Back to the Huts we go! Maine Huts & Trails to open this Winter

Growing Leadership team reimagines future operations for the Huts.

Kingfield, ME: It is with profound excitement that Maine Huts & Trails announces a plan to reopen this upcoming winter season with renewed focus and energy and a hospitality experience thoughtfully evolved for our COVID-adjusted world! Joining the Maine Huts & Trails leadership team to elevate the organization into this winter season and help deliver the Maine Huts & Trails experience are Kris Dorer, Director of Development, and Kevin Mitchell, Director of Operations.

Now poised for a strong future, MH&T staff and board have worked steadfastly to preserve and reinvigorate the Maine Huts & Trails experience, particularly from the challenges posed by COVID-19. Maine Huts & Trails is reinventing itself with different thinking; changes - not to the experiences we offer, but how we offer them. Previously, night-stays were offered by the bunk.  Going forward guests will be offered bunk-room rentals; pricing has been adjusted to be attractive to families; and different tiers of service, full-service and self-service, will be available at different times of the week for people seeking different pricing alternatives and levels of service. Proposed huts to open this winter for day excursions or overnight stays include Flagstaff Hut, Stratton Brook Hut, and Poplar Hut. Reservations will become available in October for the upcoming winter season.

New hires include Kris Dorer, Director of Development, a patron of the Maine outdoors with over 30 years of experience in nonprofit management. Kevin Mitchell, Director of Operations, is an avid outdoor adventurer and active Kingfield local who brings to MH&T a ton of creativity and energy with decades of management and promotions experience. “Kris and Kevin bring forward the experience, enthusiasm and vision to help bring the Huts back to life, and I couldn’t be more ecstatic to have them join our team.” - Wolfe Tone, MH&T Executive Director.

As a nonprofit, Maine Huts & Trails’ mission is to provide inviting backcountry experiences that inspire reverence for Maine’s western mountains, forest, and waters and help strengthen the local economy. “We are committed to delivering our mission and have a strong vision to contribute to the future of Maine’s western mountains region. I’ve been active in the woods of Maine since the day I was born, and am thrilled to be part of an organization that offers such a truly unique adventure experience and is so well positioned to make people feel at home in this magnificent landscape.”  Kevin Mitchell, MH&T Director of Operations.

Since the opening of the first “Hut” in 2008, Maine Huts & Trails has welcomed over 80,000 guests to its huts and countless more have enjoyed MH&T’s 80 miles of magnificent trails, extending from West Forks, in Somerset County, west to Carrabassett Valley, in Franklin Country. Built on the premise of bringing people together around a shared experience, COVID curtailed much of the hut experience, while the trails remained open and welcoming. Resilience, incredible community support, and a drive to rebuild the beloved experience people of all ages have enjoyed for years, together, have enabled Maine Huts & Trails to endure. 

"The importance of connecting with the outdoors is a theme shared widely today. Maine Huts & Trails provides a variety of fun memorable experiences to outdoor enthusiasts ready to escape the bonds of the day’s routines and the challenges presented by the pandemic. It is a true honor to be able to partner with our extended community in supporting Maine Huts & Trails' mission to steward the land and provide individuals with unique, healthy outdoor experiences.
Maine Huts & Trails is an experience we can all feel part of and contribute to the pure joy of Maine's western mountains, forests and waters." – Kris Dorer, Director of Development

In the coming months, Maine Huts & Trails staff will begin hiring for seasonal hut outdoor enthusiasts to join the team. Please visit mainehuts.org for the most updated information on trail information, hut status and employment opportunities.

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