18,000-plus hours.

That's the amount of time that Maine Appalachian Trail Club members volunteered in support of Maine's Appalachian Trail in 2005.

It's an astounding statistic, and one I can't wait to hear every year at the MATC annual meeting, which was last weekend in Farmington.

18,000 hours devoted to everything from brush clearing, branch clipping, blowdown removal, bog bridge construction, blazing, signing and trash pick-up to administrative tasks, envelope stuffing, newsletter organization and printing, travel, meetings and whatever else that needs to get done.

All in the name of and devotion to the Appalachain Trail.

My hat is off to all MATC volunteers for a job well done.

And so I must ask you all: The next time you throw your pack on your back and hit the trail, please consider the enormous amount of volunteer hours that go quietly unnoticed throughout the year--each and every year--in support of trails in Maine.

Makes you want to give a little something back, doesn't it?

I thought so.

Here's how you can do it:

For starters, contact the good folks at the Maine Appalachian Trail Club, the Maine Chapter of the Appalachian Mountain Club, the Maine Land Trust Network, any organization listed on Healthy Maine Walks, MOAC.

Surely someone there will be able to direct you as to how you can help with trail work. And believe me, they need and want your help. There are NEVER enough volunteers to share the load of taking care of our trails.

So please pitch in a little of your time for the trails that you and I love.

You will not only get immense personal satisfaction from doing so, but you will be profusely thanked by the trail club or group that you volunteer for.

Thank you!

Consider volunteering to do some trail work this year. It'll come back to you in spades. Thanks!