It's been a long wait and an awful lot of work by many, many hardworking trail advocates and trail groups, but the end--or the beginning as the case may be--is finally in sight.

The western portion of the Grafton Loop Trail will officially open at the end of this month. The 21 miles of new trail will complete the "loop" on a magnificent 42-mile hiking and backpacking circuit.

The western side will take hikers from Route 26 up the open ledges and alpine summit of Sunday River Whitecap before striking northward over Stowe and Bald Mountains. It will then connect with the Appalachian Trail on Old Speck.

The route will no doubt quickly become on of the premier backcountry treks in Maine, allowing hikers a variety of opportunities ranging from day hikes to 4-5 days of backpacking for those wishing to tackle the entire loop.

Brilliant! Thanks to all who helped make this dream a reality!

I, for one, can't wait to get my boots on the trail on the new piece of the Grafton Loop Trail and check it out.

What about you? Gonna pack the pack and give GLT west side a try this summer?

Hiking the east side of the Grafton Loop Trail, July 2005. The west side finally opens June 30th.
Photo courtesy Carey Kish