MAINE SUNDAY TELEGRAM • November 5, 2023
The 8-Mile Wilderness. What, you’ve never heard of it? You’re familiar with the 100-Mile Wilderness, that 750,000-acre swath of forestland threaded by the Appalachian Trail between Monson and Abol Bridge. The 8-Mile Wilderness, in contrast, is an imaginary place of sorts where hikers go to escape, bond and have fun for a precious few days. The term “8-Mile Wilderness” was coined several years ago, when our group ended up backpacking just 8 miles over three days in the Little Moose Public Land near Greenville. We had a complete blast in the backcountry beauty just the same and the name for these hikes stuck. Each day we walked slowly and looked around a lot, stopping to enjoy every viewpoint. Where is your 8-Mile Wilderness and who are your special trail friends? ~ Carey Kish