September MOAC Newsletter

October 7th - 7pm Virtual Meeting

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!

October General Meeting

Sailing the World with Kirsten Neuschafer

Kirsten will be talking about, and sharing some images of work and life aboard “Pelagic”, working for famous, high-latitude sailor and mountaineer, Skip Novak, and some of the amazing and far-out destinations that this job has taken her to, like the Antarctic Peninsula, Falkland Islands, South Georgia and Patagonia.

She will also be talking about her upcoming participation in the Golden Globe Race 2022,

preparation for an ocean voyage of this calibre and some of the challenges to be

expected.

Kirsten Neuschafer was born and raised in South Africa, and has always loved the outdoors and adventure. After finishing school, she spent a few nomadic years in the North doing various different jobs in between travels such as working in ski-resorts, wilderness guide on Spitsbergen, training sled-dogs in Scandinavia and other jobs that allowed her to discover colder climates. She eventually returned from Europe overland to South Africa, on a bicycle.

In 2014 she crewed for the first time on the well-known, high latitude expedition sailboat, Pelagic, which belongs to high latitude sailor and adventurer, Skip Novak. She has been returning to Pelagic every season.

Over the years of working on Pelagic, Kirsten has skippered various trips to South Georgia, Falklands, Patagonia and the Antarctic Peninsula, with primarily film crews from BBC and National Geographic on Wildlife Documentary film shoots. In April 2019, she and her crew sailed Pelagic from the Falklands, via Bermuda to Maine, where she spent most of the summer doing refit work to Pelagic, and subsequently did a circumnavigation of Newfoundland, before returning to winterize Pelagic and putting her in storage in Thomaston, Maine. She returned to Pelagic in March 2020, to complete final refit work and re-commission the boat for the summer.

Her next big challenge in her sailing career is the Golden Globe Race 2022. See her race profile HERE.

Last Month's Presentation

Hiking the The Lost Coast of California

with Rick McGinley

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. Rick shared a wonderful adventure and provided information that will hopefully get MOACers on that trail.

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 10^th 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.

Nature Art * Jewelry * Quilts

Driftwood - Rocks - Shells - Glass - Seeds

www.naturecreationsmaine.com

Welcome New Members

Barbara Baxley

Peggy Bensinger

Donna Cameron

MeganCampbell

Patt Chen

Deb Coughlin

Mark Despins

Stephanie Feyler

Susan Garrard

Richard Gill

Lisa Greenleaf

Suzanne Hoekstra

James Inglis

Carol Kahl

Jarmin Kaltsas

Brendan Krebs

Althea Latady

Rebecca Leeman

Nancy Litrocapes

Laura LoSciuto

Karen Loughlin

Margo Mallar

Carol Meader

Leslie Mills Degeorge

Christine Murphy

Daniel Pelletier

Hilary Perrey

Anne Pinkerton

Eren Raymond

Rob Reera

Paul Riemann

Catherine Rizos

Michael Rolfe

Sharon Ross

Susanne Schaller

Evelyn Taylor

Karen Twombly

Karen Zuckerman

President's Corner

Look for What Inspires You

It’s been a hard week. People have found flaws in me and my boat almost sunk. Generator shot, bilge pump quit and the battery is dead. The wheel bearing in the car went and then, yes, the boiler in my rental filled the basement with water. The leaves are turning and a hurricane is on its way. Just another week. Well I’m all cowboyed up and ready for more. This is the best hiking weather now! I want to hike the Hell outta here. But, someone has to spray disinfectant so here I’ll stay for the duration.

On a heavy think’n note, whilst scouting out kayaking launch sites for the Fall Fest, I was inspired. I spied an unusual sailing vessel tied up to a dock. It had four large reels of anchor line on deck. I had to ask! Turns out the boat had just come from work in Antarctica and returned because of the virus and on route next year to Greenland and Baffin Island. Whoa!! Why am I not doing this? Other than I’d be sick as a dog in those heavy seas, OH BOY what adventure! No…..I’m fixing leaks and spraying disinfectant with no light at the end of the tunnel. So, why is someone else doing these exciting things? I venture to say we could do these things but we haven’t dreamt of it. It never really crosses our minds, and it's always for someone else in a galaxy far, far away. Dreaming. Underrated, yet so important.

All things begin with a dream. All things. Find a way.

Dan Kidd, President

president@moac.org

Attention: Renewing Members Take Note

Two items Membership would like to pass on:

RENEWING YOUR MEMBERSHIP - For the best and most timely service, please consider renewing online. Many factors can cause an interruption in your membership if you mail in a check. How close to your membership expiration did you mail it? And the process on our end involves a volunteer trekking into Portland to get the mail, then sending the payment to a volunteer to process that, and also another volunteer to update your membership. Doing it online does all of this automatically and instantaneously. It is safe and secure.
MEMBERSHIP CARDS - With the Board decision to eliminate the MOAC phone service, new membership cards were needed without the phone number. While we wait for these to arrive, there might be a delay in you receiving new card(s).

If you have any questions about your membership, please contact membership@moac.org.

A Donate Used Bikes/$ to Portland Gear Hub

Spread the Love of Cycling

BY EILEEN WHYNOT

Remember when you learned to ride a bike? Wasn’t pedaling the next best thing to having dreams about flying like a bird? The Portland Gear Hub refurbishes bikes and gives them away to kids after a two-hour training. To learn more, please read on…

The Portland Gear Hub offers the training safely outdoors, so kids can Earn-A-Bike. Each class teaches the basics of Traffic Safety and Awareness, Proper Helmet Fit, Locking the Bike, and the ABC Quick Check and is available to all adults and youth ages 12 and up.

At the end of the class, students take home:

- A refurbished bike

- Helmet

- U-Lock

- Lights

- Repair Kit

Ainsley Judge is the Director of the Portland Gear Hub, a program of Camp Ketcha. For more information, visit www.portlandgearhub.org

---------------

Gear Hub has a mission worth supporting! Two bikes hanging from my garage ceiling just went to the Portland Gear Hub. Have your kids’ bikes hung around too long? Be greeted with enthusiasm for what you might consider a bike too old or broken to ride. Gear Hub will fix up old bikes…feel good about getting rid of sh*t, I mean stuff.

Take Pride In Acadia Day - 2020 Style

For years, MOAC has been represented at the annual Take Pride in Acadia Day (TPIAD) on the first Saturday of November. The annual event gathers volunteers from near and far to help prepare the famous carriage roads for winter by raking leaves to ensure proper drainage. In the past, the event has had as many as 400 people gather. Not so for 2020.

This year's event will be held on Saturday, November 7.

Due to COVID19 restrictions, Friends of Acadia, the organization that sponsors the event, has released details on how the day will work this year.

As in the past, registration will be online and in advance. But this year people will sign up as a team. Anyone want to be part of the MOAC team?
A team representative will need to be able to visit the outdoor supply station the day before to get safety supplies, information, and volunteer appreciation items.
On the day of the event, the team will meet at a predetermined location somewhere along the carriage road system. We will be assigned to a parking area ahead of time.
Tools and tarps will have been placed by Acadia for our use when we arrive.
There will be no gathering for lunch after at park headquarters.

Outside of the TPIAD event, you are on your own for meals, lodging, etc. Over the years people meet up to eat. This can also be just a day event.

Look for this to be on the calendar soon. Questions? Email Peter Mullen at pcm25me@gmail.com

Trip Stories

Pleasant Mountain Hike

BY MARTHA & BILL BRIGGS

Six MOACers recently hiked the Southwest Ridge Trail to the summit of Pleasant Mountain. It was a beautiful sunny Friday - the last Friday of August. After meeting, masked, at the parking lot, nine of us started out, but not everyone had the energy to do the whole hike. After the first half mile through the woods, the trail started breaking out onto ledges, with great views to the south and east. After continuing for another mile across ledges and through open woods, we reached the Southwest summit. Here we ate a late lunch on the ledges and rested tired muscles. The views were not as panoramic here, but Moose Pond to the east was beautiful.

After refueling, we re-entered the woods and hiked down into the col before the main peak. So, down 300 feet then back up 300 feet to connect with the Ledges trail. From there it was a pretty (and pretty steep) ledge hike up the last 1000 feet to the summit. At the top, the views of the White Mountains to the west were beautiful. It was nice to relax for a bit, and get some breeze and views before retracing our steps. For some of us, the trip back down was a bit harder than the trip up (knees aren’t as young as they once were), but we all made it safely (if tiredly) back to the parking lot. Although the hike took longer than book time, we all enjoyed it, and look forward to another hike soon.

Fall Fest

What do you get when you combine yankee ingenuity, selfless sharing, caring for one another, and COVID19 guidelines? You get the first MOAC group camping trip of 2020.

Thanks to MOACer Daria Peck for welcoming the club to her five-acre field behind her house in Thomaston. In addition to the use of her land, she tolerated the use of her electricity and water with hoses and cords running all over the place. Thanks to Dan Kidd for organizing the weekend. And thank you to Dan, Bill Shouse, and Sue McCarthy for the music around the campfire.

The rules? We were pretty much all outdoors all weekend. Tents were widely spread out. The fire pit area was large and looked somewhat like Stonehenge with spaced out chairs and bails of hay. Masks worn when distancing wasn't what it could be. Widely available hand sanitizer as well.

The central hub of the weekend was the large hot air balloon fabric tent provided by Tom Handcock (thank you). It was ringed with white festive lights. It was the base for the lobster bake Saturday evening and the pancake breakfast Sunday morning. But even these were adjusted for the pandemic. No helping yourself. Servers took care of the dishing out complete with gloves and masks. A MOAC weekend without a potluck? Heresy!

It was hard to tell just how many, but at least half of the group ventured on the Elizabeth Ann out of Port Clyde to explore Monhegan Island for the day. There was hiking, shopping, and of course a stop for many at Monhegan Brewing.

The perfect fall weather just added icing to the cake.

Thank you, Dan, for a wonderful weekend!

Food For Thought

CAMPING DUTCH OVEN CHICKEN AND DUMPLINGS

INGREDIENTS

1 broiler/fryer chicken 2-1/2 to 3 pounds, shredded or chunked

3 cups water

1 cup chopped onion

4 celery ribs sliced

3 medium carrots sliced

1 teaspoon celery seed

2 teaspoons rubbed sage divided

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

3 cups biscuit/baking mix

3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons milk

1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley

INSTRUCTIONS

Place chicken and water in a Dutch oven. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer; cook until chicken is tender, about 30 minutes. Remove chicken from kettle; bone and cube.

Return chicken to kettle along with the onion, celery, carrots, celery seed, 1 teaspoon of sage, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 45-60 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.

For dumplings, combine the biscuit mix, milk, parsley and remaining sage to form a stiff batter or use a can of biscuits. Drop by tablespoonfuls into the simmering chicken mixture.

Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Serve immediately.

YIELD: 8. PREP TIME 20 minutes. COOK TIME 1 hour. TOTAL TIME 1 hour 20 minutes

9/17/2020 Camping Dutch Oven Chicken and Dumplings - The Adventure Bite

A Newsletter Plea!!

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!

Advertise in the Newsletter

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.

Flashback!

This entry is from September, 1995

Gulf Hagas

By EILEEN WHYNOT

The roar of waterfalls, puffy white clouds against a blue sky, new water bars against black boggy mud, crystal clear pools, happy people cooling off in the river, again, again, and again. Our hike began after a few miles of “breezing” (Mainer expression) in the back of either John or Dan’s truck. Our actual hike was between 8 and 10 miles around the rim of the canyon. There were beautiful slabs of slate and quartz visible in the embankment near one of the scenic vistas. That was the picture for 17 MOACians led by “fearless of rock waterslides and cool mountain streams while snorkeling”, Peter Cyr.

By dusk on Friday, our campsites at High Bridge were buzzing with set up, cooking, eating, and visiting. The waterslide at campsite #1 was fun for the frolicking folk on Sunday morning who were sure their Saturday night pot-luck feast would still keep them warm!

Thank you to Elizabeth for tending the tender ears of corn on the campsite #2 grill for Saturday night’s dinner. I heard more than once, “I can’t believe I ate so much”. How many times can one circle around the table filling their plate?

A highlight of the whole trip for me was having a dozen people singing “Happy Birthday” to my niece, Darcie, who turned 15 at one of the most beautiful spots in Maine. Cathy Conroy’s post card quality photos prove the latter.

Thanks, Peter for making reservations for what has got to be one of the most popular trips every year!

Posting Trips with COVID-19

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!

AMC: Here's how to Return Outdoors Safely

Please check out the Appalachian Mountain Club's guide to "getting back to normal" when it comes to the Great Outdoors and COVID-19.

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.

A Jelly-Fish

By MARIANNE MOORE

Visible, invisible,

A fluctuating charm,

An amber-colored amethyst

Inhabits it; your arm

Approaches, and

It opens and

It closes;

You have meant

To catch it,

And it shrivels;

You abandon

Your intent—

It opens, and it

Closes and you

Reach for it—

The blue

Surrounding it

Grows cloudy, and

It floats away

From you.

For Time At The Campfire

Living With Bears Handbook, Expanded 2nd Edition. By Linda Masterson. PixyJack Press, 2015, 288 pages. ISBN-13: 978-1936555611. Price $19.20 (paperback)

The Green Guide to Low-Impact Hiking and Camping, by Laura and Guy Waterman. Countryman Press, 2016, 304 pages. ISBN-13: 978-1581573947. Price $11.20 (paperback)

Waterfalls of the White Mountains: 30 Hike to 100 Waterfalls (3rd Edition). By Bruce R Bolnick. Countryman Press, 2019, 320 pages. ISBN: 978-1682683156. Price $21.95 (paperback)

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.

Shipwreck in Lobster Cove

Monhegan Island, ME

Caswell Farm Pizza Night

Gray, ME

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.