It is definitely midsummer here. I have some random thoughts I want to share about the Trail, the office, and camping.

It's the heart of the season and when we go out to visit Trail islands we are seeing more people on the water and on the islands. But even with more people, there are still many islands that are open for camping and where you will have a solitary experience.

On Saturday, June 21, MITA staff and dedicated volunteers, 11 in all converged in South Addison to do our annual clean up. Dense fog caused us to reconsider our plans, and we all decided to clean Tibbett’s Island, just off the end of the South Addison Peninsula.

Last week I was out on Blue Hill Bay and Jericho Bay, looking at three Trail islands that are privately owned. These islands are a treasure for MITA because they are in strategic places, allowing kayakers (in particular) a safe and comfortable camping spot between Merchant Row and Mount Desert Island.

Most islands along the Maine Island Trail share a similar look: rocky shore, tall stands of spruce. It’s what we think of when we imagine the coast. Sometime this past winter one of the most popular islands, Hells Half Acre in Merchant Row, experienced a significant blowdown. At least 12 trees on one side of the central meadow were uprooted and had to be cut down.