~ April 2024 ~

Hello CVOA,

Greetings CVOA members,

Do you believe March is Sugarloaf’s snowiest month? This year, I would add that March had the best snow. What a late season treat for those patient Sugarloafers who slogged through rain, skated on ice, took a face shot from a wet snowmaking nozzle and rode Skidway during a wind hold. Thank you Mother Nature for rewarding the faithful.

This year is the 25th Anniversary of the Carrabassett Valley Outdoor Association and we celebrated its founding at the Annual Meeting two days ago. From a group of nine who desired to take advantage of outdoor opportunities in the Valley, it has become a group of about 1,000 members. With its growth, it remains a part of Carrabassett Valley. We honor the land; we initiate outdoor activities and we build a neighborhood of people who share these interests. And like those nine who launched CVOA, we continue to attract leadership for our Board of Directors, Officers and Activity Leaders who initiate, guide, organize and manage the activities that keep our members interested. Those who are currently very involved include Patti Johnston Membership, Jeanette and Mike Parker, Ski trips and Social events, Diane and Ray Stone, All things Range, Elaine and Steve Smith Newsletter producers and editors, Social events, Past president, Tracy Goller Secretary, Chair of Activities Committee, Sam Hudspath, Treasurer, Bonnie Farrar, Social events, Ski Trips, Past president and Jan Mildram, Yonder Knoll hikes. There are many others who are leading future trips and have led previous trips and activities. These active members have sustained CVOA over the years. When you see them, let them know that their contributions are appreciated. 

At our Annual Meeting we elected Officers and New Directors.

CVOA Directors are:

Lexi Godin - Term expires 2025

Val Hudspath -Term expires 2025

Jeannette Parker - Term expires 2025

Diane Stone - Term expires 2026

Candy Anderle -Term expires 2026

Mike Martin - Term expires 2026

Steve Whitcomb New Director - Term Expires 2027

Laurie Manos New Director - Term Expires 2027

Josh Cutler New Director - Term Expires 2027

Chris Newell New Director - Term Expires 2027

Officers are:

President: Thom Johnston

Vice President: Steve Smith

Treasurer: Sam Hudspath

Secretary: Tracy Goller

Directors and Officers appreciate the support of the members and look forward to serving CVOA.

Thom

The Social Activities Chairs, Bonnie Farrar and Jeannette Parker, sincerely appreciate all members’ attendance and support of events. It is our members that make our efforts worthwhile! Contact us if you have an idea or suggestion for an activity or a social event. If you are looking for something to do and people to do it with…always check the CVOA Calendar of Events.

Please thoroughly read each monthly CVOA Newsletter…especially the Calendar of Events, details and dates of Future Events and Range News. Also, we hope you enjoy the news about everything CVOA.

As a result of the March Newsletter reminding members to renew memberships, we have had nearly 80 renewals. Thank you to everyone who promptly brought memberships up to date! Memberships are active on a January to December calendar year. Range members will receive badges and the new gate code sometime after April 1. Check the Range news for additional information. 

Membership Secretary

Patti Johnston

April 6 - 5:00 - 7:00 Ski Trip & Picture Party at the CV Library

April 7 - 2:00 - 4:00 Bowling at Sugarbowl

April 8 - Solar Eclipse at the Range. Please read the Range News.

April 14 - 2:00 - 4:00 Bowling at Sugarbowl

April 21 - 2:00 - 4:00 Bowling at Sugarbowl

April 28 - 2:00 - 4:00 Bowling at Sugarbowl

Click here: CVOA Calendar of Events

SKI TRIP PICTURE PARTY

Saturday April 6 5-7pm

Carrabassett Valley Library

What are you doing next ski season? Are you interested in skiing somewhere new, maybe going back to an old favorite? Would you like to remember the trip you went on this year, maybe visit with some of the folks who went with you?

If so, we have the event for you. CVOA is holding its annual “Trip Pictures and Announcements” Party at the CV Library. This is an opportunity to recall those sunshine runs at Val Gardena, Heavenly and Quebec and to learn about next seasons 2025 trips that CVOA trip leaders are exploring. We’ll also reveal the results of our survey about the resorts our skiers would like to visit. And, of course, it’s just a good social event to gather with friends.

We ask that you bring an appetizer to share, along with your beverage of choice. Also, would you please sort through your digital photos of a 2023 or 2024 CVOA ski trip and choose 2 or 3 of the best ones with CVOAers. Email them in a medium-sized digital file to your trip leader. We hope to develop a printed display of the excitement, fun, joy and beauty of skiing with friends. Here are the email addresses of recent trip leaders:

Mike Parker…golfski33@gmail.com

Jon and Lee Goss…jmgossamer@gmail.com

Dan Hitchcock…Dan@wesmac.com

Thom Johnston…tandpjohnston@gmail.com

Bonnie Farrar…bfarrar7@aol.com

We look forward to getting together with friends and talking about where we’ve been and where we would like to go.

CVOA Sunday Afternoon Bowling …

The SugarBowl reserves two lanes for CVOA members.

2:00 - 4:00 – $10 includes shoes

Come join the fun Sunday afternoons!

April dates: 7,14, 21, 28

Alaskan Cruise 2024

May 31-June 7

Just 3 months away!

Good News!! This EPIC CVOA adventure now has some added discounts to help off-set the increase in air fare since many members booked their travel. Alaskan Dream Cruises is now offering an additional 10% discount (so a total of 20% off) as well as a $500 credit towards your airfare!

There are now 28 CVOA members signed up for the “top-rated” Alaskan Dream Cruise trip May 31-June 7, 2024. (That’s 35% of the total passengers on the ship!). There are three AA cabins (double occupancy) still available for anyone wishing to go on this adventure (and eleven AAA cabins). Full cruise details have been in the last few newsletters. If you would like additional information, visit the website at:

https://www.alaskandreamcruises.com/cruises/2024-last-frontier-adventure/ 

Email Bonnie Farrar, trip coordinator at bfarrar7@aol.com if you have additional questions.  Reservations cannot be made online, but by calling 866-845-5886 and mentioning CVOA to get the second 10% discount. 

Because this is not a CVOA-sponsored trip (just CVOA friends traveling together), it is the responsibility of each member to make their own reservations for the cruise/hotel/flight. It is sure to be a great adventure!

bfarrar7@aol.com.

207.735.3984

🚴‍♀️ Bike Trip to Quebec 🚴‍♂️

June 11-13 2024

3 days...2 nights

Near summer-time on the St. Lawrence, Québec City, Canada calls.

CVOA has reserved rooms at the Hotel Le Saint-Paul

229 Rue Saint Paul, Québec City

418-694-4414

The hotel is near the Old City of Québec and the waterfront of the St. Lawrence River. There is a bike storage room on premises and next door parking. Bicycling trails, exceptional European style restaurants & shopping are all nearby!

The Hotel is Situated next to the Old City’s ramparts in the heart of the historic district. There you will find antique shops, historic buildings and art galleries. This dynamic cultural centre is within walking distance of the Musée de la Civilisation, an urban Cirque du Soleil show, and Espace 400e in front of the Image Mill. As you stroll along the banks of the majestic St. Lawrence River, you can also discover the small bistros and fine dining restaurants in Old Québec City.

Reservations must be made by April 6. Room sizes vary and range from $239 to $289 Canadian, Current exchange rate approximately 25%. A 10% discount is available when 10 or more rooms are reserved. 

Room Cancellation Policy

No fee for cancellation prior to one month before check-in date

10% of the reservation for cancellation between one month and two weeks before check-in date

100% of the first night including tax for cancellation less than 2 weeks before check-in date

Will be a fun time with great people and usually good weather. A great event to look forward to right before schools let out and vacation season begins.

If you want to join this trip, please contact Glenn Bickford at

glenpegbic@aol.com, call the hotel, tell them you are with the CVOA group and make your reservation.

Your hosts, 

Glenn & Peggy Bickford

Members since about 2005

NEOC OUTING

September 10 and 11 2024  

3 days...2 nights

Three Premium Lodges have been secured at this time with all the amenities. Each has 2 full bathrooms, full kitchens and open living room concepts. Approximate cost at this time depends on filling each lodge but is expected to be $233.00 per person for 2 nights if all are full.

Lots of things to do such as biking, hiking, white water rafting, canoeing, kayaking, campfires and just relaxing. Near entrance to Baxter State Park, Knife's Edge Brewery and restaurant, Goldenroad Crossing. Canoe and kayaks with life jackets are free for guests. Bike and paddle boards can be rented.

All three lodges have been filled. If you are still interested, please contact Margie Roberts to have your name put on a cancellation list. mjaneroberts56@gmail.com or 207 991 0667.  

Winter

Hello Range Members, 

Solar Eclipse on Monday, April 8th at 3:29:58pm. The Range will be a great spot to view the Solar Eclipse and we will open the gate for all CVOA members and their guests for viewing. The Range will be closed for shooting activities at that time. We'll set out our fire pits and some tables if you like to bring chairs and snacks for a pre-eclipse get together. We'll know more about the weather as the date approaches. Note: The new snowfall has reduced our parking and partying space. Our diligent plow guy, Bill Casey, is working to open up as much parking as the snow will allow.

If the weather is our friend, I'll open the range at 1:45pm for folks who would like to help with the setup of the fire pits and tables. I could also use some help with directing parking. Anyone offering to volunteer can contact me at the number or email listed below. Everything should be ready by 2:00pm. That will give everyone enough time to prepare for the eclipse. The Trap field and Trap shooting platform will be an excellent spot to set up cameras, or to film the event. If you do not have viewing glasses, I have extra ISO 12312-2 certified viewing glasses.

Remember to renew your memberships for 2024. The current gate code will stay in effect until May. If you have not renewed before then, you will not have access to the range. Welcome to all our new and returning shooters.

Remember, Pistol and Rifle Ranges will remain open throughout the winter. Steel targets have been reinstalled on the 100yd Rifle Range. The "plink" from hitting the target is very satisfying! Remember to follow all posted safety rules and maintain at least 25 foot distance while shooting at metal targets. For paper targets, you may move as close as you like.

Folks are getting used to the new electric gate. Please do not try to drive around the gate. Boulders will be moved to both sides and you may damage your car if you do so. Also, when exiting, the gate will remain open while multiple cars exit. The same is not true of cars entering. The gate will close after 12 seconds and may damage your car and/or break the gate. Only one car at a time should enter.

Diane Stone

Range Secretary

CVOA.range@gmail.com

207-240-4752

CVOA Annual Meeting & Dinner

🎈🎉25th Anniversary Celebration🎉🎈

IT’S A WRAP!! The CVOA Annual Meeting, Dinner and 25th Anniversary Celebration held at the Shipyard Brew Haus was attended by 93 members. Another lively event where members met and made new friends. At the reservation table, Elaine Smith and Jeannette Parker were consistently thanked for the many events CVOA has throughout the year especially during ski season. It was wonderful to have many new members say they were attending for the first time.

Following dinner Vice President and Nomination Committee Chair Steve Smith announced the names of Directors and officers recommended for election including four new Directors.

John McCatherin, founding member of CVOA, gave an interesting history of how CVOA began. As only John can do, he highlighted several activities members organized in the early years. There are so many great memories!

Bonnie Farrar introduced comedian, Paul Nardizzi. His half hour show drew much laughter from the crowd as he told many stories about everyday life including parenthood, marriage, car and grocery shopping, including the “all natural” Turducken.

Ten door prizes, consisting of cash, gift cards and gift baskets were won by: Rick Wyman, Mike Beland, Alison Welch, Nancy Gagne, Bonnie Farrar, Chris Manos, Suzanne Hall, Laura Schaefer, Paul Houlares and Carolyn Heiser. 

Again this year, a big shout-out to Elaine Smith for managing reservations, Val Hudspath, Zoanne Paradis and Elaine for centerpieces and room set up.

A huge THANK YOU to Jeannette Parker for Organizing and managing this very special and successful event!!

Heavenly Ski Trip

Amy and I just returned from our first CVOA ski trip. In a word it was spectacular. The entire trip was super organized from the first deposit due date to the last evening après get-together cocktail party.

This trip went to Heavenly on the shores of South Lake Tahoe, staying in the perfect location tucked in amongst the pine trees a two minute walk to the heart of Heavenly village where shopping, eating, and even a casino or two, if one were so inclined, was nearby. The gondola and the shuttle between the California and Nevada side of Heavenly were also a two minute walk in the village.

Most important was the skiing. We could not have timed it any better, starting with a bluebird day, sunny, no wind, beautiful conditions and a view of Lake Tahoe on one side and the Nevada plains on the other that were breathtaking. We were then greeted by 5 1/2 feet, yup feet, of snow. Skiing was epic for four straight days. There were setbacks, think wind hold in January at Sugarloaf, but the mountain never closed entirely. There were always lifts running and powder to shred. Day six dawned bright and sunny, and we finished our skiing under glorious sunny California skies. Six days of Tahoe powder have Amy and I hooked. We are looking forward to next year's trip. Thank you to Bonnie and everyone who made this trip and all the CVOA trips possible. You are in a word spectacular! 

Ski Trip Report from

Scott and Amy Tyrrell

CVOA members since the pandemic

Quebec Ski Trip 2024

We saw the mighty St. Lawrence River. If you looked closely, you could see a ship making its way up river. It was cold. It snowed, and the wind blew. That’s Winter in Quebec. Thirty-six CVOA members enjoyed another great trip to Quebec. The restaurants were busy but not crowded, and the food, of course, was good. The City‘s eateries are developing a Nordic menu that is quite tasty. The Chateau Frontenac has finished its renovations of the bar and remains a unique place for a drink overlooking the River. Our accommodations at L’Hotel Manior Victoria were comfortable. Once again, they set aside the Salle Kent for our daily gatherings, which seemed to begin earlier each day, with easy chatter about the skiing and plans for the evening.

And what about the skiing, you ask? We had soft snow to ski on for two of our three days. The first was at Le Massif de Charlevoix. If you haven’t skied there, you should. Being outside of the Quebec metro area, it’s very French with a comfortable Lodge. Following directions you arrive at the top of the mountain, not the bottom. It claims 2,500 vertical feet down the escarpment to the St. Lawrence River. These are trails, not wide-open slopes. There are some gnarly mogul runs, to which some of us can attest. The second soft snow day was at Mt. Sainte Anne. The snow had stopped, but the wind had resurfaced the trails with soft wind pack. We searched to find the protected trails and lifts and discovered some great opportunities.

Thank you fellow travelers for making Quebec a great trip with new and old friends and fine fellowship.

Thom Johnston

Trip Leader

Yonder Knoll Hike

Show ‘N' Go Hike 

March 9th

The last Yonder Knoll trip of the season.

On Saturday, March 9, six CVOAers made the fun trip to Yonder Knoll. We had a hearty and fun crew to explore this special place.

Trip Leader

Jan Mildram

CVOA thanks Jan for leading many successful Yonder Knoll Hikes

The last 3rd Thursday Social of the Season

March 21 at the Shipyard

Sixty CVOA members gathered at the Shipyard Side Bar for the last 3rd Thursday Social of the season. The mountain didn’t open on Thursday due to high winds so members were REALLY happy to have the opportunity to get out and socialize. Food aplenty!! Thirty-five members were in Quebec on a CVOA ski trip.

Five teams were formed for trivia. Pictured is the winning team that had 12 out of 15 correct answers. The coveted treat bags were awarded to the winners containing sweet treats you would never buy for yourself, but you’re glad you won!! Also pictured is Carol Millhouse who won the $25 Shipyard gift card.

The tremendous success of all CVOA social events is the result of so many members attending. THANK YOU for putting these events on your calendar and attending as often as possible.

Be sure to check out the CVOA Events Calendar in the Monthly Newsletters.

The More You Come, The More You’ll Come…ADVENTURE AWAITS!

Jeannette Parker & Bonnie Farrar

Social Activities

To view additional photos from the Social CLICK HERE

Meet Ski Go

Tuesday mornings this season CVOA members met to ski a few runs together and have coffee at Bullwinkle’s. This was an informal event and those that attended enjoyed the skiing and camaraderie.

To foster and promote the conservation of our natural resources

and the creation of recreational opportunities in our region.