Appalachian Mountain Club – Maine Chapter

Hikers interested in becoming backpackers won’t want to miss the Introduction to Backpacking workshop on Monday, June 8, 2009. This workshop is designed for beginner and experienced hikers ready to move into overnights on the trail or backpackers looking for new ideas. The event will be held from 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm at the South Portland Library 482 Broadway South Portland.

For more information, contact Wayne Newton, hike...@myfairpoint.net, 207-897-3072, or Lew Dow, lws...@yahoo.com, 207-890-8512.

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 6th 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!

The Appalachian Mountain Club has developed a ski touring experience that travels “lodge to lodge” through Maine’s famed 100-Mile Wilderness. This trip takes skiers to three lodges (Medawisla Wilderness Lodge, West Branch Pond Camps, and Little Lyford Pond Camps) and includes all meals, lodging and gear shuttling between the lodges. The trip is feasible for skiers of any experience level and offers a terrific winter adventure right here in Maine.

Outdoor writer and enthusiast Carey Kish writes of his first-hand experience with the lodge-to-lodge trek, including the route, weather, gear, and, the food and drink (always a priority with Carey!).

Maine Fish and Wildlife, the magazine of the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, is now available on line! There’s plenty for all outdoor enthusiasts in this publication, including helpful hunting and fishing information, details on conservation programs, great stories of places and characters, and beautiful pictures of the Maine outdoors.

As we head out into the woods this summer, a friendly reminder of the 7 “Leave No Trace” principles seems appropriate. They are:

1) Plan ahead and prepare
2) Travel and camp on durable surfaces
3) Dispose of waste properly
4) Leave what you find
5) Minimize campfire impacts
6) Respect wildlife
7) Be considerate of other visitors

Please remember and abide by these principles, so that others may enjoy the same outdoor experiences! Visit the Leave No Trace website for more information or to join!

Just in time for warmer weather – AMC is offering plenty of outdoor fun this spring.  With everything from fly fishing workshops in Maine, to classic spring skiing in Tuckerman Ravine,  50 + get aways at the Highlands Center, women’s outdoor skills weekend in Maine, exploring flowers in the alpine zone in the Presidentials, or just getting in shape for it all!

Be sure to join us on Tuesday, May 19, 2009 as Jesse Cottingham gives a presentation on his Vermont Semester with Kroka Expeditions. Jesse spent six months living outside with 9 other teens and learning to live in nature by making the things they needed to get by. This event is a potluck presentation with a potluck dinner at 6 pm and the presentation at 7 pm.

For more information, please click here to download a pdf flyer; KROKA for this event.

Come join the AMC Maine Chapter on Monday, June 8, 2009 for an Introduction to Backpacking workshop. Learn what you need for safe overnight travel for one night to six months on the trail.backpacks,food,stoves,water purification,clothes,trip planning,and a variety of outdoor hints.This workshop is designed for beginner and experienced hikers ready to move into overnights on the trail or backpackers looking for new ideas. The event will be held from 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm at the South Portland Library 482 Broadway South Portland. Parking is available off Highland Ave.

For more information, contact Wayne Newton, hike...@myfairpoint.net, 207-897-3072, or Lew Dow, lws...@yahoo.com, 207-890-8512.

Looking to reduce your carbon footprint? Leaving your car at home is a great way to do this. So join other Mainers in this year’s big statewide transportation event the week of May 11 though 15. Commuters across Maine are welcome and encouraged to take part. Commute Another Way Week promotes healthy, economical and eco-friendly modes of commuting: Carpools, vanpools, transit (bus, ferry & rail), bicycling and walking to work.

Try “commuting another way” just one day or all five. Try one commuter mode of travel or a different one each day. The more days you try the more chances you have to win. This year’s prizes are U.S. Savings Bonds in amounts ranging from $50 to $1,000! So register today. Continue Reading »

What do these have in common? You could win a JetBoil PCS stove if you log in to the Member Center for the first time during the month of May! So sign-up for the AMC Member Center! From there you an also sign-up to receive the monthly “AMC Digest”. This allows you to select trip types, regions, and activities and have the filtered list sent right to your inbox! You can also view over 1,900 chapter activities and major excursions now. For more information on how to log in to the AMC Member Center!

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