~ December 2024 ~

Hello CVOA,

Greetings CVOA members



There may be places where winter is not welcomed. In these places, people go inside and stew about outside conditions for months. Here, in Carrabassett Valley, the hearty CVOAers celebrate winter. The deeper it gets, the better we like it. 

The Mountain has opened, and our CVOA winter program is ramping up. Our committees and members are hard at work planning and scheduling activities and events for this season. They are also looking forward to the future of CVOA with creative ideas, some of which you will read about in this Newsletter with others percolating in the background. With growing membership and interests, we have opportunities to expand our involvement in community service, social gatherings and trips. I am grateful for all the creative ideas and hard work of so many who keep our great group of outdoor lovers excited and engaged. 

Patti and I wish you all a wonderful holiday season with family and friends, with good health and good cheer for 2025.

Thom Johnston

December 2024

December 1 - Bowling SugarBowl 2-4

December 7 - 3:00 - 4:15 Member/Board meeting

CV town office - Community Room

December 7 - 5:00 - 8:00 Ugly Sweater Party CV Library

December 8 - Bowling SugarBowl 2-4

December 12- Holiday Hike 2-4 Peter Weston's home

Cookie Swap 4:30-7 CV Library

December 15 - Bowling SugarBowl 2-4

December 19 - Third Thursday Social 4:30-6:00

Shipyard Side Bar

Check out the CVOA 2024 EVENTS CALENDAR

Click here: 2024-25 CVOA Calendar

Memberships are being renewed daily, and new members are joining. Remember, if you are participating in a CVOA ski trip this winter, your 2025 membership needs to be up to date. Membership rate increases go into effect January1,2025. Thank you to all who have renewed already. Welcome to new members who have joined since November 1.

Welcome to our new CVOA members as of November 25, 2024

Gretchen Gehrke

Maureen and Dan Goff

Barbara Raimondi and William Robitzek

Scott & Leah Steven

Lisa and Andy Sanford

Glenn and Laura Leisey

Have a wonderful holiday season and Think Snow!!

Patti Johnston, Membership Secretary

Now that winter is upon us and the valley is buzzing with winter vibe, we want to let you know what the Activities Committee has been doing. We’ve met a few times this fall and are working on an extensive list of possible outdoor activities for our members. Some of the events being investigated are a Getaway to Stonington Maine, a boating raft-up around Northeast Harbor, a Bike and Barge trip on the Danube, Cross Country Skiing options in the valley to one of the huts, to Northern Maine and a more significant trip to Austria. A summer ski trip to Chile is still being considered, although this may be cost prohibitive. Major ski trips for 2026 are already being investigated. If you have other ideas and/or would like to help lead an adventure email us at CVOA.Secretary@gmail.com.

We are also looking for people to help with repair work to the picnic tables on the Narrow Gauge pathway that CVOA built years ago. We will need to assess what is needed, purchase supplies and schedule a time next spring to do the work. Please reach out if you can help with this worthwhile community service.

The Activities Committee is always looking for new ideas and people to lead adventures. To help with this there will be an idea sheet at check in at the Third Thursday Socials. What makes CVOA so great is that our members make things happen - so join in the fun!

Thanks for your support and taking an interest in keeping CVOA vibrant!

Your Activities Committee

Bonnie Farrar, Tracy Goller, Dan Hitchcock, Thom Johnston, Leslie Knowlton, Mike Parker, Margie Roberts, Muffy Witham

~Calling all CVOA Nordic skiers~

Are you interested in finding out about gatherings this winter of fellow CVOA Nordic skiers to enjoy the local trails, Narrow Gauge, Outdoor Center and more? We are setting up a group email to notify interested skiers when one or more of us plan to hit the trails and are looking for others to join them. We may set up a weekly Meet & Ski. Also, there is an opportunity to plan longer outings in the local area or elsewhere in Maine. 

If you are interested in being on the group email list to find out more about these opportunities, email Bonnie at bfarrar7@aol.com and she'll add your email to the list. 

HOLIDAY HIKE & COOKIE SWAP 2024

Thursday December 12

Hike 2 to 4 pm, and cookie swap 4:30 to 7 pm.

Are you ready for this?  It’s time for CVOA’S always-popular HOLIDAY HIKE & COOKIE SWAP! (We tried to do it Saturday, but the schedule didn’t work. Sorry to those who have day jobs. The hike will start and end at Judy’s Place in Redington East. The Redington Road starts 2 miles north of Ayotte’s Store off Route 27. Go about a mile up hill, passing the Redington East mailboxes on your right. Take the next right turn on Fox Hollow Road after the mailboxes. In about 200 yards, turn left onto Ridgeview Road. Judy’s Place is at the top of the hill on the left, 2017 Ridgeview. Look for the “JUDY’S PLACE” sign. There is some parking in the driveway, otherwise park on the road.  

The Hike will start from the house at 2 PM and will take less than 2 hours. Hopefully there will be snow for snowshoeing, but if not we can still hike the loop.There will be views of the Bigelows, Sugarloaf and Burnt Mountains. There are multiple trails and people can do as much or as little as they want. These are beautiful woods to hike in. The trail does have some elevation change, producing an appetite for all those cookies!  Please wear appropriate footwear for hiking/snowshoeing this time of year. After the hike and maybe an adult beverage or two at Judy’s Place, we will travel to the annual cookie swap at the CV Library Begin Room for hot cider, mulled wine, hearty appetizers and a fabulous assortment of holiday cookies.

The Cookie Swap is at the CV Library from 4:30 pm to 7 pm. Those not hiking can meet hikers at the Library. Please bring an appetizer to share and 3-4 dozen cookies and remember a container to take home an assortment of 3 dozen cookies. If you don’t want to bake, just bring $5 and a cookie tin to take cookies home.  As usual, BYOB.

PLEASE let Peter know if you’ll be joining us for the hike and/or cookie swap by emailing to Peter@pbweston.com or text his cell 207-831-8565.

See you then!

Pete Weston & Alison Welch

CVOA Sunday Afternoon Bowling SugarBowl

The SugarBowl is reserving two lanes for CVOA members 2:00 - 4:00pm

$10 includes shoes. Come join the fun Sunday afternoons!

December dates: 1, 8, 15, NO BOWLING 12/22 & 12/29 Vacation weeks

**Reminder: Tufulio’s Sunday Twofers starts at 4:00.

Second Annual Ugly Sweater Party

CV Library, Saturday December 7 at 5-8 P.M.

It’s About To Get Ugly!

Ho Ho Holy Crap That’s Ugly…..The Uglier, The Better!

Eat, Drink & Be Ugly

Prizes Awarded For Ugliest, Funniest, Vintage & Couple 

Winners Determined By Ballot Vote……Trophy Awarded!

 $150 Holiday Gift Basket Awarded in Each Category

Guess the # of Snowballs and WIN a Holiday Gift Basket

47 members attended this event last year….Come Join The FUN!

3rd Thursday Social, Food & Trivia

December 19th ~ Shipyard/Side Bar

4:30-6:00pm

Join friends and fellow members at the CVOA mid-week Socials

held on the third Thursday of each month 

December through March, 4:30 – 6:00 pm.

Appetizers provided by CVOA. 

 Trivia & Prizes! 

Doorprize: $25 Shipyard Gift Card

Adventures Await ~ Come join the fun!

Yonder Knoll Hike

Show ‘N' Go

January 11, February 8, March 8

Meet at the Stratton Brook Hut Parking lot, just north of the Loaf Access Road. Head out at 1:05 pm. Cleats and/or snowshoes are recommended, depending on the amount of snow. Poles are important for navigating any uneven ground. We travel 15 minutes on the Narrow Gauge Pathway, then about 30 minutes up, some of which is moderately steep, but not tricky related to footing. We see the incredible view for 15 minutes or so. It’s an outstanding panorama of the Crockers, the Loaf, Burnt Mountain, and the peaks of Bigelow. The trip down is about 30 minutes. Total time is no more than 2 hours, so we will be back around 3:00 or so.

This is a Show ‘N Go event, so there is no signup required. We do this no matter the weather.

Friendly dogs are welcome.

Trip leader Jan Mildram...207-491-6798 

Hope you can make it!

Climate Solutions Workshop: HOPE FOR A HEALTHY PLANET

 January 18, 4:00 – 5:30 pm CV Library

As lovers of the outdoors, do you wonder (or even worry) about how we can protect the earth we love? Please join us to discover for yourself in an interactive session, that there is hope for a healthy planet. With the help of the MIT / EN-ROADS Climate solutions simulator and trained EN-ROADS facilitator, you will see which climate solutions are most effective and most likely to protect the planet’s vibrant outdoor spaces and species. And best of all there are some easy things that you can do to make a difference. Please plan to join us!

Co-Sponsored by:

Carrabassett Valley Outdoor Association

& Citizen’s Climate Education

Facilitated by: 

Laurie Manos, EN-ROADS Facilitator & CVOA Board Member

CVOA Cribbage Tournament

Friday January 25, 2025 4-7pm CV Library

Come join us for the first CVOA Cribbage Tournament. Singles and Doubles events, single elimination. Prizes and bragging rights for the winners.

Please bring an appetizer for folks to share and BYOB. Please bring a cribbage board and/or cards if you have them!

RSVP to reserve a spot. And if you can volunteer for set up/clean up or have a question please contact: Karen Packard at packard@gwi.net

View the VBT itinerary here: https://www.vbt.com/tours/germany-france-alsace-black-forest-guided-bike-tour/ All spots for this trip are filled by either CVOA or other travelers. We have two on the waiting list. Contact Leslie to if you want to be added to a waiting list ~ Diane Stone dpstone32@gmail.com

Winter at the Range

Pistol and Rifle Ranges will remain open and plowed throughout the winter as well as the heated bathroom.

As a range member, your guests are welcome. Shooting guests should sign the green Day Use waiver form and pay $10/day. Non shooting guests need not sign in, but it is the responsibility of the member to ensure all posted rules are followed. Any questions, please contact me.

I hope to see our Range Members enjoying our other CVOA events. Come meet old friends and make new ones. CVOA folks know how to have fun any time of year.

Enjoy your Winter at our beautiful Range and be safe!

Diane Stone

Range Secretary

CVOA.range@gmail.com

207-240-4752

Soup Social Potluck Party

Saturday, November 9

Thank You for being so Soup-er🥣

What a SOUP-ER event thanks to all of you! All around the room smiles, laughter and fun conversations. Another large increase in attendance as 58 members filled the Begin Room at the Library. It couldn't have happened without you and your willingness to contribute. So many great cooks made soups, appetizers, bread, rolls and desserts. Wouldn’t you agree food tastes best when shared with friends? Many more fun events are scheduled in the months ahead! Come join us!

Doorprize Winner: Diane Stone

Thank You, Gerry Thompson, for the 4 butternut squash. Who knew they would be such a popular and highly sought after doorprize!

NOTE: Next Years Soup Social is scheduled for Saturday, November 8, 2025 4:30-7:30 in a larger venue, Stratton Community Center

To foster and promote the conservation of our natural resources

and the creation of recreational opportunities in our region.