It was
discussed at the Carry Ponds Association annual meeting in August 2013 that the
Arnold Expedition Historical Society (AEHS) was in the process of completing
plans for a connector trail on the lower slopes of Roundtop Mountain. The purpose of this foot trail is to connect
the east and west sections of the land route of the Historic Great Carrying Place
Portage Trail that are separated by West Carry Pond. This route was used by Native
Americans for hundreds of years and later by Benedict Arnold and his army of 1100
men in the fall of 1775 as part of their route to attack Canada. Once this link
is complete it will be possible to follow the 12 mile historic land route part from
Wyman Lake (The Kennebec River) through the Carry Ponds to its terminus at
Flagstaff Lake (originally the Dead River) and there-by essentially follow the same
path as Arnold’s Army. This will be accomplished by using a combination of
maintained footpaths, gravel roads and the Appalachian Trail to closely follow
the original portage trail.
The AEHS
plans to have this route open by this summer.
There will be a series of signs installed to guide hikers over the
route. Although the connector trail will by-pass West Carry Pond by staying
outside of the Spring Road gate you will notice two of the AEHS signs when you
drive the Spring Road to reach your camp this summer.
One will be
at the junction of the Spring Road and the Long Falls Dam Road that will give
distances and directions to certain milestones along the portage route and
another just outside the Spring Road gate at the junction of the Spring Road
and Boise Road.
Although the documented historic Great Carrying Place Portage
Trail route continues down what is now the Spring Road to West Carry Pond
hikers will be directed south along the Boise Road to the point where the
connector trail begins. The AEHS will include as part of the Spring Road sign a
notice to the hikers that the land beyond the gate is private property and for
hikers to use the connector trail to reach the south end of West Carry Pond.
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| Location of the Great Carrying Place Portage Connector Trail Around West Carry Pond |
The Arnold
Expedition Historical Society is committed to preserve this historic passage
between the Kennebec River and Flagstaff Lake and in the process want’s to be good
neighbors with the land owners of the Carry Ponds Association and will do their
best to protect the privacy of all CPA landowners.
If you have
any questions about this undertaking by the AEHS or would like to become
involved with the Society please contact Jay Robbins, President of the Arnold
Expedition Historical Society at 737-2239 or by email at: robbinshistorical@gmail.com
