Ruth and Tris Colket were philanthropists who recognized the need for an endowed trail system and were instrumental in making it a reality.

Acadia Trails Forever was a fundraising campaign that launched in July 1999, to benefit the restoration of Acadia National Park’s trails. Friends of Acadia raised $9 million in private donations, a substantial portion of which came from the Colkets. Fundraising goals were met in July 2000, two years earlier than anticipated. The National Park Service committed the remaining money in federal funds.

From the money raised by Friends of Acadia, three endowments were established. One was for continued maintenance of the trails, once they had been restored. Another funds the annual Acadia Youth Conservation Corps. The third endowment was to establish and fund a crew, now known as Summit Stewards, who assist resource management staff in constructing cairns, monitoring trail and carriage road use, and advising hikers about "Leave No Trace" principles.

The Bar Harbor Historical Society is housed at LaRochelle on West St. in Bar Harbor, which was donated in 1972 by the Colkett's to the Seacoast Mission. A memorial plaque dedicated to them can be found on the east side of the Jordan Pond Path. The inscription reads as follows: 

ACADIA TRAILS FOREVER
RESTORATION OF ACADIA’S
HISTORIC HIKING TRAILS
AND THEIR PERPETUAL
CARE
WERE MADE THROUGH
THE VISION
AND GENEROSITY OF TWO
ARDENT HIKERS:
RUTH AND LAROCHELLE TRIS
COLKET 1998