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The Maine Trail Crew Leader, Assistant Leader, Crew Members will rebuild degraded sections of the Appalachian Trail. The Crew will build stone stairs, stepping-stones, waterbars, retaining walls, and relocations. Advanced training with stonework and rigging systems will be taught. Project locations will vary along remote section of the Appalachian Trail and will include: Kennebec River-south, Fourth Mountain, Namakanta Stream, Wood Rat’s Spring, and the Hunt Trail on Katahdin. Days off housing will be at Lake George Regional Park in Skowhegan, Maine. Food, tools, camping gear, as well as transportation to project sites will be provided.
The Crew Leaders will train and supervise this hybrid Crew comprised of both paid and volunteer members. They will ensure safe and sanitary conditions at campsites and work sites, transport crews safely, and respond appropriately to emergency situations.
The Trail Crew Coordinator will support the field Crew. He or she will help set-up and take-down crew operations, go on pre-season site visits, plan camping, trail work, and pack ins. The Crew Coordinator will recruit, support, train, and transport volunteers. He/she will plan and prepare backcountry and basecamp meals, purchase food, help to organize equipment, ensure health and safety measures are adhered to, participate at job sites, pack ins and pack outs as needed, and trouble-shoot problems.
Maine Trail Crew Positions – Qualifications:
- One or more seasons of trail work experience
- Good organizational skills
- Good health and physical fitness
- Ability to maintain a safe and enjoyable work environment under challenging conditions
- Ability to motivate and work with people of all ages and backgrounds
- One or more seasons in an outdoor leadership role (leader and coordinator positions)
- Valid driver’s license and clean driving record (leader and coordinator positions)
- Comfortable working without direct supervision (leader and coordinator positions)
- Ability to teach trail skills to staff and volunteers (leader and coordinator positions)
- Previous experience building stone structures (leader and coordinator positions)
Trail Crew positions pay range: $17 – $20.5 per hour + housing and food
Dates: Mid-May – mid-October, 2023
Trail Crew Volunteers Also Needed!
• Trail Crew Volunteers (1+ week opportunity from June 19th – August 24th) serve on projects that focus on rebuilding and restoring degraded sections of the Appalachian Trail. Benefits include training, local transportation, meals, and lodging/camping. To apply, complete this application.
Appalachian Trail Ridgerunners will greet, register, and educate hikers. Ridgerunners will impart backcountry camping and hiking knowledge, skills, and ethics focusing on youth groups and distance backpackers. For example: where to camp, how to protect water sources, ford a stream, and minimize fire impacts. Ridgerunners will provide education about rare alpine plants and steward summits and ridgelines. They will manage and provide light maintenance at campsites.
Ridgerunner Sites: Gulf Hagas Preserve, Bigelow and Saddleback Mountains
Schedule: May 20 through October 15, 2023, 40 hrs./week, all weekends, and holidays
Pay rate: $16.50 to 18.00 per hour + $2,000 for the season will be provided to offset day-off housing costs
Housing/Food/Transportation: Ridgerunners will camp at backcountry sites during workdays and some gear will be provided. Food and day-off housing will be on your own. Personal transportation is required to get to trail heads.
Qualifications:
- Knowledge, skills and ethics of low impact backcountry hiking and camping practices
- Desire and comfort with primitive, solitary, outdoor living and working conditions, including all types of weather
- Good physical condition – able to hike with a 40 lb. backpack.
- Public/customer service skills
- Professional appearance and attitude
- Good communication skills (including oral, by phone, and written)
- Long-distance hiking experience
