RUMFORD — The Mahoosuc Land Trust will host a five-mile hike on the new Black and White Trail at 10 a.m. June 1 as part of the American Hiking Society’s National Trails Day.
The Black and White Trail stretches from the Black Mountain Ski Area to the Rumford Whitecap Mountain parking area, according to Jolan Ippolito, development associate of the Mahoosuc Land Trust.
“The Mahoosuc Land Trust owns a stretch of land on the Rumford Whitecap that abuts the Black Mountain hiking trail,” Ippolito explained. “We decided to connect the Whitecap trail with the Black Mountain trail, hence the name Black and White Trail.”
The hike, which begins at 10:15 a.m. at the base of Black Mountain, will be preceded by a brief ceremony. Ippolito said that at noon, or about halfway through the hike, there will be a cookout with hot dogs and drinks.
Ippolito said the hike will be a “moderately strenuous to strenuous hike.”
“We’ll have a shuttle waiting for people at the end for those who didn’t leave a car at the Rumford Whitecap,” Ippolito said. “We just ask that people get in touch with us so we can have an idea how many people will need a ride back.”
Ippolito said money to construct the trail came from a series of federal grants administered by the Department of Conservation.
Grants received by the Mahoosuc Land Trust included a grant from the Quimby Family Foundation in 2010 that went toward trail design and layouts. According to the Quimby Family Foundation website, its grants attempt to “promote healthy, vibrant Maine communities by advancing outdoor recreation and education opportunities, encouraging sustainable use of natural and agricultural resources and by supporting local access to the arts for all Maine people.”
The Mahoosuc Land Trust also received a grant from the Recreational Trails Program in 2012.
Ippolito asked that people planning to hike the trail RSVP by May 30 at 824-3806 or [email protected] for cookout or shuttle planning.
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