January MOAC Newsletter

February 5th - 6pm Social Hour/7pm Meeting

Unitarian/Universalist Church 524 Allen Ave, Portland

Thank You

Former president Jeff Berry has announced he is stepping down from the position of organizing the monthly meeting presentations. Dan Kidd will be taking over that role. A MOAC THANK YOU to both Jeff and Dan! If you would like to present or want to suggest someone, please email programs@moac.org.

February General Meeting

Back Country Skiing with Chris Bennett

Join Chris as he shares photos and adventures of backcountry skiing from The White Mountains, Katahdin, Japan and the Tetons. He will share what it took to get the shot and how you can take better ski photos.

Chris Bennett is a freelance photographer whose work takes him around the world. He is a regular contributor to Outside Magazine, Backpacker and Downeast and his work has been published in National Geographic Adventure, Men's Journal and Yankee.

Last Month's Presentation

Sue McCarthy - Havasupai:

The People of the Blue-Green Water

In July, 2019, MOACer Sue McCarthy ventured west to the Havasupai Indian Reservation in Arizona to hike in Grand Canyon. The reservation, west of Grand Canyon National Park, is home to numerous waterfalls and the unique blue-green water of Havasu Creek. Havasupai means, “the people of the blue-green water.”

Join Sue as she ventures deep into the canyons for four days of waterfalls (Navajo Falls, Havasu Falls, Mooney Falls, Beaver Falls), rewarding western landscapes and some challenging hiking (ladders and chains). She hiked the creek to its confluence with the Colorado River and back.

The movie/slideshow is a compilation of pictures taken by Sue and her companions.

Click HERE to learn more about the Havasupai people and the adventures available there.

Winterfest 2020

While details are still being ironed out, please plan on Winterfest to be on Saturday, February 29. So, let's make it a Leap Year Party as well.

At the meeting this month, there was discussion about the venue choice. After several years along the coastal plane (Smiling Hill Farm, Wolfe's Neck Farm), the decision was made last year to look more inland to help guarantee better conditions. In general, most felt our day at Five Fields Farm in Bridgton was a success. There was snow to ski on and a mountain to climb. The hosts were friendly and gracious. Did we mention heated, real bathrooms?

So, pencil in February 29th and stay tuned for more information as to where. The date will only change if a venue can't be found.

A Holiday Party Recap

If you were in the vicinity of North Road in Yarmouth on the evening of December 14, you might have felt the wind pick up. A Hurricane ( The Hurricanes) blew through the Robert W. Boyd Am-Vet Hall and MOAC celebrated the season with its annual Holiday Party.

As with all club get-togethers, food was abundant with a variety of potluck delicacies from appetizers to main and side dishes, to desserts. MOAC provided a carved turkey and ham for the evening to supplement what members brought. In addition, a cash bar helped keep things moving. The main force there, however, were The Hurricanes, back by popular demand. Their mix of music kept the dance floor at "Category 5" throughout the evening.

Portland Gear Hub was the charity for this year and the beneficiary of the 50/50 raffle. $145 was raised for the Portland based non-profit. A MOACer with the winning ticket took home the same amount.

Each year the club picks a local, outdoor themed, non-profit for the 50/50. Past organizations include Winter Kids, Teens for Trails, Ripple Effect, and others. Let the board know if you would like to suggest a non-profit to benefit from the 2020 party.

A Loud Holiday Party THANK YOU!

Nothing in MOAC happens without YOUR help. The holiday party was a success thanks to many members.

Decorating:

Dave Francis, Al Racine, Bob Hamblen, Ken Plourde, Lianne Mitchell, Linda Johnson, Marc Pomerleau, Martha Briggs, Steve Dorey, Sue Proia, and Susan Leclair.

Check-in at the door:

Cathy Getchell, Denise Turner, Jerry, Turner, and Sue McCarthy

Keeping an eye on the food tables:

Marc Hills, Anne Geisler, Nancy Meyer, and Peter Brokofsky.

50/50 ticket sales:

Nancy Durand, and Peter Durand

Cleanup:

Sue Proia, Bonnie Farrand, Dave Francis, Bob McKinnon, Jane McKinnon, Ruth Earley, Jim Earley, Linda Johnson, Jim Rochette

Our apologies if we missed anyone. We are all volunteers after all. Please send along any names missed to editor@moac.org.

MOAC Elections

The winter months bring our annual election process as we seat a Board of Directors for the next 12 months. The schedule is as follows:

January Meeting - Announce the process, name an Elections Officer, and start looking for people interested in running.
February Meeting - Officially place names in nomination
Between February and March Meeting - Hold electronic voting for all members (only if there is any contested office. If the slate is uncontested, there is no voting)
March Meeting - Allow paper voting at the meeting, then announce the Board for the next year.

Nancy Dorrans has been selected to be our Elections Office this year. If you are interested in running for a position, please email Nancy.

If you have any questions about what's involved in being on the MOAC Board, please click HERE to ask.

Offices to fill include:

President
Vice-President
Treasurer
Secretary
Three (3) At-Large positions

Please click HERE to read the MOAC by-laws.

Dust of Snow

BY ROBERT FROST

The way a crow

Shook down on me

The dust of snow

From a hemlock tree

Has given my heart

A change of mood

And saved some part

Of a day I had rued.

Nature Art * Jewelry * Quilts

Driftwood - Rocks - Shells - Glass - Seeds

www.naturecreationsmaine.com

President's Corner

Beyond our Borders

The first MOAC meeting I ever attended, some years back, featured Dan Kidd sharing the story of his trip to South America (many details elude me, so forgive) with three companions, building a bicycle-powered raft upon their arrival, then setting off to float a major-looking river on an almost-beyond-belief adventure that featured mechanical failure, rescues and a scrape with the law and/or gun-toting locals (again, details).

I left that night, thinking, “Wow, MOAC stages some pretty awesome trips.” And, years later, I still haven’t gone on a DK canoe trip – hmmm. (That will change – you schedule and I will show, Dan).

Which brings me to the January meeting presentation: Sue McCarthy’s slide show and stories of exploring the hauntingly beautiful Havasu Canyon, a tributary to the Colorado River. And that, of course, follows up on part 2 of Pat Johnson’s cross-country odyssey in her tricked-out Ford van, shared at the November meeting. Both shows were great, reminding many of us of visits to some of the other incredible natural places with which this country is blessed.

‘Swonderful to see MOAC’ers checking out places like the Southwest – and therein lies the crux of this column.

Save the Red Rock

Think of the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance (SUWA) and the Glen Canyon Institute as companion organizations to MOAC – I do, and I think I’m more right than wrong about that. I’m a dues-paying member of all three, because with 60-plus years on this planet, one of the very most important things to me is enjoying and preserving the outdoors.

Which brings me to some of the policies of the current administration in Washington, D.C. As Scott Groene, SUWA’s Executive Director, said in his 2018 annual report, “The political carnage that began in 2017 continued in President Trump’s second year. Policies preventing waste and protecting water and land were tossed aside. The Bears Ears and Grand Staircase-Escalante monuments lay in tatters. Former industry lobbyists were appointed leaders of the land agencies ostensibly directed at public land protection.”

Nothing much has changed in the past year, as the fossil fuel industry continues to direct national policy on oil and gas exploration. Unique landscapes, the result of millions of years of natural forces working their magic, are threatened by oil rigs and strip mining. Protections that many reasonable people agree are the right thing to do are removed in a way never contemplated by the Antiquities Act of 1906.

Occasionally common sense prevails; witness the Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument being retained over the objections of then-Governor LePage. Those who appreciate the natural world and the multiple opportunities that it offers can take heart: politicians come and go, but our natural wonders – though sometimes scarred and diminished – remain.

As an organization, MOAC is apolitical.

As lovers of the outdoors and advocates for the natural landscapes within which we recreate, re-charge, and remind ourselves of what’s important, MOAC members are encouraged to deliver this message at the upcoming primary and general elections: the outdoors matters, and we want candidates who will treat it as the precious resource that it is.

Bob Hamblen ( president@moac.org )

MOAC President

In 1912, Teddy Roosevelt’s “Bull Moose Party” sought "to dissolve the unholy

alliance between corrupt business and corrupt politics…"

Opinion

MOAC is an all volunteer club. What that means is that if members don’t volunteer, then we don’t have a club. While we need board members and a slew of volunteers for other things – the newsletter, membership, etc. But just as importantly, we also need members to post and attend outdoor trips!

Many people join MOAC because they have just moved to the area or have just ended a relationship and are looking for things to do and people to meet. Not for dating, but just for company on outdoor activities. Most new members are reluctant to post trips themselves until they get to know other members and go on some trips. This means we rely heavily on more experienced members to post.

However, we have had a serious decrease in trip posts over the last couple of years, with an increase in “off book” activities. Particularly the last year or so when 3 or 4 people that were weekly trip leaders stopped posting for various reasons. This is not a complaint about them - people’s lives change and they need to adjust activities. This IS a call out for others to be more active in posting trips.

I joined MOAC in 2006 and remember hearing, even back then, that there was a concern about “off book” trips by members. While it’s understandable that sometimes people just want a small group of their closer friends to do an activity, it’s tough on the club when that becomes the norm and there is no one posting events to the calendar.

For new/newer members, don’t be shy! While it’s important to know what you’re doing to lead some trips – like winter hiking 4000 footers and island hopping in kayaks, there are many local places to hike, snowshoe, paddle, cross country or skate ski, etc. where no special experience is required. If you have questions about posting, please reach out to a board member.

For our “older” members, please help keep the club going and remember how great it was for you when you first joined to build this great network of fellow outdoor enthusiasts!

After all, do we want a social club that occasionally does outdoor stuff or an outdoor club that occasionally does social stuff?

Submitted by:

Lianne Mitchell

Editor's Note - At the time of this newsletter, membership is as low as it has been in the past dozen years at least. We are on a downward trend and dancing around the 500 number. Just to put some perspective on the above opinion.

Banff Helps MOAC's Mission Spread

There's been an ad in this newsletter for months and you will find the Banff Mountain Film Festival on the MOAC calendar for February 11-12. If you've never been, the State Theater sells out for both nights. MOAC is mentioned as well as having a table in the lobby to get the word out. We pass out flyers, stickers, and business cards as well as talk up the club to anyone who will listen.

Please consider helping us out on these two nights. Please contact the board to volunteer.

Pictures Wanted

Do you have a shoebox of photos on that high shelf in the back of your closet? That cabinet in your garage? Under your bed? And might some of these photos be of MOAC adventures from years ago? If so, we'd love to borrow them.

As part of celebrating our 30th anniversary, the club would like to create a digital record of the thrills and spills members have accumulated over that time. We plan to digitize whatever we can get our hands on. Donated photos can be returned after being scanned.

If you have anything you'd like to share, regardless of era, please email Marianne Hubert.

Got Your Skis Ready?

Your one-stop shopping for ski conditions in Maine.

ALPINE - Click HERE

NORDIC - Click HERE

If you feel you have better resources, please email link to editor@moac.org

LL Bean Lecture Series Announced

LL Bean has released the schedule for its annual lecture series. Events are Friday evenings, starting at 7, and located in the camping atrium of the flagship store in Freeport. Look for more detailed information in the calendar as it becomes available. MOACers are known to gather for dinner before, or rehydrate after these events.

January 24 - Film Screening: This Mountain Life – Skiing the Coast Range

January 31 - Living in Our National Parks with Phel Jacobsen

February 7 - Nature Notes from Maine with Ed Robinson

February 14 - The Forgotten Nepal with Zach Gostanian

February 21 - Walking in Watercolor, An Artist’s Pilgrimage on the Camino de Santiago with Jennifer Lawson

February 28 - The Voices of Acadia’s Waters and Native Fish with Matthew Dickerson

March 6 - Jeff Ryan - The Hermit of Monson, Maine

March 13 - Appalachian Trail Photo Essay with Stan Goldblatt

March 20 - Film Screening: Amazing Amazon by Bill Yeo

March 27 - An Odyssey on America's Continental Divide Trail with Tom Jamrog

April 3 - Reading Rural Landscapes with Robert Sanford

April 10 - Squaretail Trout with Bob Mallard

April 17 - Proper Bike Fit with Georgena Terry

April 24 - Coyote; America's Songdog with Geri Vistein

Maine Bureau Of Parks And Lands Newsletter

In my Inbox, I found a newsletter from the state. I am not sure if it is new, as I don't remember getting one before, but I found it chock full of winter outdoor information that we can all use.

A few things were in early January but for the most part, it is timely.

Please click HERE to access the newsletter content.

Remember the Leave No Trace Principles

Plan ahead and prepare.
Travel and camp on durable surfaces.
Dispose of waste properly.
Leave what you find.
Minimize campfire impacts (be careful with fire).
Respect wildlife.
Be considerate of other visitors.

MOAC Needs YOU!

The Club has a few positions to fill. If you are interested in any, please email the Board. MOAC is an all-volunteer organization that works because of you.

KEEPER OF THE INVENTORY - MOAC has a supply of consumables we use for our various official get-togethers. We need someone to ride herd on this stuff and make sure we have enough when needed. Summerfest, Winterfest, those types of things. Plates/cups/silverware/etc. A history of previous events is provided as is the guidance of the last "Keeper."

Annual Holiday Lights Stroll

Portland

Decorated For The Holidays

Portland

Member Benefits and Discounts

Your annual dues do much more than just plug you into the greatest group of people Maine has to offer. Please check out the links below to see what else your membership does. The Board is always looking for new discounts and opportunities for members as well as to make sure the list is accurate. Please let the Board know if you find an error or want to suggest a possible addition.

Please login to MOAC first.

Click here for ongoing events.

Click here for discounts.