Appalachian Mountain Club - Maine Chapter

Headed to the hills for a hike? Or planning a paddle on a pond? If you are going with a group and looking to carpool, try GOMAINE’s Trip Planner! This is a TEST version of web software that serves as a free online rideboard to help you find someone to share the ride – and the travel costs – the next time you head for the mountains. This can save you a lot of gas $ as well as reduce your “carbon footprint.” Try it for recreation, concerts, sporting events, conferences, meetings; one way or round trip– you choose. Sharing the ride helps keep Maine’s air cleaner and our landscape less cluttered with cars. In addition, as a beta-tester you can fill out a brief survey and be entered to win $100 gas card!

Why do people hike on the Appalachian Trail? That’s what Barbara Freidt from Old Dominion University wanted to find out. Some of you may remember the post we did on an AT survey back in March; these are the results! Topics range from demographics, to shelter and privy preferences, to meeting dogs on the trail. And more importantly why people hike and how many folks give back to the trail in the form of trail work and other conservation efforts. Here is a summary of the preliminary findings!

True Mainers can joke about the black fly being the official Maine State Bird. It’s only with a touch of dry Downeast humor that the bravest Maine resident can endure the Bug season which resides between Mud Season (Spring) and Not Winter (Summer). The dreaded Black Fly always travels in unending numbers, knows exactly where to strike to draw the most blood and cause the largest rash, and can penetrate any bug screen known to mankind. If it seems that the Black Fly is supernatural in its abilities, it’s more likely that their sheer numbers in Maine have increased due to an unlikely unintended consequence.

According to an article in the Boston Globe, the efforts of the Clean Water Act have resulted in environmental conditions that have led to healthy populations of the Black Fly in Maine. The clean, clear waters of Maine’s rivers and streams are perfect breeding areas for Black Flies, making Maine a virtual Eden for these pesky gnats.

So, when you’re wading through a hoard of Black Flies, just try to remember that their presence is a positive indicator of Maine’s healthy environment, and perhaps well worth such hardships to those who value our State’s natural beauty.

As an AMC member you receive the magazine of the Appalachian Mountain Club, AMC Outdoors. What do you like? What don’t you like? That’s what the AMC wants to know! Your voluntary input is being solicited to help improve the magazine by completing an on-line survey. In addition, you will be able to voice your opinion of future publication mediums, such as electronic format, for the magazine and chapter newsletters. The 25-question, mostly button-click survey takes about 10-15 minutes of your time, so you will still have plenty of time to get out and bag a peak, paddle a river, or clear that blow-down. And, by taking the survey you can enter a raffle to win a free White Mountain Guide. Take the survey today!

Looking to get off the beaten path this season for a back-packing trip? Matt Heid’s new book AMC’s Best Backpacking in New England is just the ticket! The book details over 30 trips into the lesser travelled areas of New England. Maps and photos are included, as well as a rating of trip difficulty. In addition to trip planning and logistics is information on wilderness ethics, notes on New England geography, weather, and natural history. And remember, AMC members receive a 10% discount on books!

Support Bridgton’s downtown Pondicherry Park project by viewing outstanding adventure and environmental films from the Telluride Mountainfilm Festival!

Two different showings will take place on Tuesday, June 24th at 5:00 and 8:00 PM at the Magic Lantern Movie Theatre in downtown Bridgton. Tickets are $10 in advance or $12 at the door. The Mountainfilm Festival travels all over the world and has always been associated with high-caliber films with a commitment to social and environmental issues. If you have any questions about the event, please contact Bruce Hancock by phone at 207-595-0305.

Be sure to join us on Wednesday, June 18, 2008, for a look into the glamorous and challenging world of long-distance bike touring. AMC Member Larry Perkins will share his experiences bike touring 2,400 miles along the Great Divide from New Mexico to Alberta, Canada as the AMC Maine Chapter’s monthly potluck and presentation.

For more information, view the entry in our calendar.

Interested in trying hiking? Want to learn what is required to travel safely and stay safe on the trail? Planning a safe and successful hike and being prepared for whatever Mother Nature throws at you, will be the topic of an evening workshop sponsored by the Maine Chapter of the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC), Monday, June 16. The workshop is free and AMC members and non-members are welcome to attend. Continue Reading »

A huge Thank You to Fran Leyman for her awesome presentation last month on rafting the Grand Canyon! She enthralled a full room of 40 folks with her tales and photos of geologic features, flora, faura, and big, big rapids!! Fran joins Ken Hutchins, Carey Kish, and Larry Perkins as other AMC Members who have shared their stories of great adventure this year as part of the Meetings and Education monthly events. Continue Reading »

This annual, national event is sponsored by the American Hiking Society to promote awareness and cooperation among trail users. The event occurs this year on Saturday, June 7th and there are several ways you can get involved! Check out AMC’s web site for trail day events. Or, donate some of your own time to clean-up a favorite trail in your neck of the woods. And as they say, “Trails Day is EVERY day!” so check out the many opportunities to volunteer on Maine Chapter trail maintenance trips. There’s a job for everyone!