Appalachian Mountain Club – Maine Chapter

Where is everyone? We are all at the 2009 AMC Maine Chapter’s Annual Meeting at Camp Kawanhee in Weld, Maine! Friday, October 2 begins a full weekend of activities and will kick off with a chili potluck and an informal slide presentation by active AMC Maine member Paul Hahn on his trip to Denali! Saturday’s events include hiking, biking, paddling, gold panning, and workshops, ending with the annual business meeting and special guest speaker, Reinhard Zollitsch of Orono. He will present on his latest solo sea canoe adventures, “On Historic Tides: Looking for John Cabot’s first landfall in the New World on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland.” This presentation combines his 2007 trip around Cape Breton Island, NS and his 2008 solo paddle up the western shore of Newfoundland. Please visit our web page for more information. See you all there!

The Land Use Regulation Commission (LURC) is currently revising its 10-year Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP). This document guides development and land use across 10 million acres of Maine’s undeveloped forests, mountains, lakes and streams in the unorganized territories. Three hearings are scheduled and YOUR voice is needed.

- Monday, September 28, 2009 in Augusta, Maine at the Senator Inn (284 Western Avenue). The hearing will be held from 1:00 P.M. – 4:30 P.M. and from 6:00 P.M. – 10:00 P.M.
- Tuesday, September 29, 2009 in Bangor, Maine at the Ramada Inn (357 Odlin Road). The hearing will be held from 1:00 P.M. – 4:30 P.M. and from 6:00 P.M. – 10:00 P.M.
- Wednesday, September 30, 2009 in Presque Isle, Maine at the Presque Isle Inn and Convention Center (116 Main Street). The hearing will be held from 1:00 P.M. – 4:30 P.M. and from 6:00 P.M. – 10:00 P.M.

Can’t make one of the hearings? You can write a letter any time until October 21. More information on LURC and CLUP is available on their website. For questions or more information please contact AMC’s Bryan Wentzell at bwen...@outdoors.org or 207-725-2248.

Would you like to go to the widely acclaimed Common Ground Country Fair in Unity September 25-27? All you have to do is volunteer to staff the AMC booth for a 3-hour shift on any day. It’s a great way to talk with many AMC members, as well as encourage folks to become members. Or, if you are going to the fair anyway, come visit our booth! The fair has been dubbed “Maine’s most authentic country fair.” Events, vendors, and exhibitors promote conservation and sustainable living while enjoying local, delicious organic food. Contact Jeanne Christie or Laura Flight for more information.

Mark your calendars for Friday September 25, when Maine Public Broadcasting will air a television piece on Maine’s units of national parks, including the Appalachian National Scenic Trail. Jennifer Rooks will present the segment on her weekly, Friday evening Maine Watch show. Jennifer and crew hiked the AT on Saddleback on July 27 to shoot footage. She was guided by interviewed Dave Field who has been a die-hard Maine AT volunteer for nearly his entire life. If you miss the viewing, it will be available on MPBN’s website. This piece is a lead-in to the PBS documentary “The National Parks, America’s Best Idea” which was co-produced by Ken Burns and Dayton Duncan. This 12-hour PBS series will begin on September 27.

The deadline to register is two weeks away! Please sign-up by Sunday, September 27. Forms are available in the latest issue of our newsletter “Wilderness Matters” and on our website. Join fellow Maine AMCers and meet new faces for a weekend full of activities in the heart of the Tumbledown Mountain and Mt. Blue State Park area in Weld, Maine! Enjoy hikes, bikes, paddles, as well as workshops- there’s even a gold panning trip! And don’t miss the guest speaker, Reinhard Zollitsch of Orono. He will present on his latest solo sea canoe adventures, “On Historic Tides: Looking for John Cabot’s first landfall in the New World on Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland.” This presentation combines his 2007 trip around Cape Breton Island, NS and his 2008 solo paddle up the western shore of Newfoundland. Please visit our web page for more information. See you all there!

In preparation for our annual meeting Oct. 2-4 at Camp Kawanhee in Weld, below you will find, as required in our by-laws, the list of candidates for our elective positions for the upcoming year. These will be voted on during the business meeting portion of the annual meeting weekend, which begins at 7PM on Saturday, October 3. If you have questions or concerns, please let me (Laura at flyr...@systemfolder.com) know. And, don’t forget to register- there is a weekend full of activities that promises to be great, rain or shine!

Persons Seeking Re-Election to the Maine Chapter Executive Committee

Newsletter Co-Chair: Bob Cummings
Newsletter Co-Chair: Brenda Cummings
Public Relations: Jeanne Christie
Secretary: Diane Edwards
Trail Maintenance Co-Chair: Peter Roderick
Trail Maintenance Co-Chair: Keith Chapman
Treasurer:Denise Courtemanche
Webmaster: Tim Flight

Persons Seeking Election to the Maine Chapter Executive Committee (Bios on our annual meeting page)

At Large: Paul Hahn
At Large: Scott Dyer
Chair: Carrie Walia
Conservation: Bob Goldman
Meetings and Education: John Mullens
Membership: Mara Kruze
Outings: Jeff Aceto
Past Chair: Laura Flight
Vice Chair: Larry Dyer

Loon Echo Land Trust, a partner of the Appalachian Mountain Club, is having their 9th Annual Loon Echo Hike n’ Bike Trek on Saturday, September 19th in Bridgton, Maine to raise funds for land conservation projects. Register for either a 6-mile hike over Pleasant Mountain, Loon Echo’s biggest conservation preserve, or a 25, 50 or 100-mile bike ride through western Maine’s mountains and farm fields. The century bike trek winds through Evans Notch and has a jaw dropping 1,200 foot vertical decent! The Trek is fully supported and there will be a prize giveaway for those who raise pledges. Pre-registration ends on 9/13, so go to Loon Echo’s website or call 207-647-4352 to sign up today. Walk-ins will be accepted the morning of the event for a few dollars more, just make sure to get there on time!

Madelyn Given of Poland, ME recently completed a solo thru-hike of the AT, starting in Georgia on March 26 and finished at the summit of Mount Katahdin on Aug. 7. Madelyn is a retired school teacher and isn’t shy about letting folks know she’s a grandmother at 65. Her many accomplishments in life include running marathons and hiking hike peaks, and the AT was just one more to add to this list. One of her mentors (a.k.a. trail angel) for this trip was Maine Chapter leader and two-time AT Thru-Hiker Wayne Newton, who helped Madelyn through guidance on planning, clothing, and gear.

Madelyn’s thru-hike was depicted in a recent article in the Lewiston Sun Journal. Her trail journal can be seen at trailjournals.com.

New trails are being constructed in Waterville at the Quarry Road Recreation Area off North Street. This approximately 130 acre parcel was purchased from Colby College in 2008 and a 4.5 kilometer trail will be available for hiking, biking, and cross-country skiing by winter 2009.

Here is a recent article in the Portland Press Herald on these trails.