Who was Fly Rod Crosby? Partners and Supporters of the Fly Rod Geology of the Crosby Trail Cornelia “Fly Rod” Crosby, 1854-1946 was ’s The granite found in the streambeds and mountain first registered guide. She was a fly-fisher extraordinaire The Trail was initiated by the High Peaks Alliance, a tops of the High Peaks region was formed more than who promoted the Maine woods as a tourist destination. volunteer non-profit organization in Phillips and by the 400 million years ago, when sediments in an ancient Crosby grew up in Phillips, guided in Rangeley and is Sandy River Land Trust. Our partners include: inland sea were pushed down into the earth and under buried in Strong. The 45 mile trail is linked to the land- great pressure and temperature melted into granite and ATV Maine scape of her life. The blue and white trail sign sports the Community Center for GIS then rose up. A million years ago, glaciers advanced image of a fishing fly. Maine Club over all of Maine. The numerous huge granite boulders, Maine Appalachian Trail Land Trust strewn along the Orbeton Stream were deposited there Why is this trail being built? Narrow Gauge Riders more than 12,000 years ago when the mile-thick ice North Franklin Snowmobile Club of the last ice age began to melt forming an enormous To preserve and develop recreational access by local Northern Forest Canoe Trial lake behind the ridgelines of Saddleback, Reddington, residents and visitors to the forested lands, lakes and Outdoor Sporting Heritage Museum Crocker and Bigelow Mountains. As temperatures rose streams of the High Peaks Region, which is host to eight Phillips Area Community Coalition further, “Glacial Lake Bigelow” broke through its frozen of Maine’s 14 mountains above 4,000 feet Phillips Historical Society Phillips Revitalization Committee high peaks dams. Geologists have determined that the Is it being built from scratch? Rangeley Historical Society Orbeton Stream canyons and huge boulders we see to- Rangeley Lakes Heritage Trust day resulted from the glacial lake’s first great melt water Not entirely: only about one-third or fifteen miles. Rangeley Outdoor Sporting Heritage Museum flood! The trail links a variety of existing motorized trails and Rangeley Region Guides & Sportsman’s Association creates some new ones for use only by hikers, cross coun- Saddleback Mountain Maine’s Working Forest Sandy River & Rangeley Lakes Railroad Museum try skiers, birders, etc. Because of two-legged traffic on Star Barn Bed & Breakfast The wide range of standing softwood and hardwood the motorized trails, it is important to observe the signs, Strong Historical Society “seed trees” on the trail leading to the Hardy Stream speed limits and the right-of-way rules. Trails for Rangeley Area Coalition (TRAC) indicates you are passing through a “working forest.” It All our generous land owners Is this trail on public land? has been sustainably harvested and re-harvested every Additional support from: generation for close to 200 years, and – with permanent Much, but not all of the trail, is on land that is pri- Davis Conservation Fund conservation - will continue to produce valuable forest vately owned. The landowners have granted permission Maine Conservation Corps products for future generations and a home for many for passage through their land. Therefore, it is most Maine Department of Conservation - Recreational Trails species of wildlife. Left uncut are the steeper slopes of important that you take out what you bring in and stay Program a “riparian” area that today’s loggers leave as a natural on the designated trail. Poland Spring buffer protecting the clean pristine waters of nearby Many local businesses and individual donors Hardy Stream. How can I get involved? The Fly Rod Crosby Trail is possible because of our generous partners and supporters. Thank you! Sandy River & Rangeley Lakes Write to: Narrow Gauge Railroad The High Peaks Alliance and the Fly Rod Crosby High Peaks Alliance Trail is indebted to the decade-long work of Maine’s Abandoned railroad beds of what was to become the 1232 Reeds Mill Road Congressional delegation and the many state officials Sandy River & Rangeley Lakes Narrow Gauge Railroad (1879-1935) make up a major portion of the Phillips to Phillips, Maine 04966 and local volunteers in creating the “West Saddleback Connector,” a multi-use trail crossing the Appalachian Madrid Section of the trail. While the two-foot-wide Trail near Eddy Pond as it begins its ascent of Saddleback age hiking tracks are gone, the depot in downtown Phillips now Call: erit tra Mountain. The “Connector” serves non-motorized and h h Peaks Region of Weste il serves as a trailhead and the Narrow Gauge Railroad motorized back-country recreational users travelling a he Hig rn Mai Museum is housed in the former Sanders Station. Betsy Squibb, 207-639-3432 in t ne through Franklin County’s High Peaks region between Thousands of cords of lumber were hauled from the area Jo Josephson, 207-778-2021 When Completed, It Will Wend Its Way Phillips and Rangeley and is a critical east-west crossing er eam by the SR&RL’s cars and the beauty of one of the na- e Sandy Riv rbeton Str long th ng the O houlder in tion’s finest vacation areas was opened to many visitors. for the Fly Rod Crosby trail and other trails in the region. n Strong a Madrid alo e West S unta Where do I get more information? Downtow Phillips & th of Saddleback Mo The SR&RL became the largest, best equipped and best For more information, log onto: managed narrow gauge railroad in the nation. Phillips www.highpeaksalliance.wordpress.com Across the Appalachian Trail & Rangeley Lake www.highpeaksalliance.wordpress.com To the Maine Outdoor Sporting Heritage Museum in Oquossoc became a bustling railroad town where all major repairs This Map: were made to the rolling stock, and where new flatcars Sandy River to Saddleback Mountain and boxcars were constructed. Phillips to Madrid Section ŦŦ 7 miles one way ŦŦ 3–4 hours ŦŦ Moderate This section of the trail begins with a walk through historic downtown Phillips—the neighbor- hood where Cornelia “Fly Rod” Crosby both grew up and later retired. Follow the blue and white trail signs past Crosby’s home, the Phillips Historical Society and across the Sandy River. A footpath at Madrid to Saddleback Section the end of Amble Street will lead you through the forested grounds of the Narrow Gauge Railroad ŦŦ 13 miles one-way Museum and along the Sandy River to Sanders ŦŦ 6–7 hours Railroad Station. ŦŦ moderate-advanced From the trailhead kiosk at the junction of Fish From the Station, turn left onto Bridge Street. Hatchery Road and Reeds Mills Road, follow the For the next five miles follow trail signs along old trail signs across the Orbeton Stream to a grassy foot- to the north of some of the “High Peaks” includ- abandoned railroad beds through mixed hardwood path leading to a kiosk just inside the tree line. Over ing Saddleback Mountain, and forests, paved and unpaved roads and an old logging the next four miles, the footpath follows Orbeton Spaulding Mountain. The footpath passes the - re road that rises in a roller coaster fashion along one of Stream and woods roads before coming to Hardy mains of an old horse logging camp before joining up the many glacial eskers that pepper the area. Stream. There are terrific swimming and fishing with a three and one-half mile stretch of a motorized The steep drop and rise at the far end of the spots along the bolder-strewn stream; there is also a trail that will pass by Moose and Deer Pond, Eddy esker will bring you to a pleasant stretch of Reeds challenging stretch of towering pine and cedar trees pond and the Appalachian Trail (AT) on the western Mills Road and a terrific view of the north side of sharing the same space with gigantic moss-covered shoulder of Saddleback Mountain. One mile beyond . A mile and a half walk boulders. Extreme care should be taken here. the AT, the trail joins with the Rock Pond Hiking along the gravel road will bring you to the intersec- Trail, a one and one-half mile section that passes tion with Fish Hatchery Road and the trailhead for The next three and one-half miles follows a Midway and Rock Ponds before ending in the park- the Madrid–Saddleback section. Just up the road footpath along Hardy Stream with great views ing lot at Saddleback Mountain Resort. from the trailhead is the Star Barn Bed & Breakfast.