Who among us isn't a big fan of the Appalachian Trail? And who among us doesn't spend a heckuva lot of time out there hiking on the A.T.?

Last Saturday I was at the annual meeting of the Maine Appalachian Trail Club (MATC), the managing agency for the A.T. in Maine, and came away with a few important thoughts:

The MATC is an incredibly dedicated group of people who simply love the Appalachian Trail and strongly believe in preserving it. It shows. They are an amazing group of people to be around.

But there are never enough dedicated volunteers. The A.T. needs you. In some small, medium, or big-sized way.

Here's what you can do:

* Join the MATC. Your dues go to support all that the MATC does (and that's a lot).

* Sign on to a trail maintenance trip or two this summer. Many hands make light work, and you don't need any experience. The trail maintainers will be happy to have you there.

* If you've got some trail maintenance experience, apply to adopt a section of the A.T. and take on the annual maintenance tasks. It's hugely rewarding and satisfying.

* Become a corridor monitor and keep tabs on the A.T. corridor boundaries.

* Or volunteer for one of the myriad of adminstrative tasks that need doing.

Bottom line: It takes a lot to manage the A.T. in Maine. Consider a contribution of your time and energy. It'lll come back to you in spades. The trail and all those who care for it will thank you.

"We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give"
--Winston Churchill