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Nearly 800 riders took part in the 20th annual ride along the southern Maine coast, with registrations benefiting the Eastern Trail Alliance.

By Luna Soley | Times Record

SOUTH PORTLAND — There were sheer curtains of fog drawn across the bay, the sort of morning that makes you want to stay in bed. Not so for the riders gathered by Spring Point Light, chatting, adjusting helmets, and hailing friends as they waited for the go-ahead at 7 a.m. last Sunday to begin the 20th annual Maine Lighthouse Ride.

“We’re going to go off in groups of 50,” a volunteer instructed by megaphone. “Don’t be shy, feel free to come right up.”

Nearly 800 bicyclists took part in the event – coming from as far as Ontario and ranging in age from 7 to 89 – to ride routes of 25, 40, 62 or 100 miles along the southern Maine coast. About half of the riders were from Maine.

There was a sense of camaraderie. Leah Day of Peaks Island, seemed to speak for many riders when she said, “There’s no better way to spend the day than doing the Maine Lighthouse Ride!”

Day is the owner of Lighthouse Bikes in South Portland. She left a 25-year career in counseling to start the company after riding cross country with her son in 2019, when he was in high school. She did the 100-mile ride Sunday with a group of women from Peaks Island, one of whom said she hadn’t ridden that far since before her children were born.

The Maine Lighthouse Ride is an annual fundraiser to support the Eastern Trail Alliance, a nonprofit founded in 1998 with the aim of turning sections of the old Eastern Railroad Corridor into a continuous route for bikers and hikers. The Eastern Trail now covers approximately 65 miles, from the Piscataqua River in Kittery to South Portland.

The fundraiser is generated by registration fees, which ranged from $115 for the 25-mile ride to $140 for the 100-miler, or century ride as it is called. Bob Bowker, the ride’s founder, said proceeds from this year’s ride will go toward maintaining the route, improving kiosks and paying staff.

Participation in the event has grown dramatically since the inaugural ride in 2003, held as a 40-mile route by 40 determined riders in the rain.

“We were actually following the riders around with hot coffee and hot soup,” Bowker said. After four or five years, “We were up to 300 or 400 riders,” he added. “It was mostly word of mouth, it just kept growing and growing.”

The Eastern Trail has added 11 miles of off-road trail to its network since 2008. Still, there is a long way to go to complete the alliance’s ambitious vision of connecting Kittery to South Portland with a continuous off-road trail. The campaign to “Close the Gap” with a 1.6-mile connector trail between South Portland and Scarborough has taken longer than anticipated. The alliance has received funding and approval for the project, but officials don’t anticipate breaking ground until early next year.

However, Bob Hamblen, vice president of the board of the Eastern Trail Alliance and former city planner in Saco, said he feels “more positive than ever” about the progress of the trail. “We may be in a bit of a holding pattern for the Close the Gap project, but we know that that will be brought to a conclusion in the relatively near future.”

The bicyclists riding in support of the alliance went off in half-hour intervals on Sunday, depending on the length of their routes, with the century riders leaving first at 7 o’clock.

When asked whether he was nervous before the century start, Doug Brockelbank replied, “No, no I love it.” Then he paused for a few moments, unsure if he heard the question correctly. “At risk? Is that what you said? No, I’m excited.”

His friend interjected. “He’s definitely at risk,” he said, laughing.

Less than 5 minutes later, their jersey-clad backs, hunched over their bikes at a matching angle, disappeared around the first turn.

Despite winding roads through Cape Elizabeth, frequent spurs suddenly leading to an open coast, and the not-so-welcome interruption of 2 1/2 miles of gravel road across the Scarborough Marsh (repeated twice for riders doing 40, 62, and 100 miles), nobody seemed to lose their way. As promised, neon orange circles – with a line pointing in the direction of the next turn, were spray painted at frequent intervals along the route.

A rest stop at Cape Elizabeth’s Kettle Cove proved to be popular among the riders. Between predictable slices of watermelon and a heap of bananas, trays of pickles and a big bowl of chocolate peanut butter cups were disappearing at time-lapse speed. The contents of the trash can were flecked with gold foil. This was not a day to eat just one.

A mere 2 miles from the finish, riders climbed a steep hill and stopped to admire the view from Portland Head Light. “There’s a lot of interesting history and symbolism in these lighthouses,” said Reed Carlman, a senior at Bowdoin College, “but mostly I’m just glad to be along for the ride.”

Read the entire article online here.

More than 750 bikers gathered for the Maine Lighthouse Ride on Sunday, a fundraiser for the Eastern Trail Alliance. 25-, 40-, 62-, and 100-mile routes stretched from South Portland to as far as Kennebunkport.

KENNEBUNK POST | Posted 9/11/2023 8:03 PM

SOUTH PORTLAND – There were sheer curtains of fog drawn across the bay last Sunday, the sort of morning that makes you want to stay in bed. Not so for the over 100 people gathered by Spring Point Light in South Portland, chatting, adjusting helmets, and hailing friends as they waited for the go-ahead to begin a 100-mile Century bike ride.

“We’re going to go off in groups of 50,” a volunteer instructed by megaphone, “don’t be shy, feel free to come right up.”

The Trader Joe’s rest stop at Kettle Cove was stocked with fruit, pickles, and peanut butter cups. Luna Soley photo

“Don’t tell anybody we’re not really doing the 100-miler,” confided two older women dressed in matching neon yellow windbreakers, “We’re trying to beat the rain.”

Two teenagers, conspicuously wearing shorts and T-shirts despite the chill, wanted to be quoted in the paper. “My names Noland,” said one, “and my name’s Ian,” added the other – and then said, in unison, “and we’re both excited for the 100-mile bike ride!”

Sept. 10 was the 20th anniversary of the Maine Lighthouse Ride, first completed as a 40-mile route by 40 determined riders in the rain in 2003.

“We were actually following the riders around with hot coffee and hot soup,” said Bob Bowker, the ride’s founder. After four or five years, Bowker recounted proudly, “We were up to 300 or 400 riders. It was mostly word of mouth, it just kept growing and growing.”

The Maine Lighthouse Ride is an annual fundraiser to support the Eastern Trail Alliance, a nonprofit founded in 1998 with the aim of turning sections of the old Eastern Railroad Corridor, discontinued since 1945, into a continuous route for bikers and hikers to enjoy. The Eastern Trail now covers approximately 65 miles, from the Piscataqua River in Kittery, near the New Hampshire border, to South Portland, Maine. Bowker said proceeds from this year’s ride will go towards maintaining the route, improving kiosks, and paying staff.

This year, over 750 participants travelled from as far as Ontario, Canada, to ride 25-, 40-, 62-, and 100-mile routes along the Southern Maine coast, paying a registration fee to support the Eastern Trail. They ranged in age from 7 to 89 years old, hailing in equal numbers from Maine and out of state.

Read the remainder of the article online here

Join the Eastern Trail Alliance for its September 2023 full moon walk in the Scarborough Marsh. This month’s full moon will be a Corn or Harvest Moon!

The September Moon Walk will be held Friday, September 29th 6:30 – 8:00 pm. The walk leaves from the Eastern Trail’s Pine Point parking area. Go here to Register (registration required).

The walk is limited to 25 people and is first come first serve.

In consideration of ongoing concerns around COVID19, we encourage all safety precautions including social distancing and masks when appropriate.

Pets and flashlights are not allowed for this event so as to ensure guests are able to best appreciate the marsh and full moon. Please email info@easterntrail.org with any questions you may have.

Visit our EVENTS page for information on other events.

The Eastern Trail Alliance and Eastern Trail Management District have begun a search for their next Executive Director. The Eastern Trail is a recreation and transportation greenway from Casco Bay to the Piscataqua River in Kittery, Maine. From start to finish, the trail is a scenic gem with postcard-perfect backdrops that span 65 miles, which attracts nearly 250,000 bike and pedestrian users every year. Together, the Eastern Trail Alliance, a membership-driven nonprofit organization, and the Eastern Trail Management District, an allied nonprofit that oversees construction, maintenance, and uses of the trail, are seeking its next Executive Director to lead our mission to connect people, nature, and communities with this incomparable resource.

We are seeking a dynamic and visionary Executive Director to provide strategic leadership and operational management for the Eastern Trail Alliance and Eastern Trail Management Division. As the Executive Director, you will be responsible for overseeing all aspects of our programs, trail management projects, fundraising efforts, and community partnerships. This is an exciting opportunity to make a meaningful difference and shape the future direction of our organization.

Go here for more information and application link 

The East Coast Greenway Alliance (ECGA) just recently produced a new video about the Eastern Trail’s Over the River Campaign. The East Coast Greenway connects 15 states and 450 cities and towns for 3,000 miles from Maine to Florida, with the Eastern Trail serving as the East Coast Greenway route in southern Maine.

Read below the ECGA’s introduction to the video, and then watch the video:

“Working together, we can close a key gap of the East Coast Greenway and the Eastern Trail in Maine. The Over the River section of trail transits 3 miles through Saco and Biddeford, Maine – the most significant population density along the Eastern Trail. Building improved trail connections through these two communities is a priority for our local partners and the East Coast Greenway. Together, we can complete the East Coast Greenway in Maine: https://www.greenway.org/states/maine

Connecting People to Place: The nonprofit East Coast Greenway Alliance leads the development of a walking and biking route stretching 3,000 miles from Maine to Florida. The East Coast Greenway is designed to transform the 15 states and 450 communities it connects through active and healthy lifestyles, sustainable transportation, community engagement, climate resilience, active tourism, and more. Learn more: http://www.greenway.org.”

Hello Eastern Trail community,

I hope this email finds you in great spirits and that your summer plans include time on the Eastern Trail. I am writing today to share an important leadership update.

After three years of dedicated service, our Executive Director, Jon Kachmar, is resigning from the Eastern Trail Alliance, and his last day will be September 1st. While we are sad to see Jon go, we are grateful for his dedication, passion, and the positive impact he has had on our organization.

Jon’s tenure began during the early months of the pandemic when many of us took to the trail to exercise and reconnect with nature and each other in a safe way. With trail use at a new high, Jon led the way to ensure our programs, partnerships, and revenues were strong. He has significantly advanced trail expansion work to realize the vision of connecting South Portland to Kittery through an off-road trail, and he shepherded the Eastern Trail’s national recognition and 2022 induction into the Rails to Trails Conservancy’s Rail-Trail Hall of Fame.

We are also excited about the opportunities this transition presents for the Eastern Trail Alliance. During this interim period, our dedicated staff and board members will work collaboratively to continue our programs and community engagement efforts. We will soon form a search committee tasked with hiring a leader who shares our passion for promoting safe outdoor recreation and connecting communities through one of the premier recreational assets in the region.

Please save the date, Saturday, July 29, and plan to attend the Eastern Trail Alliance Annual Meeting. We would love to meet you, share more updates with you, and have you join us in wishing Jon well on his next venture.  Go here to Sign Up Now!

Thank you for your support and commitment. Let’s embark on this exciting new chapter together.

Warmest regards,
Randi Hogan
President of the Board of Trustees
Eastern Trail Alliance

For Immediate Release: June 27, 2023
Media Contact: Victoria Bonney, 202-577-8541

WASHINGTON, DC—Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) today welcomed $4 million in federal funding from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) to expand the Eastern Trail in Southern Maine. The Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant, funded through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, builds on the Congressionally directed funding Pingree secured for the Eastern Trail’s “Blaze the Trail South” project in the Fiscal Year 2022 Appropriations bill.

“The Eastern Trail supports local economies and fosters a safe, sustainable route through some of southern Maine’s most populated areas,” said Pingree. “I was proud to secure the funding Maine DOT needed to get this project started with sound engineering, planning, and design. With this additional federal grant, we’ll be hitting the trail in no time!”

The RAISE grant will go towards the construction of approximately 2.7 miles of off-road trail that continues the expansion of the Eastern Trail from Kennebunk to North Berwick, supporting the development of an active transportation corridor and recreational trail that offers significant social, economic, and environmental benefits.

The Eastern Trail is the Southern Maine portion of the 3,000-mile East Coast Greenway that traverses the East Coast between Calais, Maine and Key West, Fla. Based on a 2021 economic impact analysis, there are 250,000 people using the trail annually, and each user spends an average of $118 per day. The trail also supports 364 jobs across the state, $12.5 million in earnings and $32.1 million in sales, with most sales coming from overnight lodging, food and drink, and retail items.

When complete, Blaze the Trail South will add 25 miles of off-road trail connecting 7 communities from Kennebunk to Kittery in one of the most densely populated regions in the state (York County). This will provide a safe and convenient facility for bicycle commuters, recreational riders, walkers, runners, and wheelchair users for transportation, health, and outdoor enjoyment.

Pingree is a member of the House Appropriations Committee.

We are pleased to announce the Eastern Trail Beer from Banded Brewing Company.

“Among the Trees” is a new draft-only Amber Ale with Toasted Birch Bark! Refreshing yet complex with warming spices and earthy herbs.

$1 from each draft sold in Banded Brewing Co.’s two tasting rooms will support the Eastern Trail Alliance. These are:

• Flagship location in Biddeford’s Pepperell Mill
• 82 Hanover Street in Portland

The new beer was unveiled on Saturday, June 24 after our first 2023 Bike and Brew ride

Enjoy this new beverage and provide support to the Eastern Trail while you do!