June MOAC Newsletter

July 1st - 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!

MOAC Discontinues Phone Number

The Board has voted to eliminate the MOAC phone number to save money due to how little it is used. The phone number will disappear from all things MOAC shortly.

July General Meeting

Sea Kayaking 101 with Zack Anchors

Zack's presentation will discuss the gear and skills that are needed to take up sea kayaking on the Maine coast. He'll talk about what makes our coast so ideal for sea kayaking, cover the main risks that paddlers face on the ocean and share some resources that will help you plan a sea kayak trip and learn more about the sport.

Zack Anchors is a sea kayaking guide and manager of Portland Paddle , a company that offers guided trips, lessons and rentals in Portland. Zack grew up in Old Town, Maine, where he started whitewater kayaking when he was 11 and discovered sea kayaking a few years later. Zack has worked as a sea kayak guide in British Columbia, Alaska, Baja Mexico and throughout the Maine coast.

Last Month's Presentation

The Faces of MOAC/The First Ten Years

One of the side projects surrounding the club's 30th Anniversary was the digitizing and organizing the tons of photos the club and its members have collected over the years. Photo albums were all over the place (remember those?)

Marianne Hubert, Cathy Conroy, and Dana Thurston took it one step further and created a slideshow for a monthly meeting, focusing on the club's first ten years. And with our annual June BBQ (honoring our members) postponed due to COVID-19, what a better month to do it.

Over 50 MOACers joined via Zoom with some early members making an appearance. Eileen Whynot, Phil Poirier, Bill Shouse, Dana Thurston, and Dan Kidd served as a panel to help with any questions or MOAC legends.

It was a good time seeing younger versions of the people we adventure with now. Was there more hair in the olden days?

Nature Art * Jewelry * Quilts

Driftwood - Rocks - Shells - Glass - Seeds

www.naturecreationsmaine.com

Welcome New Members

Michael Akom

Beth Bandy

Christene Berg

Laurie Carrier

Dennis Emidy

Lesley Hoey

Charlie Kinsell

Lynne Lohner

Joseph Loughran

Fatima Elaine Madrid

Chris Mann

Jeanne McCliment

Sarah McSorley

Rita Simcock

Ken Weldon

Barbara Wolf

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.

Announcing the MOAC "Archives" Page

Milestone birthdays get people thinking don't they? In MOAC's case, our 30th last year did exactly that. Thinking about the club's rich history. So, projects were started to digitize photos and other club items to preserve and share for posterity.

Cathy Conroy, Marianne Hubert, and Dana Thurston began the process of digitizing the mountains of photos. Members reaped the benefits of this effort at the June meeting when slideshows were presented of the club's first 10 years (1989-1999).

In addition, former MOACer (and hopefully renewing again) and past president Sharon Fuerst has started digitizing old newsletters. She is currently up through 1999.

Where is this all leading? What's all this effort if no one can access it? Announcing an "Archive" page. This page contains the photo slideshows from the June meeting as well as all digitized newsletters to date.

You can access this page from the "For Members Only" menu. It will be updated whenever new material is ready to add.

In addition to letting you know it's there, we also need your help. For each year's newsletter entries, you will see listed what we are missing. If you can help fill these gaps, please email the editor and let us know.

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
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!

Flashback!

This entry is from June, 1997

Burnt Meadow Meltdown

By L.Z. TORPOR

It looks like it was "third time's the charm” for Doug McAllister's series of Easy Sunday hikes.

After less-than-ideal weather on the first two outings (don't ask me for details - I was warm, dry, and indoors) the third scheduled hike to Burnt Meadow Mountain in Brownfield coincided with mostly sunny skies and moderate temperatures. Not coincidentally, a huge crowd of MOAC hikers turned out for this one. With military precision, Doug marshaled us to the trailhead (the sight of our mighty caravan pulling out of the parking lot of the Brownfield store struck fear into the hearts of the primitive people of that area).

Once we started up the trail, our group got considerably spread out. Some hiked fast, and some hiked slow, but most paused to admire the many views that the still-leafless trees allowed. And a few (like me) paused often to calm our racing hearts and wheezing breath.

Could these be the same lungs, the same legs, that carried us up those really BIG mountains last Fall? Oh well, we've all got to work with what we have. And, after all, that is the purpose of Doug's Spring hiking series: to give those of us who turn dormant during the Winter a chance to ease back into an upright and mobile position. Onward!

There are some ominously steep-looking ledges to climb as you approach the top of Burnt Meadow. But having attained the top at last, it is easy to see how the mountain was given its name. The summit is mostly flat and clear of trees. It is possible to see both the snow-clad slopes of Mount Washington and a smidgen of Sebago Lake. This was the best time of year to climb this particular peak, as later in the Spring the mosquitoes rise in clouds from the murky waters of Brownfield Bog and descend on hikers like ardent Red Cross volunteers. At one edge of the clearing the group naturally formed a wide arc, with backs to the wind and faces to the sun. And there we stayed. And stayed. The warm radiance was usually just enough to cut the chill of the breeze. Still, a cup of hot chocolate and marshmallows, thoughtfully provided by Dan Kidd, was thoroughly welcome and appreciated. To be outside, once again! To have the sun be more than just a weak and futile annoyance that blinds the eyes as you drive home from work on the snow-covered roadways. Now, the eye looks sharp for the first signs of buds on trees, of green shoots pushing up through the forest litter. You breath deep air that hasn't been recycled endlessly from room to room, but is fresh and alive with the smells of earth and sky and burgeoning life. What would it take to rouse us from our slumber on this glorious afternoon?

A cloud is what it took. With the temporary loss of warmth and light, the group became restless and soon we began the descent. A pond full of frogs serenaded us as we departed. We were mere interlopers but this was their home. A fine day for a love song to no one in particular. We drove off to eat our dinners while the frogs dreamed of the feast of insects soon to come.

Clouds

BY Anonymous

White sheep, white sheep,

On a blue hill,

When the wind stops,

You all stand still.

When the wind blows,

You walk away slow.

White sheep, white sheep,

Where do you go?

MAW - Trailblaze Challenge

Make-A-Wish Maine announces the Trailblaze Challenge. The Challenge, designed as an endurance hiking event, gives participants the opportunity to tackle 23.4 miles of Maine mountain terrain, all in one life-changing day while raising much needed funds to grant the wishes of children in Maine with critical illnesses. This is a journey, not a race and caters to all levels from hiking novice to advanced outdoor enthusiasts!

Participants are taken through 14 weeks of supported training before converging upon Sugarloaf for a weekend of concentrated activity and passionate celebration. To begin the journey, participants will need to watch our online info session webinar before training begins on June 21 and can RSVP at http://site.wish.org/trailblazeme .

Participants slots are almost full, but there are volunteer opportunities available for the event if you or those in your network would like to join us!

If you have any questions about the event or Make-A-Wish Maine, please do not hesitate to reach out to Samantha Elliott .

For more information about the Challenge, click HERE .

For Time At The Campfire

Interesting. A thru-hiking theme? Who knew?

Sole Searching on the Appalachian Trail, by Sam "Sam I Am" Ducharme. Samuel A Ducharme, 2018, 294 pages. ISBN-13: 978-1732906402. Price: $11.79 (paperback)

Thru-Hiking Will Break Your Heart: An Adventure on the Pacific Crest Trail, by Carrot Quinn. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2015, 370 pages. ISBN-13: 978-1511740555. Price $12.48 (paperback)

Tamed: A City Girl Walks From Mexico To Canada On The Pacifc Crest Trail. By Anne Elizabeth O'Regan. Aeo 2020, 170 pages. ISBN-13: 978-0692441091. Price $19.99 (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.

Social Distancing on Bradbury Mountain

in March

Pownal

MOAC's first virtual meeting in April

Location? Does it matter?

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.