A week of spectacular September weather shined upon The Great Hike this past weekend as nature enthusiasts of all ages arrived at Ovens Mouth Preserve for an autumn hike, scavenger hunt, food and music.

The Boothbay Region Land Trust initiated the event Sept. 27 to generate interest in the outdoor spaces the Boothbay area has to offer. This includes preserves such as Ovens Mouth.

Land Trust officials present at the event said the preserve made a good staging point to bring people together for some outdoor fun, and nearly a hundred people showed up to participate in the festivities.

Diane Gilman, administrative assistant for the Land Trust, said the event is more of a "friend-raiser" than a fundraiser, and that its purpose was more to bring people into nature and generate awareness than to make money.

"We are hoping to get people to come out who aren't familiar with us," Gilman said. "Our goal is to break even, but if we make money, that's great. We want adults and children to come to experience the trails and nature."

Gilman said there were several events planned for the Great Hike including a raffle, food provided by McSeagull's, live entertainment from a four-piece jazz ensemble, The Spaceheaters, and a scavenger hunt.

Kerrin and Lincoln Erhard opened their farm, adjacent to the preserve, for post-hike food and entertainment, and the Ovens Mouth trails were open to visitors to explore.

While on the trails, hikers could participate in the scavenger hunt if they desired. Participants could highlight their scavenger hunt booklets with markers provided at each station, and upon their return, hikers could turn in completed booklets to enter a raffle that was scheduled to take place at the day's end.

Tracey Hall, the environmental educator for the Land Trust, commented further about the overall event and the purpose of the scavenger hunt.

"It's a great way to get people of all ages to walk the loop hike we have out here," Hall said of the two Ovens Mouth trails which each extend for more than a mile.

"I think it speaks to Maine at large," she said of the scavenger hunt, "the ecology and the history. Features here are found elsewhere in the state."

Features along the trails for hikers to find included pine trees, snags, a marsh, a bog, an ice dam, the peninsula point and the location of a 1940s forest fire.

The turnout for the hike appeared to exceed some expectations because there were fewer pre-event signups than desired, but many people showed up on Saturday to support the Land Trust and give cause for the continuation of the event next year.

Land Trust Executive Director Nick Ullo told the Register, following the event, that he felt the Great Hike was a success.

"I think it went very well," Ullo said.

"We definitely could not have asked for better weather. Blue skies. A great day for an outdoor picnic," he said.

He also expanded on the possible date for conducting the hike next year.

"Our plan is probably to do this next year on Great Maine Outdoor Weekend, which is, I think, the fourth weekend in September," he said.

He concluded by explaining that the Land Trust's intention for the future is to promote the event and have it expand organically.

"(The turnout is) about where we expected it to be. It's an event that will be refined over time," he said. "I think people will begin to remember it and more people will show up in coming years."