The latest news about Maine lakes and ponds.

Lodge-to-Lodge Outing Warms Winter Souls

February 24, 2009 -

GREENVILLE -- Out on the frozen expanse of Second West Branch Pond it is frosty cold, but the night air is still. The high peaks of the White Cap Range rise in silhouette above the northern shore. Overhead, in this naturally dark pocket of the Maine woods, a billion stars turn the black sky almost white, and I nod with delight and wonder.

On shore, a string of log cabins peek out from the trees, all dark except for one, which we inhabit on this magic night. A small window glows orange with the light of a lantern, and smoke rises straight up from the chimney. Chilled now, I crunch back across the snow, push through the creaky door and rejoin my companion. Another log for the wood stove, and we retire into the downy wombs of our sleeping bags.

West Branch Pond Camps is the second stop on the “lodge to lodge” ski traverse, a winter adventure developed by the Appalachian Mountain Club. The 25-mile trek takes four days and three nights to complete, costs $420 and draws skiers deep into Maine’s famed 100-Mile Wilderness. It includes all meals, lodging and gear shuttling between lodges. The trip is popular with skiers of varying experience levels who enjoy getting out into the back country.

“No where else in the eastern United States can you ski between traditional sporting camps, enjoy a warm log cabin and have meals prepared for you,” said Rob Burbank, AMC public affairs director. “It’s a unique recreational opportunity.”

People appreciate the wild and remote feel of the trip by day, notes Burbank. And each night is enjoyed at a different place, a real Maine lodge with “a distinct feel to it, a unique location, history, architecture and people, which makes for a very special experience.”

The trip begins in Greenville at Northwoods Outfitters, which helps shuttle your vehicle to the trip’s end point and then delivers you to the trailhead at the Medawisla Wilderness Lodge.

The lodge, acquired by the AMC in 2006, lies on the Roach River at the outlet of Second Roach Pond. It’s literally the end of the road in winter, and it feels so. But caretakers John Mesich and Amy Ouellette not only get you quickly oriented for your night’s stay, but for the grand adventure that lies ahead. You feel at home in no time.

There are miles of ski trails around Medawisla, and we spent the afternoon touring about and working up a healthy appetite. Good thing too, because at dinner time we sat down to a huge family-style dinner of salad, pork roast and potatoes, and homemade pecan pie.

“Just like our guests, we love the location here, being the only ones on the pond,” Ouellette said over post-dinner coffee. “It’s lovely to wake up here every day.”

Indeed, it must be, especially when morning brings a large stack of Amy’s blueberry pancakes. After breakfast, we pack lunches and then load our gear duffels onto a sled, to be towed ahead by snowmobile to the next camp. This leaves us free to ski each day carrying only a light pack of clothing and necessities.

The day’s ski follows a packed trail, contouring above the pond before climbing a shoulder of Shaw Mountain. Snow squalls obscure the hoped-for views of Katahdin, but we enjoy White Cap on the descent into the next watershed and WBPC.

The temperature gauge registers minutes 37 Fahrenheit when we step outside the next morning. At the main lodge, camp owner Eric Stirling has the wood stove cranking, sausage frying and coffee brewing. The unusually frigid cold dominates the conversation.

“The option to travel by day in winter conditions but then have the comforts of heat and cooking at night is what draws people to this trip,” Stirling said, noting that the popularity of the ski traverse continues to increase. “It’s civilized, but without the civilization.”

Despite the cold, it was a bright, sunny day, and we are well-prepared and warm for the final leg of the journey to Little Lyford Ponds. The route follows the old Pleasant River Trail for much of the day, offering spectacular views of sprawling and trail-less Baker Mountain before entering the dark, mature forests beside the river.

Little Lyford Pond Camps, a focal point of the 37,000-acre AMC Katahdin Iron Works Property, exudes comfort and is a perfect spot to finish up (yes, there’s a seven-mile ski out the next day, but first things first). The sauna and hot showers are an irresistible and soothing treat, and with dinner and several celebratory glasses of wine, bedtime in a toasty warm log cabin can (and did!) come mighty early.

To plan and prepare for your own lodge-to-lodge ski adventure, and for more information on the AMC Maine Woods Initiative, visit www.outdoors.org or call 603-466-2727. Carey Kish of Bowdoin is a big supporter of AMC conservation efforts through the Maine Woods Initiative. Send comments to: MaineOutdoors@aol.com

CAREY KISH, Portland Press Herald, February 19, 2009


Lakes:
Regions: Rangeley, Moosehead, Katahdin, Embden


Print this story

Email this story

return to Lake News