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The Many Uses of Mt. Agamenticus |
Mt. A’s days as a Lookout
With wartime concerns of the early 1940’s, the US army set up the country’s first radar tower on the summit of Mt. Agamenticus. Because of the mountain’s unique height and proximity to the ocean, it also served as a strategic area to spot foreign warships and submarines. An auto road was built to the summit, which was cleared of its forests, in order to supply the 25 men that were stationed here. Barracks were also constructed on the summit to house the 551st Signal Battalion. A viewing deck on the summit now covers the four footings that once supported the radar tower. |
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| Mt. A’s outpost burned down in the winter of 1944, the army dismantled what was left. The United States Forest Service soon constructed Mt. A’s second fire lookout tower at the summit as part of a massive, nation wide effort to thwart wild fires (the first fire tower was built in 1918 and stood close to the site of “Aspinquid’s memorial”). In 1981 this fire tower was replaced by a new facility, which was delivered via helicopter. The tower is still in operation today, although it is not open to the public. It is owned by the State of Maine and run by volunteers through the York Fire Department. |
The Days of Skiing and Modern Recreation |
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In 1960 planning and construction for a ski area on Mt. A began. “The Big A” opened in December of 1964 and stayed in business for 9 years. Warm, saltwater winds from the Atlantic coupled with two low snow fall winters, hampered business and forced “The Big A” to shut down. Though the ski area had a short life, its impacts on the local landscape will be apparent for many years. Current trails, Goosefoot, Sweet Fern, Vulture’s view and parts of Witch Hazel, were all former ski trails. |
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A great deal of equipment was left behind including remnants of the “T bar” at both the top and bottom of Witch Hazel and various lift equipment and foundations at the base of the mountain, where Goosefoot, Cedar and Chick’s Brook intersect.
To the southwest of the base of the former “Big A” is a very deep, human made pond, which was used as a water retention system for the area’s snow making system; the diesel powered pump remains as an artifact. Today the pond serves as important habitat for local flora and fauna. |
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| The shallow bedrock of the Mt. A region is once again a significant problem. Most of the ski trails were built along the “fall line” of the mountain, which follows the most direct route from the summit to the base. Hiking, biking, and off-roading all have significant impact on “fall line trails.” A walk along any of the former ski trails will reveal a significant amount of exposed bedrock. Not only does bedrock make for difficult hiking conditions, but it also increases the erosive potential of runoff. With less soil to absorb rain, runoff will increase in both volume and velocity, ultimately exposing more bedrock and exponentially increasing the erosive capacity of rainwater. |
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