Appalachian Mountain Club – Maine Chapter

In April 2010, President Barack Obama kicked off the America’s Great Outdoors (AGO) Initiative. This encourages people to unplug from the e-world and reconnect with the natural one. You can submit your ideas to conserve natural places, share your stories about the places you love, and find ways to enjoy the outdoors. There will be a public listening session on Thursday September 2 in Bangor where your voice is needed! FMI.

AMC paddlers get some press coverage!
Check out this recent photograph in the Mid-Coast Forecaster of Maine Chapter leaders Michelle and Stan Moody lead a kayaking group on the Androscoggin River on Saturday, August 14, 2010. This trip was done in conjunction with the Brunswick Topsham Land Trust as part of a celebration of its first 25 years of success. The group took a three hour paddle to visit Cow Island in the lower end of the Androscoggin River.

A woman from New Jersey has completed the Northern Forest Canoe Trail solo in a kayak. Cathy Mumford of Colts Neck, NJ traveled 740 miles from Old Forge, NY to Fort Kent, ME in 58 days and became the first female kayaker to do solo. Kate Williams, executive director of NFCT, presented at a Maine Chapter potluck in May 2010 on this watery cousin to the Appalachian Trail. Check out this recent article in the Bangor Daily News

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Attention river paddlers! Would you like to receive an e-mail or text message when your favorite river reaches its ideal level? The U.S. Geological Survey has a new system in place to do just that. USGS WaterAlert will let you select the monitored river from a map and subscribe to different thresholds such as above or below a certain level, or inside or outside of a given range for either or both river height or discharge. So you will never miss a paddling opportunity again!

Non-motorized trail enthusiasts should take note of a new, free interactive mapping internet web site for trails in Franklin County. The site currently offers information on 15 trails, but is evolving and hopes to have nearly 30 trails by the end of the summer. And this may just be the beginning, as longer-term goals seek to integrate trails state-wide as partnerships with other organizations are established and funding is secured. Trails in the current version include mountain biking, hiking, walking, cross-country skiing, and snow shoeing. Franklin County harbors a variety of easy, moderate, and difficult trail adventures so check out the web site and find the one that is right for you!

Would you like to go to the widely acclaimed Common Ground Country Fair in Unity September 24-26? 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 for more information.

If your travels are taking you through southern Pennsylvania this summer, you should stop at the Pine Grove Furnace State Park. The Appalachian Trail (AT) wanders through these parts and the park now hosts the recently opened Appalachian Trail Museum. The museum is a stone’s throw from the AT in a 200-year old grist mill. Features include artifacts from AT hiker pioneers, a children’s discovery area, as well as photographs of over 18,000 through-hikers as they made their way through Harpers Ferry West Virginia. It also showcases a shelter built by the first AT thru-hiker, Earl Shaffer. The idea for the museum was inspired by a volunteer Larry Luxenberg (a 1980 thru-hiker) and he and a board of directors spend 17 years bringing the idea to fruition.

One of the last pages listed in your paper publication AMC Outdoors is the “AMC Trader.” This page lists places to rent in great outdoor settings, other lodging options, vacation packages, in addition to gear and guides for sale, and even a personals section. This handy little exchange is also available on-line and is updated more frequently than your bi-monthly AMC Outdoors can provide. So if you are looking for gear, lodging, vacation options, or someone to enjoy the outdoors with, try AMC’s trader on-line!

Are you a shutterbug? Here’s your chance to share your images with your fellow AMC members! The AMC’s 16th Annual Photo Contest has been announced for 2010. And although the deadline isn’t until November 15, 2010, photography is a year-round sport! This is a great opportunity to show others your work and possibly have your images become part of the AMC’s print and online publications. Photo submissions may be made in three categories including (1) Kids, Families, and Adults Outdoors; (2) Scenics and Nature; (3) AMC in Action and up to three submissions may be made in each category. For more information including contest rules, visit the AMC photo contest website or e-mail amcp...@outdoors.org

“Even in times of crisis, we’re called to take the long view to preserve our national heritage –- because in doing so we fulfill one of the responsibilities that falls to all of us as Americans, and as inhabitants of this same small planet.” Those were President Barack Obama’s words on April 16, 2010. And the initiative to work toward these goals is called “America’s Great Outdoors.” This encourages people to unplug from the e-world and reconnect with the natural one. You can submit your ideas to conserve natural places, share your stories about the places you love, and find ways to enjoy the outdoors.