History

The Meshomasic Hiking Club was officially founded by John LeShane on March 3, 1998 at an organizational meeting held in the Mary Flood Room of the Portland Library. 75 people attended the meeting and agreed that the focus of the club would be hiking. Some attendees suggested that mountain biking and horseback riding be included. John stipulated that the club’s name would be as stated and would focus on hiking.

A Board of Directors was selected and consisted of the President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, Stewardship Chair, Activity Chair, DEEP Liaison and Member at Large.

The mission of the club is simply to enjoy the forest, learn about nature and give back. In this regard, since its founding, the club has attracted over 1,200 members, sponsored over 7,500 events (the club now offers kayaking, snowshoeing, cross-country ski and biking events in addition to hiking) and has facilitated the enjoyment of countless hours in nature.

The club is a non-profit with 501(c)(3) status and raises money to support the acquisition of open space by land trusts. To that end, as of 2026 the club has donated over $125,000 to these efforts.