Oakland boy joins the Maine 4,000-foot club

By Mark Huard
OAKLAND — Trenton Clark, 9, has hiked all of Maine’s 4,000-foot and higher peaks. Trenton and his mother, Leanne, started hiking as a way to get out into nature more when the pandemic started last year and quickly fell in love with the rush of climbing big mountains.
“it wasn’t always easy but it was always worth it,” Trenton said. Maine has 14 4,000-foot peaks, the tallest two are both on Katahdin — Baxter Peak (5,267 feet), which Trenton hiked last August and Hamlin Peak (4,756 feet) which he hiked this July.
His favorite mountain hike was Abol Trail on Katahdin. “Rock climbing is my favorite part of hiking,” he said.
Trenton is looking forward to hiking more mountains and trails in Maine this summer and fall, he said.
The peaks Trenton has climbed to date are Baxter and Hamlin peaks, Katahdin; Sugarloaf; South Crocker; Crocker, Old Speck; North Brother; Bigelow West and Avery peaks; Saddleback; Mount Abram; Saddleback Horn; Redington and Spaulding.

PHOTOS: Trenton Clark climbs some of Maine’s 4,000-foot peaks. (Submitted photos)