July 24, 2025 Edition
By Emily Patrick
“In Maine, people have long used private land for recreation…this “open land” tradition—unique in the nation—has huge economic implications, especially for the state’s tourism industry. In recent years, there has been a substantial increase in land posting…more needs to be done if Maine’s “open land” tradition is to be maintained.” (Acheson 2006).
On June 3 I met Nancy Thorne and Don Campbell, owners of property on Moosehead Lake in the shadow of Burnt Jacket Mountain, longtime seasonal visitors to our area, and part of a small group of nature lovers who have been maintaining Burnt Jacket’s hiking trails at their own expense for many years.
Nancy and Don had become aware I was following the Burnt Jacket story and reached out. They were understandably bewildered and heartbroken about the land sale and subsequent closure of trails they had lovingly maintained for many years and were wondering if there was anything they could do about it. They were gracious hosts, and took me on a tour of the area. We returned to their seasonal home and sat in the sun on their deck overlooking a glittering Moosehead and shook our heads about the changes we’ve witnessed over the years and a feeling of powerlessness over it all.
Still, by the time I got home, Nancy and Don had emailed me scanned copies of all six Burnt Jacket logbooks, as promised, to pour over at my leisure. Several weeks went by before my mother and I received an email from Nancy saying there may be some things going on at Burnt Jacket we should look into. I reached out to LUPC for comment and learned the road project we’ve been following had been approved. The road project permit is publicly available and can be found at: https://www.maine.gov/dacf/lupc/projects/rp3313/index.html.
Having chased down every lead in this story and being left with more questions than answers, hitting literal roadblocks everywhere I turned, I was feeling more than frustrated- I was feeling defeated when I happened upon those scanned logbooks in an email folder on a recent, sunny July day. They were recovered from the summit of Burnt Jacket shortly after the trail closures, and may be the key to keeping Burnt Jacket’s trails public.
You see, in Maine, persons not having title to real estate but who have been freely using private land uninterrupted for at least 20 years may be able to establish an easement or right-of-way over private property through a prescriptive use claim. From my research and personal experience, I do think the public has a legal claim to this parcel. In fact, the first logbook entry is from 1940. There is a long, documented history of public use of Burnt Jacket’s trails and, more than that, a history of people like Nancy and Don improving the trails for years at their own expense. They even claim the property’s previous owner, Hank McPherson, encouraged public use of the trails.
More than that, though, the logbooks immediately enchanted me and brought the magic of Burnt Jacket’s trails to life in such a way I can’t imagine even the staunchest proponents of private land rights not being won over by the entries in those composition pages. Through hiking Burnt Jacket’s trails, generations of visitors and locals alike have connected with the beauty and spirit, the very soul…of the Moosehead Lake Region.
That legacy is about to be lost forever. Many of these large land sales happen in secret behind closed doors, before the public or organizations like the Moosehead Regional Land Trust even have an opportunity to look at them. Through different eyes and in different hands, the logbook entries weave a kind of tapestry, something greater than the sum of its parts. Losing public access to Burnt Jacket’s trails may be more than the first step down a slippery slope of loss of public access to traditionally accessible lands in Maine, a longstanding tradition that’s disappearing before our very eyes, but something deeper and far more tragic…
“Started from the bottom now we’re here Olivia Arnold ‘13”
“Made to the top, but died from altitude sickness. Ethan Arnold August 2013”
“8-8-05 Beautiful Day! First time view of Moosehead from this height. No clouds, humid. Honeymoon day #2 and loving it!!! Mr. & Mrs. Dan + Mimi Minnich”
“8-5-05 Mommy McCormick God’s Country w/ family.” Beneath in a child’s scrawling hand: “Mac I am tierd.”
“9/22/04 Hazy, warm. Marked the emerald trail with green paint (not the best) [sad face] Lake is at 65 degrees F. Still good for a quick swim. Sandy Sheldon San Diego, CA”
“9/4/04 Nicholas, Olivia + Connor Bozzo. Words cannot describe the hike. Walked up with our good friends John, Malllory, Mac + Frieda- so peaceful and beautiful. The day started out grey and the moment we made it to the top the sun was shining bright to welcome us at the summit. The view is glorious. This is truly the place that time forgot and hopefully it will stay that way so everyone can enjoy 50 years from now! Thanks Mccormicks for sharing all of this with us. Ms. Bozzo”
“Dad I wish you were here Asher”
“November 7 2003 Mallory McCormick The hike was fantastic. I had loads of fun. Burnt Jacket rocks!”
“November 7 2003 Glad I’m missing school Sam Worley Age 9 Can’t wait to go with you dad.”
“8/4/03 Last but not least! Back on top after 39 years- lovely as last trip up. Bob Bratton”
“7/17/03 Donald/Nancy/Sandy groomed trail blue & orange today. Mostly cloudy; not many bugs.”
“6/22/03 Sandy Sheldon raked red trail- overcast”
“First time was in 1934. Almost every year since. Bill Fleck Towson, MD 5/26/03”
“Here in the dampness. Climbed every year since 1992- Chuck Beck Bel Air MD”
“5/18/03 I was 1st here 63 yrs ago & continue to set new turtle records for climbing -Nick Fleck & Frank Olson of Olive Hill KY”
“7/25/02 Connie & Louis with Marge & Sandy: A PMD (Perfect Maine Day for you outta statahs!) Complete with hermit thrush, nothing could be better. 10:43 am.”
Again in a child’s charming hand: “Teddy I hate hiking.” Opposite page: “Robin- delightful, especially impressed by all the cheerful children!”
“7-31-09 Sophie there are too many moose droppings on the trail! Ellie I saw a snake!”
“9/1/08 Marge, Nick & Ben & Lucy dog enjoyed the view! Ben is 3 months old & it’s his first hike.”
“8/18/08 Sunny, hazy, breezy- perfect day for views on top. Couple grouse in woods same loc’n as last yr. Lucky to have found this peaceful trail. Let’s hope the views don’t change too much in the coming decades- LJ/ Juneau, AK”
“7-8-07 Peabody (Beverly) Mass crew (five cousins)…One cousin has house on First Roach Pond. Walking off night out in Greenville (Woodys)”
“Log book 6 5.13.16 Beautiful Place Tom Cruise” (Perhaps Tom Cruise is the mystery millionaire buyer? I doubt it, but joke or not, this entry was fun).
Though the majority of entries describe the weather, bugs (or, rarely, one’s delight at the lack thereof), the views of Moosehead Lake and first-time hikes in our region, some catch me completely off guard. As I read the following entry, a lump forms in my throat and tears start to brim over my eyes:
“03 Sunday AM. Today I carried my grandmother (ashes) on my back and spread them about 60 paces south of here. I returned them to the four quarters of the universe: yellow, blue, white, and the red of the east. In 1938 my mother carried me in a pack basket to this peak; I was two. When my son was two I carried him on my back in a pack basket. Perhaps he will one day carry me here on his back [Nick Fleck]. A peak at history. My grandfather was one of the founders of Camp Allagash and Director. A few decades later my grandmother became director. If chance had behaved differently my older brother and I would most likely have become directors. My grandmother climbed Burnt Jacket in 1918 if not 1917 (85 or 86 yrs ago); the trail is only slightly different except the bottom section of the camp spring now obliterated. At last she is again part of the universe where she belongs- a good day!”
If nothing is sacred, we must be able to accept that and its implications for the future of our region. When anything is for sale to the highest bidder, we all lose. If, indeed, we as a region decide some places are sacred and worth protecting, we need to start the conversation and decide just what we’re willing to do to ensure Moosehead’s long history of public access and exploration does not end with us.
Acheson, James M. “Public Access to Privately Owned Land in Maine.” Maine Policy Review 15.1 (2006) : 18 -30, https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/mpr/vol15/iss1/5.