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John Patriquin/Staff Photographer
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John Patriquin/Staff PhotographerThe deluge of rainfall that has made Vacationland feel more like Waterworld this summer has done more than ruin vacation plans.
It's damaged trails used for hiking, biking and horseback riding throughout the state -- so much so that some parks are beginning to restrict their use.
From Portland to Mount Desert Island, Maine's trail networks have been hammered with above-average rainfall. Some parks, like Acadia National Park, have weathered the storm relatively well.
"There is erosion on Jordon Pond Trail, and we haven't gotten out to repair it. But in general, it's holding up pretty well," said Acadia National Park trail foreman Gary Stellpflug on Tuesday.
Others, like Bradbury Mountain State Park in Pownal, are reeling.
"Right now, when it's spongy and muddy, even hikers impact the environment," said Bradbury park manager Frank "Fritz" Appleby.
As of Tuesday, 6 inches of rain had fallen around Portland so far this month, 3.4 inches had fallen in Caribou, and 3 inches in Houlton, according to the National Weather Service.
With so much rain, trail managers have not been able to keep up with necessary trail maintenance. Trails fill up with large puddles that take a few dry days to dissipate.
When the rain finally stops, there's a temptation to take advantage of sunny days by hitting the trails. However, this can cause even greater damage.
"The impact of a wet hole in the trail is that people tend to go around it. They step on the vegetation, and it turns to mud," Appleby said.
Because of soggy conditions, most trails at Bradbury are now closed to horseback riders and mountain bikers, but not hikers. Unfortunately, Appleby said, park visitors have reported mountain bikers entering the park anyway.
The rainy weather has also had an impact on summer projects at the park. Appleby has grants for trail work, but if he doesn't use that money by the end of the summer season, he loses it. And it has been hard for him to find dry days in August to work.
"I had projects under way. I can't get to them," he said. "... If I can't get to the work, I can't spend the money. If it stops raining today, this place wouldn't be able to go to work for a week."
Even though none of the trails are closed to hikers, Appleby is hoping to educate park users about the damage done to the thin topsoil when hikers tromp through the mud, creating huge puddles that resemble mini swamps in the middle of trails.
"People should know, if it's too wet, their use is going to impact future users," he said. "When the trails do not dry out, they have to be repaired. We don't have the staff."
Elsewhere in Greater Portland, trail users may hike soggy trails at their own risk.
Portland Trails' paths along the Stroudwater and Presumpscot rivers are susceptible to erosion, and in some areas, the soil is spilling right into the rivers, said trails manager Jaime Parker.
That's not only bad news for the vegetation and soil --it's dangerous for walkers and bikers along the trail.
"We need to keep them up so we don't have the trail slipping into the river," Parker said.
And in the trails at the back of Evergreen Cemetery, Parker has seen deep depressions turned into potholes.
"People with hiking boots go through, and it makes a small little depression. That can become a big ugly mess," Parker said. "There are some areas that are dug up."
Like elsewhere around Maine, there is as much as a week's worth of work ahead for Portland Trails crews, Parker said.
Further east, at the state's national park, the trails have held up well despite their fragile soil.
But Acadia National Park's trail systems are funded better than state parks, Stellpflug said. The Acadia park has an annual trail budget of $600,000 and a 23-person crew.
"That is largely supported by donations from the Friends of Acadia group," Stellpflug said. "We...
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