KINGFIELD - A recreational corridor spanning 180 miles from Bethel to Moosehead Lake with a trail hut system for hikers, cross-country skiers and mountain bikers should soon become more than a plan.

Maine Huts and Trails will begin construction on the first of 12 lodges along the trail system on Sept. 6 at the site of the Poplar Stream Falls hut in Carrabassett Valley. That hut should be available to users in February, said Larry Warren, MHT president and founder.

The public is invited to the 10:30 a.m. groundbreaking with parking and shuttle service provided from the Maine Huts and Trails office on North Main Street. To participate, RSVPs are needed by Friday by calling Alexa Dayton at 265-2400.

The trail has been substantially cleared and bridges built on this leg of the trail. There are plans for two more huts between Carrabassett Valley and The Forks completed by next summer, he said.

The trails - for nonmotorized activities only - run along rivers and lakes to provide access for canoeists, he said.

The lodging "concept was borrowed from other organizations, the Appalachian Mountain Club in New Hampshire and the 10th Mountain Division hut system in Colorado," Warren said.

The proposed trail system will run from the Newry and Andover area to the Rangeley Lakes then on to Carrabassett Valley, Kingfield, Eustis, The Forks, Rockwood and eventually Greenville.

The first hut to be built is more or less in the center of the trail corridor. Warren said a decision whether to move north toward The Forks or south to Rangeley will be made soon.

Maine Huts and Trails employs five workers with more staff expected to be hired as construction starts and help is needed for the day-to-day operations at the huts, he said.

Built as green facilities, the huts will use energy from mini-hydro, solar and small wind-turbine sources. The super insulated structure, he said, will also use waterless and composting toilet facilities.

This first hut will feature a main building with a kitchen, bathroom and lodging for up to four staff, and three separate cabins with sleeping for up to 40. Guests will find a sauna, showers, drying rooms, overnight accommodations and two meals for $55-$60 per night, Warren said.

Land for the first hut has been leased for 25 years from the Penobscot Indian Nation, he said. Of the system's 180 miles, use of 120 miles has been settled with negotiations. Warren said use terms for the remaining land are expected to be completed by the end of the year.

"Some landowners thought it was an ambitious project and were somewhat skeptical about raising funding and broad-based support. A number were hesitant to be first to the starting gate but we're well beyond that now," Warren said.

Construction of the first hut is sponsored by a charitable foundation established and funded by New Balance Athletic Shoe Inc.