Maine Chapter Website

Where is everyone? We are all at the 2010 AMC Maine ChapterAnnual Meeting at Camp Kieve in Nobleboro, Maine! Friday, October 1 begins a full weekend of activities and will kick off with a chili potluck and an informal sing-along! Saturday’s events include hiking, biking, paddling, and workshops, ending with the annual business meeting and special guest speaker.

It’s been 70 years since the Madison Spring Hut has seen major renovations (it was originally build in 1888!). But this fall the hut will see get some much needed TLC. The historic 1929 stone core of the hut will remain, but renovations will allow for a roomier dining room and sitting area, and the bunk height will be reduced! This is also an effort to have a more energy efficient facility, as they now flush toilets will be replaced with a waterless system. And local suppliers and materials are also being used in this project. Work begins after the hut closes this fall, and hopes are the project will be completed for spring 2011 opening. For more information or to contribute to the campaign, visit the website.

Are you a user of AMC’s White Mountain Guide Online? New enhancements include full-screen maps, hill-shaded map views, and shuttle stop locations. This service combines the interactivity of the Web with expert map and trail content from the White Mountain Guide. Consider this your online edition of the White Mountain Guide. However, it’s more than just the text and maps- it gives you access to up-to-date maps, trail descriptions and safety warnings, as well as trail conditions and trip reports from members of our online community. It is also an interactive map to build a custom itinerary that will annotate your route, total your mileage, calculate your elevation gain, and estimate your time of travel. You can also visualize your route in Google Earth! Visit the website for a two-week free trial!

If you haven’t visited AMC’s new website, you should check it out; the site is more dynamic and there are navigation improvements. And, if you want to enter to win a stay at an AMC lodge in Maine, New Hampshire, or New Jersey, or win gear for Outdoor Research of Merrell, visit the page by September 20th!

Join AMC for its annual Fall Gathering, hosted by the Worcester Chapter, and held at the Prindle Pond Conference Center Hilltop October 15-17. Explore Central Massachusetts through hiking, cycling, paddling, rock climbing, and more. Family-oriented activities offered. Enjoy camaraderie of fellow AMC members in the evening, starting with social hour followed by lively entertainment and a bonfire to wrap it all up. Advanced registration required. FMI.

What were five neuroscientists doing on a 3-day rafting trip on the San Juan River in southern Utah this past May? The goal was: “to understand how heavy use of digital devices and other technology changes how we think and behave, and how a retreat into nature might reverse those effects.” As you can imagine, this sparked some interesting conversations along the way. What were the results? We need more outdoor time and less electronic gadgets! Read the full report in the New York Times.

“Flags on the 48″ is an annual event held on the Saturday closest to September 11th. The goal- to raise an American flag on each of New Hampshires forty-eight 4,000-footers from noon to 2PM. These efforts are to honor those killed in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. For more information on this year’s event (on the 9 year anniversary of the attacks) or to register, visit the website.

The deadline to register is a few weeks away! Please sign-up by Sunday, September 26. 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 on the shores of Damariscotta Lake in Nobleboro at Camp Kieve. This is in the heart of the mid-coast region of Maine and nearby Camden Hills State Park! Enjoy hikes, bikes, paddles, as well as workshops! Come Friday night for a provided chili-dinner, select an activity for Saturday, and enjoy a dinner and guest speak Saturday evening. There will also be some activities on Sunday. Please visit our web page for more information. See you all there!

Have you been to Outdoors.org lately? If not, the website has a new look and feel. There are new graphics and a new color scheme as well. All of the same info is there (lodging options, outdoor activities, the on-line store) as well as new items featuring AMC blogs, conservation information, Be sure and check it out!