Appalachian Mountain Club – Maine Chapter

It’s not too early to sign up for summer teen Wilderness Adventures with the AMC for 2010! Teen Wilderness Adventures offer more than 30 exciting and rewarding outdoor adventures in the White Mountains and Lakes Regions of New Hampshire, as well as Acadia National Park and western Maine, for youth ages 12 to 18. Summer trips range in length from 5 to 23 days, and many of them combine different outdoor elements such as backpacking, canoeing, kayaking, mountain biking, and rock climbing. New programs for 2010 include a waterfalls and swimming holes backpack, ocean kayaking in Maine, and introductory single and multi-sport adventures. See this webpage for more information.

Please join us on Wednesday February 10 for a presentation by Bryan Wentzell, AMC’s Maine Policy Manager, to talk about AMC’s Maine Woods Initiative and plans for 66,000 acres of conservation lands in the heart of the 100-Mile Wilderness region. AMC has permanently protected a 63-mile-long corridor of conservation land—the organization’s largest investment in its 134-year history. Bryan Wentzell will talk about balancing new backcountry recreation, timber harvesting, wilderness lodges, and traditional recreation activities, and will also touch upon the Plum Creek Timber Company’s concept plan and what it means for development and conservation in the Moosehead region. The program is free and open to the public. It will be in the Morrell Room of the Curtis Memorial Library, 23 Pleasant Street, in Brunswick, Maine. Come early for the potluck dinner at 6 pm followed by the presentation at 7 pm. Bring a potluck item to share and your own dinnerware (plate, utensils etc.). Drinks will be provided and plastic-ware will be available. Please contact John Mullens (207-361-1210) for more information, visit our calendar page, or download a flyer (PDF).

Be sure to join the Maine Chapter for an alpine Ski Day at Mt. Abram on Sunday, February 7, 2010. Meet Leader Carolyn Welch in the Mount Abram lodge at 9:00 am and bring your AMC membership card to get a lift ticket for a $39 corporate rate.

Contact Carolyn at cwel...@gmail.com to sign up and to receive carpooling info.

On Saturday February 6, 2010 there will be a sled dog race starting in Greenville and proceeding to AMC’s Gorman-Chairback Camps on Long Pond, via West Branch Pond Camps, and onward to AMC’s Medawisla Camps on Second Roach Pond. Much of the 100-mile race route will be on AMC lands and pass through their wilderness lodges. If you have never seen dog sledding in person, it is an exhilarating experience!

The opinion piece published on the front page of the Winter 2010 issue of Wilderness Matters, written by Bob Goldman, was not necessarily the opinion or position of the Appalachian Mountain Club or the Maine Chapter. The published piece should have contained a statement clarifying this. We apologize for any confusion or concern that this caused AMC members. You can read about the AMC’s conservation strategy in the Northwoods of Maine or by contacting Bryan Wentzell, AMC’s Maine Policy Manager at 207-725-2248.

Take advantage of AMC’s corporate rate at Mt Abram ski area all season long. But, there’s a special trip planned for AMCers on Sunday February 7, 2010! Ski all day for $39, with time to spare for watching the Super Bowl that evening. So, wax up those ‘boards’, gather up some fellow Appies, and get out to enjoy the 44 trails Mt. Abram has to offer! Contact Carolyn Welch for more information.

Imagine a 25-mile ski journey over four days, with three nights spent in cozy cabins in the heart of Maine’s 100-Mile Wilderness Region. This backcountry trek goes from Medawisla Lodge on Second Roach Pond to West Branch Pond Camps to the Little Lyford Pond Camps near Gulf Hagas. Skiers travel a few miles a day over maintained trails carrying only a light day-pack, as overnight gear is shuttled ahead via snowmobile to your next destination. And there awaits a woodstove-warmed cabin and hearty home-cooked meals. Sound like a great adventure? Check out the details or read an account from someone who has made the trek!

Jon Tierney, Owner and Head Guide of Acadia Mountain Guides Climbing School, will talk about ice climbing, equipment, safety, local routes, and the joy of spending winter on snow and ice in a safe and invigorating environment. Jon spends most of his winter days outdoors helping novices enjoy ice, snow, and spectacular scenery. This talk is intended for people who are comfortable being outdoors in winter, who are fascinated by climbing gear, and also for those who simply wonder why anyone would choose to play on icefalls in winter.

Jon is a registered Maine Guide, the Founding Director of the University of Maine outdoor education program, the Founding Director of the Professional Climbing Instructors Association (PCIA), PCIA Educational Director, and past member of the Board of Directors, Friends of Baxter State Park.

The event will be January 27, 2010, at the Bangor Public Library, 145 Harlow Street, Bangor, ME, 04401. Come early for the potluck dinner at 5:30 pm followed by the presentation at 6:30 pm Bring a potluck item to share and your own dinnerware (plate, utensils etc.). Drinks will be provided and plastic-ware will be available. This is the first AMC event in the Bangor area in a long time and we encourage people to attend. Please contact John Mullens(207-361-1210) for more information.

Please download a Jon Tierney in Bangor event flyer.

Don’t let winter freeze your activities- get out and embrace it at the 17th Annual Mount Washington Valley Ice Festival from February 5-7 in North Conway, New Hampshire. This 3-day event brings together climbers of all abilities to celebrate the adventure, the fun, and the comradery of ice climbing and will feature gear demonstrations, evening entertainment, as well as a skills clinic. There are also a ton of great sponsors. For more information, check out the -->

Join us on Tuesday, January 19, to hear Jon Tierney, Owner and Head Guide of Acadia Mountain Guides Climbing School, talk about ice climbing, equipment, safety, local routes, and the joy of spending winter on snow and ice in a safe and invigorating environment. Jon is a registered Maine Guide, the Founding Director of the University of Maine outdoor education program, the Founding Director of the Professional Climbing Instructors Association (PCIA), PCIA Educational Director, and past member of the Board of Directors, Friends of Baxter State Park. The event will be at the South Portland Library, 482 Broadway, South Portland, ME. Parking is available off Highland Avenue. Come early for the potluck dinner at 6 pm followed by the presentation at 7 pm Bring a potluck item to share and your own dinnerware (plate, utensils etc.). Drinks will be provided and plastic-ware will be available. For more information, please contact John Mullens(207-361-1210), visit our calendar page, or download a flyer (PDF).