Join Berkshire/Worcester Chapters weekend extravaganza at Cardigan Lodge. We’ll have fun as we hike, cycle, paddle, eat, socialize, gather ‘round the campfire and more! Rates include 2 nights lodging, 2 breakfasts, 2 trail lunches, 2 dinners and happy hour snacks Saturday evening. Adults $138.50; Youth (ages 13-17) $117.78; Children (ages 3-12) $61.08. Campsites available for $25 per night (2 tents, 6 persons maximum). Optional camper meal package (1 dinner, 1 breakfast, 1 lunch): Adult, $35; Youth $31, Child $20. To reserve your spot, call AMC Reservations 603-466-2727 (Mon-Sat, 9 am to 5 pm) by April 25 and specify Group#186854. Other questions call or email Eric Gove (amc.berkshire.te@gmail.com) (413.374.0467), please leave a message with a good time to call as I work odd hours.)
At the recent AMC Adventure Travel committee meeting, the following adventure trips were added to the schedule for 2013:
Backcountry Skiing in Yellowstone, Jan 24–Feb 2
Hiking New Zealand, Feb 9–25
Skiing New Mexico, Feb 9–19
St. John, USVI, Feb 10–19 or Feb 14–21 or March 16–24
Trekking Patagonia, Feb 23 – March 4
Death Valley and the Red Rocks, Nevada, April 19 – 28
Morocco Trek, May 4 – 19
Hiking the Superior Hiking Trail, Minnesota, Sept 20 – 29
Biking Provence, Oct 11 – 19
For complete details on all these adventure travel trips plus more, visit: http://www.outdoors.org/adventuretravel.
AMC Books is pleased to announce the release of six new and updated titles, including an entirely new series for families.
The new, information-packed Outdoors with Kids Boston and Outdoors with Kids New York City focus on 100 close-to-home outdoor experiences in and around the city where families can hike, bike, paddle, play, swim, or simply run around. In addition, our new, free online community offers parents, educators, and leaders of youth group’s advice on getting kids outside in and around both cities! Visit: http://www.outdoors.org/bostonkids and http://www.outdoors.org/nyckids.
Also available is Discover the Adirondacks, a new four-season guide. With stunning open peaks, extensive spruce-fir forests, and pristine waterways, New York State’s Adirondack Park is an outdoor traveler’s dream. This new, easy-to-use guide features 50 of the best hiking, biking, and paddling opportunities available in the largest designated park in the contiguous United States.
Beat the noisy summer crowds, pesky flies and mosquitoes and enjoy the beautiful month of May at the cabin on Fire Island, a barrier island that shares the only National Wilderness Area in the New York State, beginning May 13th. Midweek deals available May 13-17 and May 20-24 and you can bring a non-member for free! http://www.outdoors.org/lodging/cabins-campgrounds/camps-fire.cfm
AMC’s 2012 Fall Gathering will be held on October 19-21, at the Greenkill YMCA Retreat Center in Huguenot, NY. This year’s gathering is being hosted by the New York-North Jersey Chapter in honor of their 100th Anniversary as a chapter. Everyone is invited to this club-wide event which will include hiking, biking, paddling and many more activities in the Catskill Mountains. Watch for details in the upcoming issues of AMC’s Outdoors magazine or by visiting the NY-NoJ Chapter’s website http://www.amc-ny.org/
Open November 2012. This is an important position on our Executive Committee; a great opportunity to be part of our Chapter’s top level of leadership!
Encourage Chapter Outings leaders to post events so members can have activity options (hiking, backpacking, biking, snowshoeing or cross-country skiing, and more) every weekend. Get new leaders approved with our Training & Education Committee. Please contact Jon Hanauer at outings@amcberkshire.org for more information.
The Mass AT Committee is seeking an interested volunteer to take a leadership role in reactivating our volunteer ridge runner program. This program has been active in the past but has fallen into dormancy in the last few years. With the increased use of the AT, the need for volunteer Ridge Runners to assist hikers and support responsible use of the trail including Leave No Trace practices is likewise increasing. If you are interested in taking on this leadership role or in becoming a volunteer Ridge Runner, please contact us at: at.volunteer.coord@amcberkshire.org
The Mass AT Committee is pleased to announce that Hank Barton has joined the Committee filling a new role as Group Use Coordinator. In this role Hank will make contact with groups using the AT in Massachusetts and assist them with the planning of their trips on the AT. During periods of heavy group use it can be a real challange to avoid multiple groups arriving at an overnight site with limited capacity. We are very fortunate to have Hank volunteer for this role which will greatly assist our efforts to minimize the impact of group use on the AT. If you have a group planning to use the AT please contact Hank at: habarton@charter.net
The Mass AT Committee project schedule for the upcoming season will be published soon. A range of projects are planned for the year including boardwalk repairs, shelter and privy roof replacements, bog bridging, blowdown blitzes, trail brushing, open area clearing, natural heritage site visits, dock repairs and more! Click on our Getting Involved page for the 2012 Project Schedule (coming soon). If you’d like to join in a project just contact the project leader listed. No experience is needed, just a desire to get outdoors and have a great time with a great bunch of folks!
The Upper Goose Pond Cabin will be opened for the season on Saturday, May 19th. Until the opening, hikers may use the open porch or tent platforms to camp as in the past. Hikers are advised to use the bear box to store their food as bears will be active soon. Starting on opening day, caretakers will be on duty at the cabin until cabin closing in mid-October. If you are interested in joining in the fun of cabin opening for the season, please contact Steve Schimpff at 413-243-8902.