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  1. #1

    Default The AMC's Little Lyford Pond Camps

    The Appalachian Mountain Club has in recent years expanded their operations into providing lodging adjacent to Maine's 100 Mile Wilderness. The outdoor recreation industry is a key factor in Maine's new economy, and the AMC also operates other camps in the area.
    The Little Lyford Pond facilities are near the AT and the Gulf Hagas area campgrounds, accessed by trail and improved gravel roads. Single bunk spaces in a shared cabin start at about $80.00 per night, advance reservation recommended.
    http://www.outdoors.org/lodging/lodges/lyford/index.cfm
    Teej

    "[ATers] represent three percent of our use and about twenty percent of our effort," retired Baxter Park Director Jensen Bissell.

  2. #2

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    If we see any signs, Weary and I will go into convulsions. Oh the horror.

  3. #3
    ME => GA 19AT3 rickb's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by TJ aka Teej View Post
    The Appalachian Mountain Club has in recent years expanded their operations into providing lodging adjacent to Maine's 100 Mile Wilderness. The outdoor recreation industry is a key factor in Maine's new economy, and the AMC also operates other camps in the area.
    The Little Lyford Pond facilities are near the AT and the Gulf Hagas area campgrounds, accessed by trail and improved gravel roads. Single bunk spaces in a shared cabin start at about $80.00 per night, advance reservation recommended.
    http://www.outdoors.org/lodging/lodges/lyford/index.cfm
    In the summer, the bunk house is $59 for members. Used to be the AMC would extend member rates to anyone who belonged to the ATC, but I am not sure they still do. Its a bit more in the winter.

    Thats a whole lot of money, but the price includes 3 meals.

    My Wife and I stayed at the bunkhouse on a winter trip. I got up in the middle of the night to keep the pot bellied stove glowing just to make sure I wasn't being taken too advantage of.

    Gulf Hagas in the winter was beautiful, BTW. The sauna was nice, too.

  4. #4

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    Quote Originally Posted by rickb View Post

    Thats a whole lot of money, but the price includes 3 meals.
    For the other cabins the rate is; members $85, non members $99.
    The AMC's taken over the historic Long Pond camps near Chairback, and they will have trails connecting to the AT too. They'll be renamed after an AMC official and open sometime next summer.
    Teej

    "[ATers] represent three percent of our use and about twenty percent of our effort," retired Baxter Park Director Jensen Bissell.

  5. #5
    ME => GA 19AT3 rickb's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by TJ aka Teej View Post
    For the other cabins the rate is; members $85, non members $99.
    The cabins are beautiful, but I am thinking the bunk house provides the best value. At $59 with 3 meals, the price is comparable to a $25 bunk at a hostel with $34 left to cover the 3 meals. The wood fired sauna was a nice bonus in the winter.

    We had intended to dogsled in, but the snow failed so the AMC picked us up just outside of town and drove us in, in a 4WD with chains on it. I don't think they charged us for the lift, but they may in normal conditions (like when you ski in and have them shlep your gear).

    No dog sledding a bit of a disappointment, but the caretaker/driver was a former Millinocket Police Officer, animal control expert and former Baxter State Park Ranger who had some great stories on the drive.

    In any event, I was impressed that Little Lyford had hired someone of his caliber as a caretaker. Then I came to find out that his wife had grown up in sporting camps and had even better stories (I am not shy asking for them). Her cooking wasn't quite on par with the late Keith Shaw's but it came close.

    All told, I am glad we went up.

  6. #6
    Registered User weary's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by TJ aka Teej View Post
    For the other cabins the rate is; members $85, non members $99.
    The AMC's taken over the historic Long Pond camps near Chairback, and they will have trails connecting to the AT too. They'll be renamed after an AMC official and open sometime next summer.
    Actually, the Long POnd Camps have been named after Leon Gorman, former CEO of LL Beans and founder of the modern store, who I'm guessing probably is financing a good piece of the renovations. At least that is the name I heard when I spent a night there last fall.

    I have yet to stay at the AMC facilities in Maine on a commercial basis. But I've spent several nights at Little Lyford Ponds on Maine chapter excursions. And spent a night at Long Pond Camps. The latter was to have been a Chapter retreat, but only a few of us signed up, so it turned into an inspection trip of the facilities.

    The Old AT went through the dooryard of the camps 30 years ago. I'm guessing that will be the trail that will connect with the AT. A new trail will connect with Little Lyford, which is about seven miles northerly. AMC has worked out some kind of an arrangement with privately-onwed camps north of Little Lyford and has purchased and reopened another old camp on one of the ponds -- making possible a four day backpack from sporting camp to sporting camp. Sort of recreating the 1930s AT experience in the region.

    Weary

  7. #7
    Registered User weary's Avatar
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    Actually, the dedication was last week. Here is the AMC press release:

    Staff, conservation partners, and friends of the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) gathered at Long Pond July 14 for the dedication of Gorman Camps at Chairback Mountain, named in honor of longtime AMC supporters and outdoor enthusiasts Leon and Lisa Gorman. This special naming recognizes the Gormans for their support of AMC’s Maine Woods Initiative, conservation, outdoor recreation, and environmental education.

    The camps will be opened to AMC members and the general public in late 2009. Gorman Camps will be the third sporting camp opened as part of the camps and trails network being developed by AMC through its Maine Woods Initiative. The camps lie within the 37,000-acre Katahdin Iron Works tract, which is owned and has been permanently protected by the AMC.

    The camps were originally known as York’s Long Pond Camps, a commercial sporting camp. In recent years, the property has been operated as a private camp. The camps lie on the original route of the Appalachian Trail through Maine.

    Two other sporting camps, Little Lyford Pond Camps and Medawisla Wilderness Camps, are currently open and available for hiking, paddling, fly-fishing, and mountain biking in summer, and snowshoeing and camp-to-camp skiing in winter.

    Speaking at the dedication, AMC Executive Director Andy Falender commended the Gormans for their exceptional support of AMC’s mission and programs, and their leadership throughout the conservation community. Falender also recognized Leon Gorman for his leadership as past President of L.L.Bean, the Freeport-based outdoor outfitter, and cited the company’s support for outdoor recreation and conservation.

    “We’re very proud to have our names associated with the camps and the Maine Woods Initiative. I believe it’s going to very beneficial, not just to AMC, but to the State of Maine itself,” Leon Gorman said.

    AMC project manager Gerry Whiting outlined planned improvements at the camps, and trails consultant Mike Cooper described work this summer to build a new connector trail between Gorman Camps and the Appalachian Trail at Chairback Ridge.

    Also participating in the celebration were Mike Tetreault, executive director of the Maine chapter of The Nature Conservancy, and Alan Hutchinson, executive director of the Forest Society of Maine, representing AMC’s Conservation Framework partners; L.L.Bean President and CEO Chris McCormick; and Bob Peixotto, L.L.Bean Chief Operating Officer and Board Chairman of Maine Huts and Trails.

    Maine Master Guide and AMC Land Stewardship Manager Bob LeRoy presented Leon with four custom-made brook trout flies, hand-tied by LeRoy, and named “The Leonwood Special,” in honor of Leon and his grandfather, Leon Leonwood (L.L.) Bean.

    The event featured a dedication ceremony and ribbon-cutting, a luncheon provided by DKB Catering of Greenville, and music by the bluegrass band, The Adrians.

    After lunch the group paddled across Long Pond with long-time residents James and Janë Draper. James remarked at the dedication that he was “so grateful to Lisa and Leon for their efforts to protect special outdoor places for future generations.”

    The Maine Woods Initiative is AMC's strategy for land conservation in the 100-Mile Wilderness region - addressing regional ecological and economic needs through outdoor recreation, resource protection, sustainable forestry and community partnerships. More information is available at www.outdoors.org/mwi.

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    ME => GA 19AT3 rickb's Avatar
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    Thanks for the info, Weary.

    I was looking for a map and found this one: http://www.outdoors.org/conservation...0miw_360px.jpg

    It didn't have the detail I wanted, but it did show a Conservation Framework Area in gray that extended beyond the land that is now protected directly by the AMC.

    DO you know what is up with that?

  9. #9
    Registered User weary's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by rickb View Post
    Thanks for the info, Weary.

    I was looking for a map and found this one: http://www.outdoors.org/conservation...0miw_360px.jpg

    It didn't have the detail I wanted, but it did show a Conservation Framework Area in gray that extended beyond the land that is now protected directly by the AMC.

    DO you know what is up with that?
    Rick: It's the land that Plum Creek has agreed to sell to the Nature Conservancy, AMC and other conservation groups if Plum Creek's project is approved by Maine's Land Use Regulation Commission.

    The groups have been widely criticized for entering into an agreement that makes it more likely the project will be approved. I have mixed feelings. It's a tremendously important piece of land. But overall, I think AMC and the others are wrong.

    But I could argue the issue both ways.

    Weary

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