut. it was far more grand then i had imagined even though i had seen drawings and had many conversations over the last year or so with folks that are very involved with the project. for the record, this is not what most consider a hut, it's a full on backcountry lodge that is off the grid and completely powered up by mother nature. it is run off solar and hydro power, giving the lodge all the power it needs to operate. the lodge can hold 40 people. every detail seemed to be custom, all the way down to the amazing furniture made from local cherry. there is a loft for kicking back and playing games or sipping wine. the bedding situaion is bunks. 3-4 out buildings will sleep groups of different sizes. tasty breakfasts and dinners come provided with the fee. we had flavorful Jambalaya with shrimp and sausage for dinner and homemade french toast and bacon for breakfast. after stuffing ourselves he headed out on the trail. for skiing or any human powered activity, it's fantastic. it's groomed by a snowcat. we skied from the lodge to flagstaff lake where we shuffled onto the lake for a peek down the belly of it. anyway, if you are looking for a step up from the normal backcountry hut experience, this will leave you smiling. everything written about above is pictured below. the mechanical looking piece of hardware is the hydro turbine which is drawn from a surprisingly small creek. if anyone wants to hear more about this new maine hut system, i would be happy to share more info.