September 2nd - 7pm Virtual Meeting |
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MOAC will always make the health and well-being of our members and the community our top priority. Please stay tuned for updates and guidance regarding our meetings and activities. Thanks! |
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September General Meeting |
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The Lost Coast of California with Rick McGinley
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In June of 2019 Rick embarked on a three week solo trip to Northern California to spend time with the redwoods and do an eight day hike/adventure on the Lost Coast.
The Lost Coast is a 30+ mile stretch of the western edge of the continent that is the only part where Route One isn’t located due to the steep rugged terrain.
There were two sections to the hike, the five day northbound inland section through the King Range Mountains and the three day southbound return. 99% of the people that hike the Lost Coast take a shuttle to the start and hike back. It was a great and challenging adventure through a very beautiful wilderness. I look forward to sharing it with MOAC and how you can do this too.
Rick McGinley is a life long outdoor adventurer starting with Outward Bound Colorado in 1974. He has over 50 hiking and ski mountaineering trips to the 10th Mountain Huts in Colorado and to the Alps in Germany, Austria, Italy, France and Spain. Also an avid road cyclist with many long tours in North America and Europe and the route designer for Bike Maine for the past several years, being named the Bike Coalition of ME Volunteer of the Year for 2019. Rick has sea kayaked all the Maine coast with two solo trips from southern Maine to Lubec and other expeditions in Canada and Turkey.
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Last Month's Presentation |
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The Latest in Hiking Gear with Sadye Clark |
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Sadye Clark, Manager of the Eastern Mountain Sports store on Maine Mall Road, led us through all the advances and innovations in hiking gear over the past decade or so.
From hydration, to packs, to stoves, to trekking poles, filtration, sleeping bags, and footwear.... she showed us that everything is in constant change. Common sense changes, and technical innovations combine to make our outings more comfortable and enjoyable.
Sadye has been with EMS for 20 years, as well as being a Maine Guide and a fishing boat captain. "My passion for the outdoors started in high school, dry land training for the nordic ski team in the mountains. My first climb was Old Speck and I fell in love. I have been an avid hiker, ice climber and cyclist most of my life. I also love helping to outfit folks for lifelong memories in the wilderness."
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Nature Art * Jewelry * Quilts
Driftwood - Rocks - Shells - Glass - Seeds
www.naturecreationsmaine.com
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Ryan Aponte
Jeffrey Banger
Bethanie Bernard
Covey Crolius
Jeanne Demers
Erin Doyle
Laura Eaton
Thomas Frisk
Martin Gagnon
Alice Goldfinger
Melissa Gormley
Liz Hays
Adrienne Heimbold
Bill Johnson
Wayne Jortner
Donald Kitchen
Norman Mcgrail
Amylynn Merosola
Nicole Mingarelli
Christopher Myers
Cecilia Nolan
Cordelia Pitman
Phyllis Reames
Beverly Reid
james Rohman
Janice Ryder
Elizabeth Smalley
Milton Stein
Jessica Strating
Corina Tanguay
Anastasia Thompson
Lauren Thompson
Linda Trapp
William Vance
Maggie Wachtl
Elizabeth Weir
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September! What happened? Deep State plot to eradicate summer fun?
It doesn’t seem real. What happened to summer? Well, cowboy up. Here we are. I doubt I’m alone in saying I don’t like the way things have gone for the last number of months…and it doesn’t look so good going ahead either. I have often thought that I might have already gone to Heaven…and this is it, as good as it gets. For some reason, I find this depressing.
There is something to be said for a brighter light looking forward. One good thing – the general populace has become much more keenly aware of hygiene. I find myself getting out more and socializing carefully with other people, my new norm.
The club is coming back alive. Posts are up, as is the stock market. Why these align, I do not know. I suspect the smart money will invest in warm clothing for when we eat at restaurants outdoors this winter. I know of one person who has gained 15 pounds during the pandemic. I can only assume this to be a sort of insurance policy going into the wintertime. It’s not good to be on the light side with the coming season you know.
So in conclusion…let me leave you with this, “Pork up and hike!, Be merry!”
Dan Kidd, President
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On Tuesday, August 18, 207, NewsCenterMaine's daily news magazine show, profiled the best club in Maine. MOAC!!
Reporter Beth McAvoy talked with President Dan Kidd about the club and what it's like to make way through a once in a century crisis. Dan talks about the challenges for the club as well as the opportunities the organization offers to others trying to navigate this pandemic.
If you missed its original airing, please click HERE to watch it now. |
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Posting Trips with COVID-19 |
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The posting of trips can resume with the following guidelines:
- Do not post trips, or attend them if you feel it takes you out of your comfort zone. The board understands it will take time for things to ramp up to whatever "normal" will now be.
- Please try to avoid "Show and Go" trips as it can lead to unexpected numbers and tend to be less organized. It is more of a pain, but the board feels it is important. We do realize that it can depend on the kind of trip it is. Boats on the water social distance by design.
- Please post Member Only trips for the time being. Again, better control and few, if any surprises.
- Please limit trip size to reasonable numbers. Of course, that can vary from trip to trip.
- Know the rules of where you want to go. Research ahead of time to make sure the trail or land is open. Obey closed signs.
- Practice social distancing
- Avoid carpooling
- Aprés trip gatherings. If it isn't outdoors with plenty of space, you might want to reconsider it.
- Be prepared to wear a mask and follow whatever rules are presented wherever the group ends up
If you don't feel well, STAY HOME.
Be safe, be well, and BE SMART!
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AMC: Here's how to Return Outdoors Safely |
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The piece offers advice on how AMC is handling the restarting of activities as well has how to carry them off safely. You will also find important links for federal agencies like the National Park Service as well as resources by state.
Click HERE to check out the resources offered. |
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Campfire Nachos
A beloved happy hour classic, now being served at a campground near you. What better way to end the day outside than with a cold beer, warm campfire, and a big pot full of cheesy nachos?
Author: Fresh Off The Grid
Prep Time: 5 minutesCook Time: 10 minutesTotal Time: 15 minutes
2 servings for dinner, or 4 servings as an appetizer
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon neutral flavored oil
- ½ lb tortilla chips
- 1 (7.75 oz) can El Pato hot tomato sauce, or equivalent
- 1 cup shredded Mexican cheese blend
- 1 (14.5 oz) can black beans, drained
- 1 large avocado, cubed
- 4-5 green onions, sliced
- Handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1 small lime, cut into wedges
Instructions
- Lightly oil the bottom of a large dutch oven, to prevent the nachos from sticking.
- For the first layer, evenly spread ⅓ of the chips into the dutch oven, topped with ¼ can El Pato, ¼ can black beans, ¼ cup cheese, and a handful of avocado, green onions, and cilantro. Repeat for the second layer.
- For the third and final layer, use the remaining ⅓ portion of chips, ½ can El Pato, ½ can black beans, ½ cup cheese, and the remaining avocado, onion, and cilantro.
- Cover the dutch oven and place on a metal grill over your campfire for about 10 minutes, until the cheese has melted. Serve with the lime wedges.
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This newsletter is for you, and by definition BY you. After all, YOU are MOAC. Without MOAC, there would be no newsletter. We can alway use:
- Pictures
- News
- Letters to the Editor
- Trip Stories
- Poetry
- Celebrate friends' milestones (birthdays, achievements, celebrations, condolences)
Email the editor to submit. By the end of the meeting week to ensure enough time to process.
Thank you!
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Advertise in the Newsletter |
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Do you own a small business? Work for one? Have a side hustle? Do you have a garage/attic/basement full of gear to thin out? Do you want to get the word out about it? If so, advertise in the newsletter!
Your message will be in the inbox of the MOAC faithful every month. click HERE for more information or contact Maryann McLaughlin. |
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This entry is from August, 1995
After the (Thoreau) Falls
By DEANNA STAPLES
On the morning of June 10, nine hikers met at the Two Trails Diner in Standish for Dan Kidd's trip to Thoreau Falls. The sky was a clear, promising blue for the ride into New Hampshire. The drive was disturbed only when Dan's truck skidded to a halt when a black bear bounded across the road right in front of us. Though I have lived in Maine for most of my life, this was my first encounter with an uncaged bear. I was thrilled and glad to experience it from the confines of a large pickup truck.
The hike to Thoreau Falls on the Zealand and Ethan Pond Trails is long but not too demanding. After a slathering of Skin-So-Soft and a gassing of "Off", the bugs were not bothersome and I returned home with only one bite (from a bug).
The stars of this trip were the spring wildflowers. Though my knowledge of wildflowers is limited, our trip botanist, Suzette, filled us in on fascinating details. She spotted a stand of the rare insectivore, sundew, at the falls. This tiny flesh eater bears small circular heads with hairs that each have a drop of "dew" on them. The "dew" is actually a sticky enzyme that traps and dissolves insects. Many less violent flowers were also seen including white lady slippers, trillium, stars, wild azaleas, and entire corps de bailets of pink lady slippers.
After the falls, we hiked back to a trail crossing and made a side trip up to Zealand Falls where we enjoyed more lovely waterfalls (except for one hiker who was scared back to the parking area by a S-N-A-K-E). On our hike out, we saw our second moose of the day. The first was a drive by, but this one was standing placidly in the middle of a pond eating and hiker watching.
The day ended with an Italian meal at which anchovies were ordered. The trip was enjoyed by all including our two canine members, Action and Matilda. Thank you Dan for leading my first MOAC trip, it was a memorable one.
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By HENRY DAVID THOREAU
O Nature! I do not aspire
To be the highest in thy quire,—
To be a meteor in the sky,
Or comet that may range on high;
Only a zephyr that may blow
Among the reeds by the river low;
Give me thy most privy place
Where to run my airy race.
In some withdrawn, unpublic mead
Let me sigh upon a reed,
Or in the woods, with leafy din,
Whisper the still evening in:
Some still work give me to do,—
Only—be it near to you!
For I'd rather be thy child
And pupil, in the forest wild,
Than be the king of men elsewhere,
And most sovereign slave of care:
To have one moment of thy dawn,
Than share the city's year forlorn.
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Dead Mountain: The Untold True Story of the Dyatlov Pass Incident (Historical Nonfiction Bestseller, True Story Book of Survival). By Donnie Eichar. Chronicle Books, 2014, 288 pages. ISBN-13: 978-1452140032. Price $14.30 (paperback) |
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Journeys North: The Pacific Crest Trail, by Barney "Scout" Mann. Mountaineers Books, 2020, 320 pages. ISBN-13: 978-1680513219. Price $17.96 (paperback) |
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Outpost: A Journey to the Wild Ends of the Earth. By Dan Richards. Canongate Books, 2019, 288 pages. ISBN: 978-178689-157-0. Price $21.49 (hardcover) |
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- 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.
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A MOAC Farewell
Old Quarry Campground - Stonington, ME
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Androscoggin River
Somewhere in Maine
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Member Benefits and Discounts |
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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.
Other links of importance:
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While MOAC no longer has an official chapter in Bangor, that doesn't change the fact MOAC is there. It would be great to have an official active group to serve Down East, and if you are interested in starting one back up, please email the Board.
The chapter in Bangor had monthly meetings just like Portland, held at Epic Sports.
Short of that, there is an email address and Message Board category to serve that purpose. The email address is: bangor_area@moac.org. Please use both options to organize events in that area of the state. |
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Every day is an Adventure
Join us to find yours!
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We are fortunate to be part of this organization MOAC. A diverse outdoors club that's been around since 1989 and welcomes newcomers of all ages and experience. If you're new or thinking about joining, please do. As an ALL-VOLUNTEER Club, our members organize and voluntarily lead all trips and activities from beginner to expert. From strenuous mountain hikes, or as part of the MOAC Trek Across Maine Team, to casual conversational-pace bike rides along the Eastern Trail, after-work city or beach walks or a gentle sail in Casco Bay, to overnight ocean kayaking paddle trips, weekend camping outings to Acadia, Baxter and one of the Maine Huts, MOAC members post their outdoor adventure ideas on their online calendar. “Join MOAC to challenge yourself, share your outdoor skills and meet other outdoor adventurers!” www.moac.org |
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Get photos of your trip
in the newsletter or shown on the big screen at the
General Meeting
Email photos to
photos@moac.org
Email your trip
stories to
editor@moac.org
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Contacting MOAC
info@moac.org
MOAC is a non-profit 501c7 organization serving the outdoor community in the state of Maine. As such the organization is governed by the following set of Bylaws.
Mission Statement
- To facilitate the pursuit of amateur outdoor activities of all types for persons of all skill levels.
- To provide a structure for public awareness (i.e. safety, conservation, and environmental awareness).
- To provide an outlet for public service activities.
- To provide a structure for social networking and community building. MOAC is and shall remain a non-affiliated organization
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