It's like wildfire for those outdoor enthusiasts. From dog walkers and bird watchers to skiers and mountain bikers once a trail is created they will come. That is how I learned of John Morton and his work. Several years back a neighboring town, Cumberland, Maine, acquired a large parcel of land and through the vision of a number of people decided to turn it into a multi-use recreation park which includes ball fields and trails. After skiing the trails it was quickly apparent that someone who knew that a trail could offer more than a way to get a 5k or 10k workout had laid them out. When our town requested a committee be formed to develop a parcel of land that had been generously gifted to it years earlier I knew we had to find the person that was involved in the Cumberland project. Upon inquiry I learned of John Morton and gave him a call and invited him for an initial consultation. His excitement and enthusiasm for the project was infectious.

To define John Morton, as just a trail designer would significantly limit what value he brings to a project. His experience in abutter relations, construction techniques, natural habitat, forestry, municipal govern¬ment, funding alternatives, volunteer coordination, wetlands and O'ya skiing and trail design are invaluable. Like an artist, the trails he creates have a style that takes into consideration all of the above factors and weaves them into a harmonious ribbon. For the swifter experts our trail is like an exhilarat¬ing roller coaster and for those that like to take it at a slower pace the turns and twists create a sense of vastness when many trails may pass only yards away. John's ability to efficiently utilize every attribute of the terrain is very impressive but you would have to doggedly track with him through the underbrush as I did to truly appreciate how so much goes into the layout to achieve such a great result.

If you want more than just a trail that can be enjoyed by all, John Morton's experience and vision will insure your success. I hope this letter of recommendation says enough but if anyone would like to see first hand John's work we now have four trails he designed within ten miles of my home and I would be happy to give you a tour.

Carl Holmquist, Libby Hill Forest Recreational Area (www.libbyhill.org)

Roads are for transportation: getting from one place to another. Trails are for inspiration: moving the spirit as well as the body. Roads take the shortest route between two points. Trails take the most interesting route.

John Morton knows the difference between roads and trails. Thetford Academy has the finest cross-country trail in the Northeast because John Morton thought about what trail users would see, feel, and experience as they came around each turn and crested each hill. John was eager to give users a trail that inspired, challenged, and moved them. John wanted this trail to transport its users in the spiritual sense, not the physical sense.

John and I built Thetford Academy's 5,000-meter trail as a community project. John provided not only a trail design that was moving, challenging, and intelligent, but he was indefatigable in his work on the trail's actual construction. John brought to the building of this trail the ideal skills: the sensibilities of an elite athlete and coach of elite athletes; the vision of an artist; and the practical construction skills and strong back of a Paul Bunyan!

Let John design a trail for you. Let your athletes and citizens have an experience on that trail that combines, in the nicest way, the physical, the practical, and—most importantly—the sublime.