February MOAC Newsletter

March 3rd - 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!

March General Meeting

"Wild Africa" film by Bill Yeo

and more

Bill's newest film, “Wild Africa,” will take an up-close look at some of Africa’s most amazing animals, including the first steps of a newborn Wildebeest, tree climbing lions and the hilarious and remarkable courting dance of the saddle-billed stork. Suitable for all ages, this film will educate and foster deeper respect for Africa’s beautiful and diverse wildlife.

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Bill Yeo is no stranger to MOAC. He has presented many of his adventures to the club over the years. Bill has organized, planned and led dozens of expeditions over the last 20 years to some of the most remote and wild locations on Earth. Names such as the Amazon, Andes, Arctic Circle and Africa are common subjects at his Durham, Maine, dinner table. Alternating between climbing some of the tallest mountains in the world, Bill enjoys third world cycling expeditions and Arctic ski traverses. His list of adventures includes a 2006 summit attempt of Mt. Everest.

When not seeing what the world has to offer, he is the Community Engagement Coordinator for LL Bean and Director of the Outdoor Discovery Program.

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

What Walks, Hops, Leaps, Waddles & Bounds in the Forested Landscape with Barbara Bald

Are you curious about what might be visiting your favorite spaces when you aren’t around? Then join us VIRTUALLY to learn about some of the animals that might be frequent visitors. We’ll look at some of the clues they might leave behind to tell you they’ve been there.

Through on-site photographs, we’ll examine animal signs, tracks, track patterns, and more from the winter landscape.Then, next time it snows, you can, socially distanced of course, head out into the forest to see what you can discover. Come share your knowledge of the woods and what lives there. No need for snowshoes this time around!

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Facilitator: Barbara Bald

Barbara taught science to sixthgrade students in Gilford, NH for 22 years, worked with NH-based Green Mountain Conservation Group's Volunteer Biological Assessment Program and helped facilitate the Sense of Place program for second graders in schools in Maine. She studied tracking with Paul Rezendes and his senior trackers, with members of the AMC and staff of the White Pines program in Maine. Barbara has been tracking animals for over 20 years, but with so much to learn about the land and the creatures that live in it, she still considers herself an intermediate tracker.

Visit her website at: https://www.barbarabald.com

Click HERE to visit the above URL at Chestnut Mountain Productions

President's Corner

Do we want to know what's going on in Dan's mind?

A couple of things on my mind this month… Yep – One more than capacity and about smoked my head. Fairness for one. Look’n around as to who was getting the Covid shot, it seemed unfair. Well what is fair? A tough one. Easy to say it’s unfair but how does one allocate fairly? We teach our children to be fair. In reality life is anything but fair. Is it good to teach a child about fairness only to have the child grow up to find little is really fair, that child to become bitter over the years as he sees his fate unfairly dealt to him? As I look around, I feel very lucky for my station in life. I do remember when they handed out the lottery for who was getting drafted to Vietnam, my number was 5, my roommate’s was 360. That didn’t seem fair. There’s a zillion things that are unfair. Well, we must do the best with the hand we’re dealt. Some of you might remember my wife Cathy. She worked for Social Security. She told me about one of the employees interviewing and giving out benefits. He had no arms from birth and used his foot with which to write. People would come in trying to get disability checks for back pain or something and it would make the back pain go away. She said he was a pretty upbeat happy fellow. Well I forgot the other thing on my mind. Maybe things are OK.

Dan Kidd, President

president@moac.org

A Request From The Board

While maybe it was understood, the board realized it had never been spelled out:

If you learn you are positive with COVID-19 and had been on a recent MOAC trip, possibly exposing fellow MOACers, PLEASE e-mail the board with this information. Thank you.

Per the CDC, a close contact is:

Someone who was within 6 feet of an infected person for a cumulative total of 15 minutes or more over a 24-hour period starting from 2 days before illness onset (or, for asymptomatic patients, 2 days prior to test specimen collection) until the time the patient is isolated.

It is Board Election Time

All MOAC members will be receiving electronic ballots this week to vote in our annual election. The "polls" will be open for the two weeks leading up to the March meeting. The results of the voting will be announced at that time.

Each current member will receive a ballot which will ensure a private, one-person/one-vote opportunity. The link in each email will be unique. Please do not share your email with others.

The Elections webpage is now active and has bios and photos of all the candidates. You will find it under the "For Members Only" tab on our website or click HERE.

Our candidates are:

PRESIDENT - Dan Kidd

VICE-PRESIDENT - Lianne Mitchell

SECRETARY - Wendy Hayes

TREASURER - Linda Johnson

AT LARGE (3) - Bill Briggs, Marianne Hill, Marc Hills, Kevin Huber, and Marty Williams

Skiing Opportunity

Dan Kidd wanted to make sure everyone knows about this skiing value.

Mt. Abram is open Thursday through Sunday

Celebrating 60 Years

Throwback Thursdays

Lift Tickets only $19.60 on Thursday (excluding 2/18/21)

Limited tickets available

Website

Welcome New Members

587 Members

Jessica Bacon

Jeremy Bell

Linda Berry

Cindy Hammond

Amy Hayden

Mary Ann Hayes

Benjamin Byong Kim

Darrin Lary

Michael Mastranardi

Stephanie Miller

Adilah Muhammad

Jill Oneglia

Ellen Pariser

Nadya Pearson

Helene Porter

Catherine Pullman

Elizabeth Ruskin

Ash Smith

Lourdes Velez

Karen Zembroski

Guest Column

Club Trips

By: Lianne Mitchell

You may have noticed the regular posting of Club trips on the calendar lately. These are trips that are sponsored by the board and do not have a designated leader. We still strongly welcome and encourage members to post trips. There is no intention to drop that format, only to supplement it. And it isn’t a new concept. The club has often cycled through times when the posting of trips needed a boost.

The club has always gone through upswings and downswings in posting as people move in and out of the club or have other things going on in their lives. We were in a serious downswing for more than a year before Covid hit. Because of that, and because of the pandemic, the board wanted to do something to be sure that there were options for people to have activities to join in on. Who would want to join a club that doesn’t do anything?

We have also noticed that more and more people tell us that they would love to get out and do something, but don’t want to be a leader. While it’s particularly true of new members who want to get to know the club and other people better before posting, it’s also true of more experienced members who just have a lot going on in their lives. For others, they “don’t know where to go” or are just uncomfortable feeling responsible for a group.

The club trips are easy, local trips that offer the opportunity for members – new and old - to get out, meet other members, get some exercise and explore some local trails. We try to pick trails with multiple loops and options for varying the length of the hike.

It’s nice for the group do quick introductions (name, what town you live in, whatever you feel like sharing!) at the beginning of the hike and plan which loop or loops to do. It’s perfectly acceptable for part of the group to choose a longer hike while others do a shorter loop. Or for a few to go a bit faster, while others meander a bit more. This happens sometimes on trips with leaders, as well. We do hope, though, that no one will get left too far behind on their own.

We’re discouraging dogs from coming on the club trips. Without a leader to control how many dogs might show up, handle conflicts or issues, or know to ask for no dogs due to someone attending with allergies or a fear of dogs, etc., it could lead to uncomfortable or dangerous situations.

Have a favorite trail you’d like to see posted for a club trip? Email info@moac.org. It should have good, easy to find parking and be appropriate for all hiking levels. And if you go on a club trip, take pictures! We’d love to show them at the general meeting as well as posted to Facebook!

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?

We had 25 trips posted in January, one ice skating, the rest hiking or walking. Except the "big one," Dan's trip to the Everglades.

Anne Geisler - 7

Bill Briggs - 3

Nancy Dorrans - 2

Paul Louis- 2

Elaine Vadeboncoeur - 1

Kathy McCatherin - 1

Dan Kidd - 1

The 25 includes the 8 club trips posted.

New Member Meeting

We are now a few 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.

Look for the posting. The next meeting should be on March 10th.

Food For Thought

Italian Wedding Soup

Ingredients:

FOR THE MEATBALLS

3/4 lb. ground chicken

1/2 lb. chicken sausage, casings removed

1/2 c. panko bread crumbs

1/3 c. freshly grated Parmesan, plus more for serving

2 tsp. dried oregano

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 large egg

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)

FOR THE SOUP

2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided

1/2 medium onion, chopped

2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped

2 stalks celery, chopped

2 tsp. freshly chopped thyme

8 c. low-sodium chicken broth

3/4 c. small dry pasta (such as acini di pepe or tubetini)

4 c. baby spinach

2 tbsp. freshly chopped dill, for garnish

Lemon wedges, for serving

Directions:

In a large bowl, stir ground chicken, chicken sausage, bread crumbs, Parmesan, oregano, garlic, and egg until combined. Season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes if using. Form into meatballs approximately 1" in diameter to make about 22 meatballs.
In a large Dutch oven or stock pot over medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon oil. Cook meatballs in batches, until outsides are golden and insides are cooked through. Remove from pot.
Heat remaining oil then add onion, carrots, celery, and thyme. Cook until fragrant and starting to soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Add pasta and meatballs and lower to a simmer. Simmer until pasta is cooked, 5 to 7 minutes. Stir in spinach and cook until wilted, about 1 minute more.
Garnish each bowl with dill and more Parmesan, and serve with a lemon wedge.

From "Delish.com"

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 March, 1996

Phil, Dana, Paul, and Moi

By: TRACY PIERCE

If the thermometer plummets, flurries are on the way again, and hibernating mammals are cozily tucked away, it must be time for Phil’s annual snow caving trip.

As usual, the idea appealed to many, but as reality approached only four of us Vikings plundered into the wonders of the winter woods. I was thankful for having taken Phil’s Winter Camping Workshop (Not to be missed!) last year and I was the only novice in the group of seasoned outdoorspeople.

At a reasonable hour on February 10th we loaded up the vehicles and headed North by NW with one stop for calorie replenishment. Twelve o’clock found us at the trailhead in Andover where the wind picked up and the temperature dropped even as we loaded up sleds and strapped on snowshoes. An easy trek into Frye Brook brought us to the mouth of the gorge and we set up camp above a spectacular waterfall.

There was plenty of snow for building caves but we had tents with us just in case. We did some democratic shoulder shrugging and opted for snowshoeing up the brook instead of shoveling caves all afternoon for such a brief trip. With the afternoon sun filtering through snow-laden branches on a pristine blanketed forest and icy rock walls; the setting was as idyllic as you could ask for.

I have a picture of Dana hanging on to Phil, who’s hanging on to Paul, who’s leaning out over the edge of the gorge with a bungee cord tied to nylon rope to retrieve a dropped pole. I’m the one behind the camera laughing hysterically.

Other than the fact that I went through the ice a couple of times to make sure there really was water under there (God Bless Gortex!) the rest of the hike was pretty mellow. Saturday night we had an amphitheater bonfire of deadwood that kept us toasty for hours. We awoke in the A.M. to several inches of fresh, white stuff and the threat of more on the way.

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!

Winter's Artist

By: SUZANNE BATES

An awesome scene the artist paints, expert and deft his hand.

Brush strokes swift, he draws with ease, a winter wonderland.

Landscape sketched from memory, heavens and land entwine

Rapidly the scene is set, exquisitely divine.

Pine trees reaching tall and proud, like statues standing still.

There is no wind to speak of, more an icy winter chill.

Strong branches dusted with the snow stretch their fingers high

As if welcoming the blanket bequeathed by the darkened sky.

Crisp snowflakes twirl like dancers, pirouetting to and fro,

Waltzing to their silent tune toward the ground below.

Pale moonlight generously showers diamonds all around.

Its treasure glints and sparkles upon the hardened ground.

Snowfall in shades of silver envelops the land below,

Lighting up the darkness with its soothing, gentle glow.

Mellow in its nature, no preference where it lays,

Takes refuge where and when it can, throughout the winter days.

Though bereft of colour is the scene, prevailing grey and white,

Its awe inspiring beauty is apparent day and night.

Who nonchalantly paints this scene, for all on earth to share?

His strokes proficient every time, precise and so aware.

Jack Frost paints wondrous pictures with his palette of frozen dew,

Then stands back when his work is done and proudly admires the view.

Source: https://www.familyfriendpoems.com/poem/winters-artist

Be Outdoors Challenge

Need some incentive to get out there? Check out the AMC's (Appalachian Mountain Club) "Be Outdoors Challenge". No cost, no obligation. And if it helps get you active, it has to be good.

Check HERE to check it out.

For Time At The Wood Stove

Desert Cabal: A New Season in the Wilderness. By Amy Irvine. Torrey House Press, 2018, 98 pages. ISBN-13: 978-1937226978. Price $11.39 (paperback)

Paths Less Traveled: Tramping on Trails and Sometimes Not to Find New Hampshire's Special Places. By Gordon Dubois. Dorrance Pub Co, 2020, 294 pages. ISBN-13: 978-1645306771. Price $20 (paperback)

The Outdoor Citizen: Get Out, Give Back, Get Active. By John Judge. Apollo Publishers; Illustrated edition, 2019, 280 pages. ISBN: 978-1948062183. Price $17.59 (hardcover)

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.

Mt. Meader

Bean's Purchase, NH

Jackson Ski Touring Foundation

Jackson, NH

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.