December MOAC Newsletter

January 6th - 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!

The MOAC Board would like to wish our membership a happy holiday season and a safe, healthy, and prosperous 2021.

January General Meeting

Allagash-New England’s Wild River

with Tim Caverly and more

Narrated by author and humorist Tim Caverly; through scenic and historic photos viewers will canoe the 92-mile Allagash River. Through the power point presentation, viewers will hear the lore, legends and characters that Tim experienced during his 32-years as a Maine Park Ranger, which include 18 years as Ranger Supervisor of the Allagash Wilderness Waterway.

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TIM CAVERLY is a Maine author who has written and published (10) books about Maine. He is a member of the Nollesemic Lodge # 205 of Mason’s, ‘Son of the American Legion’ Post 80 in Millinocket and an honorary member of the Board of Directors for Houlton’s Starbright Children’s Theatre. Tim and his wife Susan are graduates of the University of Maine at Machias, At the eastern most college in the U.S, they earned teaching certificates.

In 1999 Tim retired from his Regional (Park) Supervisor position of the Allagash Wilderness Waterway for Maine’s Department of Conservation. Tim worked for the Department for 32 years, beginning his ranger career at Sebago Lake State Park. After retirement from state service he worked several years as Maine Director of Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility. Today Tim and Susan live in Millinocket, Maine where they, when not writing or visiting schools, raise golden retrievers.

Several of Tim’s short stories have been published in newspapers, magazines and outdoor journals, and serves as a monthly columnist for The Maine Sportsman newspaper.

He has also presented creative writing lectures at ‘Young Author’s Camps, as well as many Maine youth summer camps.” Tim’s second book “An Allagash Haunting” was adapted into a stage play and has been performed numerous times.

Due to accompanying his fire warden dad, Baxter Park Ranger brother Buzz ‘on patrol’ and his 32 years as a Maine Park Ranger; Tim has lived in the four corners of Maine. Readers can depend that his stories are based on personal experiences and knowledge of our state’s history and landscapes.

You can learn more about Tim and his adventures as well as order his books at https://allagashtails.com/.

First Aid Tips

With Tony Wilson

Whether you were a Scout or not, "Be Prepared" can never steer you wrong. Tony will briefly talk about first aid when out adventuring. Being cool, calm, and collected in the face of adversity is always good. But so is having an idea of what to do.

Last Month's Presentation

The John Muir Trail with Tim Bickford

Tim Bickford took us on his thru-hike of the John Muir Trail in the fall of 2019.

He shared the entire experience from what it takes to get to Yosemite National Park and get a permit to hike one of the most famous trails in the United States.

Tim covered everything from gear, how to plan food, where to camp, and of course the journey itself with breathtaking views.

Click HERE to visit the above URL at Chestnut Mountain Productions

MOAC Has A Need

Want to give back to the best club in Maine? Without and heavy lifting. Promise.

The club needs someone to go through our list of member discounts and benefits and verify them. Make sure they are still valid. Business close, ownerships can change, offers can be recinded. We need someone, phone, email, or however they are contacted, to help ensure its accuracy. Plus possibly add new opportunities.

Email the Board if interested.

Important Financial Information From The Board

Fellow MOAC'ERS.

DUES INCREASE: As of January 1, 2021, annual membership dues will increase $5 from $20 to $25 for individual and from $30 to $35 for family memberships. Feel free to renew now if your membership will expire in 2020 or early 2021 at the old dues rate.

ADDITIONAL SAVINGS IN THE PIPELINE: The club is in the process of changing how members are notified that they are due for renewal. For years, you have received a reminder postcard. We will soon be switching to an email renewal system. This will save us money over the cost of the postcard, postage, and the service that provides this. This will also save hours of volunteer work by club members.

You may receive test emails that says this and you can disregard them. When the message changes to say your membership is up for renewal, please take that one seriously. The new system will send a reminder 30 days out, then 14 days if you haven't renewed, and finally a reminder the day before your membership is set to expire.

Thank You Trip Leaders

The Club extends its thanks and gratitude to the following MOACers for leading trips since the last newsletter. MOAC has always been driven by its members. Will you please consider leading a trip?

Anne Geisler 4

Nancy Dorrans 3

Bill Briggs

Paul Louis

Sharon Ross

MOAC Board Change

MOAC Treasurer Jerry Jalbert has resigned from the Board for personal reasons.

Member Linda Johnson has agreed to fill out the remainder of the term. Linda is the owner of Bookkeeping Simply.

The Board would like to extend its gratitude to Jerry for the financial work done while he served. Under his guidance, we reduced our credit card processing costs greatly. In addition, his current initiative to change how we notify members to renew their memberships will add additional savings.

Check Out MOAC Memories

on the Archives Page

By CATHY CONROY

In 2019 the Maine Outdoor Adventure Club celebrated its 30th anniversary. More than thirty years ago, several people had a vision for a community of adventure seeking enthusiasts and they formed MOAC on a Maine spring day in 1989. The rest, as they say, is history!

MOAC continues to thrive, even as a pandemic has presented us with very challenging times. Many original members are still in the club and can claim life-long friendships formed while hiking, skiing and stretching ourselves physically. Catch the many faces of MOAC through the years doing what MOAC has always done best, enjoying time together in the great outdoors and embracing fun around all the events on the calendar.

Check the Archives page on the MOAC website under the members only section to view 20 years of wonderful memories in the form of 8 short videos. The videos chronicle the first 20 years of some of the many MOAC adventures, beginning in 1989 and running through 2009. The video shorts highlight familiar faces and places.

We hope you enjoy a stroll through our history and also hope these videos whet your appetite for creating many more outdoor adventures with your MOAC friends, safely in a COVID world.

New Member Meeting

We are now a couple of months into our revived "New Member Meeting". Before the pandemic, we would invite new members, or anyone with questions to gather off to the side at our general meetings at the church.

We are now doing this via Zoom on the Wednesday after the general meeting. Look for the posting on the calendar as well as the link to join. The meeting is open to anyone with questions about the club, and existing members are welcome to stop in and help answer questions.

The next meeting will be on January 13th.

Election Season Approaches

With January comes the beginning of the annual Board election process. The Board consists of seven positions (President, VP, Treasurer, Secretary, and three At-Large) for one-year terms. The timeline is as follows:

JANUARY - The Board appoints an Elections Officer to work to provide a slate of names for the Board.
FEBRUARY - The slate of names are officially nominated.
MARCH - Elections. If there is an uncontested slate, the new Board is announced at the March meeting. If there is a contested slate, there will be an online election in the two weeks leading up to the March meeting, with winners announced at that time.

If you are interested in being the Elections Officer, please contact the Board. If you would like to stand for the board, please express your desire to the Elections Officer once announced, or contact the Board.

MOAC is a 100% volunteer organization. Please consider giving back to the best club in Maine!

Welcome New Members

Stephanie Baird

Nan Ball

Hilary Benn

Susan Bernat

Randy Cole

Amy Dunckelmann

Jesse Eaton

Scott Gardner

Beth Hartman

Steven Lacey

Soozie Large

Mark Leger

Maura Melley

Kate Meyers

Bobbie (Barbara) Newman

Courtney Pastrana

Colleen Quartararo

Tom Rumpf

Karen Saltus

Elizabeth Sullivan

Tim Walace

President's Corner

Happy New Year!!!

It’s a new year. There’s something exciting, something exhilarating about that. This last one has been tough and it still is but, but well, “Hope springs eternal…”

I’ve started to think of beating the dog and the cat and slamming the door on the car and hollering at the pizza delivery man for…well I don’t remember. The hikes have been too slow and too fast and mostly uphill. I can’t wait for the vaccine…and my new vaccine card! Have you noticed lifting the same things, they’re heavier? Milk has been spoiling earlier? AND...I swear I saw aliens last night.

A New Year, yes! I’m going to apologize and be a better person. I’m going to have some, no, a lot more fun and be happy….let the little things slide. I learned at an early age from raising chickens that when you keep them cooped up tight, they pick on one another. Chickens are way smarter than…well…

I’m smarter than a chicken.

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.

Freedom Boat Club of Maine

$1000 off one-time membership fee for MOAC members

207-331-5374

FreedomBoatClubMaine.com

Four locations in Maine!

On Casco Bay - Fore Points Marina | 58 Fore St, Portland

Yarmouth Boat Yard | 72 Lafayette St, Yarmouth

Sunset Marina | 231 Front St, South Portland

Sebago Lakes Region - Moose Landing Marina | 32 Moose Landing Trail, Naples

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Food For Thought

A HOLIDAY FEAST

Swedish Christmas Glogg

Ingredients

2 (750 milliliter) bottles fruity red wine, such as Beaujolais

1 (750 milliliter) bottle port wine

3 (3 inch) cinnamon sticks

14 whole cloves

1 orange, peel cut into thin strips

1 cup white sugar, or to taste

¾ cup rum, or to taste

¼ cup brandy, or to taste

1 cup raisins

1 cup slivered almonds

Directions

Step 1 - Gently simmer the red wine, port wine, cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, and orange peel in a large pot set over medium-low heat. Stir in the sugar, rum, and brandy. Continue simmering 5 minutes more, stirring to completely dissolve the sugar, and the mixture is steaming but not boiling.

Step 2 - Mix the raisins and almonds together in a bowl.

Step 3 - To serve, ladle into coffee cups or Swedish-style small glass or ceramic mugs. Garnish each cup with a spoonful of the raisin and almond mixture.

Bacon Wrapped Dates

Ingredients

16 fresh or dried pitted dates, such as Medjool

16 smoked almonds

8 thick slices applewood-smoked bacon, halved crosswise

Reynolds Wrap® Aluminum Foil

Directions

Step 1 - Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Cut a slit in each date. Place almonds inside slits. Press together the dates to close slits. Wrap each date with a piece of bacon.

Step 2 - Line a shallow baking pan with Reynolds Wrap® Aluminum Foil. Add a roasting rack; place the dates on rack. Roast for 15 to 20 minutes or until bacon is crisp. Serve immediately with toothpicks. Dates will be hot inside.

Christmas Prime Rib

Ingredients

1 (6 pound) boneless prime rib roast

2 tablespoons prepared horseradish

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons kosher salt

2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper

2 teaspoons dried thyme

2 teaspoons garlic powder

2 stalks celery, cut into 2-inch pieces

1 carrot, cut into 2-inch pieces

1 small unpeeled onion, quartered and separated

2 teaspoons concentrated beef base (paste)

1 ½ cups water

1 teaspoon cornstarch

1 teaspoon water

Directions

Step 1 - The day before serving, remove the roast from the package, and dry thoroughly with paper towels. Set the roast on a baking sheet, and place in refrigerator overnight. Remove from refrigerator 1 hour before cooking time to allow meat to reach room temperature. Rub the roast all over with horseradish and Dijon mustard. In a bowl, mix together the kosher salt, black pepper, thyme, and garlic powder; sprinkle the spice mix over the roast.

Step 2 - Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Place the celery, carrot, and onion pieces into the bottom of a roasting pan. Place the roast on top of the vegetables.

Step 3 - Roast in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C), and roast until the meat is browned and an instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the roast reads 130 to 135 degrees F (54 to 57 degrees C) for medium-rare. Remove from oven, transfer roast to a platter, and cover with a tent of aluminum foil. Allow to rest for 30 minutes. Temperature of the meat will rise about 10 degrees during resting time.

Step 4 - To make au jus sauce, skim excess fat from the pan drippings in the roasting pan. Place the pan over a burner set to medium heat, and stir in the beef base and 1 1/2 cup of water. Bring to a boil, scraping and dissolving any brown flavor bits from the bottom of the pan. Strain out and discard the vegetables. Combine the cornstarch and 1 teaspoon of water in a small bowl, and whisk the mixture into the sauce. Allow the sauce to thicken slightly (sauce will be thin), pour into a gravy boat, and serve with roast.

Kim's Eggnog Cheesecake

Ingredients

1 cup graham cracker crumbs

3 tablespoons white sugar

3 tablespoons butter, melted

4 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened

1 cup white sugar

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

4 eggs

1 cup eggnog

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Step 1 - Lightly grease a 9-inch springform pan. Combine the graham cracker crumbs, 3 tablespoons white sugar, and butter in a bowl and mix until evenly moistened; press into the bottom of the prepared pan.

Step 2 - Cream together the cream cheese and 1 cup sugar using an electric mixer. Add the flour and beat until smooth. Mix in the eggs with the mixer switched to low. Pour in the eggnog and vanilla; continue beating until just blended. Stop the mixer and scrape the bottom of the bowl occasionally. Pour the mixture over the crust.

Step 3 - Fill a shallow dish with some hot water and place on bottom rack of the oven. Put cheesecake on the middle rack of the oven. Turn oven heat to 200 degrees F (95 degrees C). Do not preheat oven.

Step 4 - Bake the cheesecake until the center is set, about 3 hours 15 minutes. Turn oven off. Allow cheesecake to cool in the oven, about 3 hours. Chill in refrigerator overnight.

From "All Recipes"

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 December, 1989

Th MOAC Makes Assault on Mt. Jackson and Webster

By BILL SHOUSE

On Saturday November 11, twelve humans and "Action" the wonder

dog took a six and a half mile loop hike over Mts. Jackson and Webster in the Crawford Notch region of New Hampshire's White Mountains. On the way we were met with varied weather conditions starting with cold, sunny weather, turning to snowfall, and finally to rolling clouds and wind.

After a brief stop to search for Action's missing saddlebags and to aid an unprepared hiker, we quickly reached Mt. Jackson with dramatic views of the Southern Presidential Range, and Montalban Ridge. Sunny skies but gusty wind made for a quick lunch and a welcome retreat into the snowy woods, South, to Mt. Webster.

At two o’clock we reached Mt. Webster and Webster Cliffs; the Northern wall of Crawford Notch, with its commanding view of the Willey range and the Central Whites. Dark clouds soon moved us off the cliffs and back to the trail. We were treated to a beautiful waterfall, Silver Cascades, just before we reached the loop junction. Once out of the snow our final mile went quickly and we reached the parking lot just before dark, satisfied with an excellent day.

Posting Trips with COVID-19

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.

Christmas Trees

By ROBERT FROST

(A Christmas Circular Letter)

The city had withdrawn into itself

And left at last the country to the country;

When between whirls of snow not come to lie

And whirls of foliage not yet laid, there drove

A stranger to our yard, who looked the city,

Yet did in country fashion in that there

He sat and waited till he drew us out

A-buttoning coats to ask him who he was.

He proved to be the city come again

To look for something it had left behind

And could not do without and keep its Christmas.

He asked if I would sell my Christmas trees;

My woods—the young fir balsams like a place

Where houses all are churches and have spires.

I hadn’t thought of them as Christmas Trees.

I doubt if I was tempted for a moment

To sell them off their feet to go in cars

And leave the slope behind the house all bare,

Where the sun shines now no warmer than the moon.

I’d hate to have them know it if I was.

Yet more I’d hate to hold my trees except

As others hold theirs or refuse for them,

Beyond the time of profitable growth,

The trial by market everything must come to.

I dallied so much with the thought of selling.

Then whether from mistaken courtesy

And fear of seeming short of speech, or whether

From hope of hearing good of what was mine, I said,

“There aren’t enough to be worth while.”

“I could soon tell how many they would cut,

You let me look them over.”

“You could look.

But don’t expect I’m going to let you have them.”

Pasture they spring in, some in clumps too close

That lop each other of boughs, but not a few

Quite solitary and having equal boughs

All round and round. The latter he nodded “Yes” to,

Or paused to say beneath some lovelier one,

With a buyer’s moderation, “That would do.”

I thought so too, but wasn’t there to say so.

We climbed the pasture on the south, crossed over,

And came down on the north. He said, “A thousand.”

“A thousand Christmas trees!—at what apiece?”

He felt some need of softening that to me:

“A thousand trees would come to thirty dollars.”

Then I was certain I had never meant

To let him have them. Never show surprise!

But thirty dollars seemed so small beside

The extent of pasture I should strip, three cents

(For that was all they figured out apiece),

Three cents so small beside the dollar friends

I should be writing to within the hour

Would pay in cities for good trees like those,

Regular vestry-trees whole Sunday Schools

Could hang enough on to pick off enough.

A thousand Christmas trees I didn’t know I had!

Worth three cents more to give away than sell,

As may be shown by a simple calculation.

Too bad I couldn’t lay one in a letter.

I can’t help wishing I could send you one,

In wishing you herewith a Merry Christmas.

For Time At The Wood Stove

To Shake the Sleeping Self. By Jedidiah Jenkins. Convergent Books; First edition, 2018, 336 pages. ISBN-13: 978-1524761387. Price $23.49 (hardcover)

The Wild Truth. By Carine McCandless. HarperOne; Illustrated edition, 2015, 304 pages. ISBN-13: 978-0062325150. Price $13.99 (paperback)

John Muir and the Ice That Started a Fire: How a Visionary and the Glaciers of Alaska Changed America. By Kim Heacox. Lyons Press; Reprint edition, 2015, 264 pages. ISBN: 978-1493009329. Price $17.99 (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.

Mount Agamenticus

York, ME

Thorne Head

Bath, 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.