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Sail, Power or Paddle on the Wild Side BY CAROL BAREUTHER The Maine Island Trail
I’ve hiked trails in New York’s Adirondack and Catskill Mountains, in theWharton and Lebanon State Forests in my native New Jersey, and even sections of the famed Maine to Georgia AppalachianTrail. So, imagine my surprise when I listened to Jordi St. John, business engagement manager for the Maine IslandTrail Association (MITA), describe the Maine IslandTrail. St. John’s answer reminded me of a scene from the movie, The Wizard of Oz . He first said there is no set route. You can go north or south or some people go both ways, just like the Scarecrow directed Dorothy in her search for the Emerald City.Then, it got even better. St. John added that there is no starting point or ending point. Some 246 sites make up this 375-mile water-based recreational “trail” of islands that spans the length of the state’s coast from the NewHampshire border north to the Canadian line.
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