~ February 2025 ~

Hello CVOA,

Greetings CVOA members



Welcome to February as we gear up for the best part of the winter season. Here’s my perspective on CVOA from its founding over 25 years ago.

When you speak with the members who created CVOA, they reminisce about getting together to go camping-tents, campfires, canoes, fishing. That was 25 years ago. This was a small, close-knit group of friends.

Twenty-five years later CVOA is different. It has about 1,000 members. The most popular activities are the shooting range, traveling away from Carrabassett Valley to the West, Alaska, Europe, and Canada, and a myriad of social events with pot-luck meals, and third Thursday Socials.  

The common thread continues to be CVOA brings together people in this special part of Maine. Although we don’t have the statistical data to prove it as we don’t pry too much into our members’ lives, I’ll bet most of our members are over 50. The range is an exception, where we do have some younger members and families.

Over the 25 years of CVOA’s existence, there have been changes in our Valley that have shaped CVOA. Mountain biking has become a popular sport and with it, its own organizations and activities. The Sugarloaf Ski Club has transitioned from being a traditional Ski Club to a charitable focus supporting youth and the community. Ski racing for mountain families has developed through CVA. And what of CVOA? It has become the organization that connects locals, weekend warriors and regular visitors through activities because this fills a need in the Valley.

So why don’t we return to our roots and bring back more tents and fishing and cooking over campfires? I suspect that these are multi-season activities, but not so much in the winter. Those who have homes elsewhere also have groups of friends elsewhere. Our members have “summer friends’ and “winter friends” with whom they may do different things.  

But we still owe allegiance to our roots and to Carrabassett Valley. We are exploring more opportunities for projects that support outdoor activities. We will be repairing the picnic tables along the Narrow Gauge Trail. We’ll supply volunteers for the Spring cleanup along Route 27. Our Range will need a spring clean-up. We also are talking to the High Peaks Alliance about supporting their work and they, in turn, would offer CVOA some group activities. Finally, CVOA offers its members a modest number of summer activities so that members can remain in contact with the Valley and their “winter” friends.

Please mark your calendars for the CVOA Annual Meeting on March 30 from 5-8pm at the Shipyard. Details will be in the March Newsletter.

Happy Valentines Day 

Thom Johnston

February 2025

February 2 - Bowling SugarBowl 2-4

February 4 - Meet Ski Go 9:00 a.m. Super Quad

February 8 - Yonder Knoll Hike 1-3

February 9 - Bowling SugarBowl 2-4

February 11 - Meet Ski go 9:00 a.m. Super Quad

February 13 - 3rd Thursday Social Shipyard Side Bar 4:30-6:00

(moved due to school vacation)

February 14 - Feed Our Lifties, Groomers, Snowmakers & More

February 22 Member/Board meeting 2:30 Begin Room CV Library

February 22 Pasta Social 5:00-7:30 Begin Room CV Library

February 23 - Bowling SugarBowl 2-4

February 25 - Meet Ski Go 9:00 a.m. Super Quad

Click here: 2025 CVOA Calendar

Happy mid-winter and thank you for being a 2025 member of CVOA!! Thanks to the many renewals that occurred after the January Newsletter! Over 100!

Welcome to new members:

Tim and Anne Flight

Sally Struever and Peter Eiermann & Jasper

Milton Stein

Elizabeth McNamara

Patti Johnston, Membership Secretary

~Calling all CVOA Nordic skiers~

Twenty-one members have expressed interest in hearing about nordic skiing meet-ups and trips using a group email. The goal is to give members an opportunity to easily reach other nordic skiers for a XC jaunt by simply sending out an email with details. We are just getting started as we patiently wait for Mother Nature to give us more snow on the trails.

This is a member-driven group, so everyone can make suggestions at any time, such as a last minute ski on the Narrow Gauge, at the Outdoor Center or on the Huts & Trails system. A few more ideas that have been mentioned are a ski/lunch to a hut, a ski day in Lac Megantic in late February as well as a 2026 Nordic trip to Austria! 

If you would like to join this email group, let me know.

Bonnie Farrar

bfarrar7@aol.com

207-735-3984

From the Banff Lake Louise Canada Ski Trip

CVOA “keeners” (Canada meaning is enthusiastic people) at a welcome reception after their first day of skiing at Lake Louise. Everyone is having a great time skiing! There is wonderful camaraderie amongst the group members and plenty of laughs!!

Trip Leader Mike Parker

Meet Ski Go Tuesday Mornings February 4, 11, and 25. No MSG the 18th during School Vacation

Meet At The Super Quad Promptly at 9:00am

Calling all CVOA skiers! 

Please join us for a Ski Around The Mountain. Ski your favorite trails for a few runs or a few hours with other CVOA members.

No sign up…just "Show and Go"!!

Watch WSKI and go to the Sugarloaf website to review the weather, trail and lift reports. If the mountain is having issues, we will not ski together as a group.

CVOA Sunday Afternoon Bowling SugarBowl

The SugarBowl reserves two lanes for CVOA members 2:00 - 4:00pm.

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

February dates: 2, 9, (16 No bowling vacation week) 23

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

NOTE: This 3rd Thursday Social is on the SECOND THURSDAY due to School Vacation.

3rd Thursday Social, Food & Trivia February13th 4:30-6:00pm Shipyard Side Bar

JOIN YOUR FRIENDS! MAKE SOME NEW FRIENDS at the CVOA mid-week Socials!

Cash Bar ~ Appetizers provided by CVOA

Team Trivia & Prizes! 

February Doorprize: Valentine Basket including a $25 Shipyard Gift Card

Adventures Await ~ Come join the fun!

Support the Shipyard Brew Haus ~ Stay for Dinner!

Yonder Knoll Hike

Show ‘N' Go

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!

CVOA Loves our Lifties!!

….and Mechanics, Maintenance Workers, Groomers, Snowmakers & Bus Drivers!!!

CVOA members let’s SHOW SOME LOVE ❤️ to the employees who work every day to make our ski days FANTASTIC!

On Valentines Day, February 14th, with your help, CVOA members will provide lunch for these highly valued employees.

Details:

• Food can be dropped off at the Administration Building anytime after 8:00 a.m.
• The lunch will be in the Lifties Room in the bottom level of the Administration Building
• Any and all contributions to this luncheon will be greatly appreciated
• For example, a member has offered to deep fry two turkeys and debone them for sandwiches
• Soup ~ Chowder ~ Stew ~ Casseroles ~ Desserts are all needed
• Please make a card/label with a description of your dish
• If you don’t wish to cook, bring bread, rolls, condiments, potato chips, non-alcohol beverages
• Several outlets for crockpots are available as well as a microwave. Please put your name on your crockpot/dishes 
• CVOA will provide “to go” containers, cutlery, etc. 
• Many employees will grab and go and eat on the fly

Please reach out to Bonnie or Jeannette with questions about contributing

bfarrar799@gmail.com or jparker16seabreeze@gmail.com

🍝PASTA & PIE SOCIAL🥧

Saturday, February 22

5:00-7:30pm at Carrabassett Valley Library

5:00 - 5:45 Social Hour with limited appetizers, BYOB

5:45 - 7:30 Dinner & Desserts

🎟️ Door prize Basket Drawing 🎟️

2 - 3 Appetizers ~ Main Course Pasta Dishes - Assorted Dessert Pies

CVOA has many great cooks and bakers always generously willing to prepare tasty favorites.

To assure a variety of main dishes and desserts, please RSVP and indicate what you will bring.

RSVP to Jeannette at jparker16seabreeze@gmail.com

Last year this dinner and social event filled the Library to its capacity

of 60 ….and it will do it again!!

Cups, plates, cutlery and ice will be provided by CVOA. The oven is available to reheat entrees if necessary.

A few members are needed at 4:30 to set up and following dinner to clean up.

Come Join The Fun and Have Dinner With Friends!!

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. Contact Leslie to if you want to be added to a waiting list ~ Diane Stone dpstone32@gmail.com

Moonlight Cross-Country Ski

On Flagstaff Lake

Friday March 14th

Susan Fraser and Zoanne Paradis invite you to join them on a moonlight ski on Flagstaff Lake. We will meet at 217 Old Dead River Road at 7:00 pm. The group will ski out and return for dessert and warm beverages.

RSVP to 207-557-8282 or zoeyparadis@gmail.com by March 10th.

Winter at the Range

A special Range Thank you to Bill O'Brien for his collection and scrapping of 250lbs. of brass from the Pistol and Rifle Ranges adding up to $475 which will go toward improvements to those ranges.

Also, a big Range Thank you to range members Owen Day and Kerri Murphy for their $200 donation for improvements to the metal targets on the Pistol and Rifle Ranges.

Please remember to police your brass. There are buckets at each range for that purpose. Funds raised go directly to range improvements/enhancements. We are also interested in your improvement suggestions and any help you can offer to make those improvements, such as hands on labor, range committee work or cash donations. Range committee members Bill O'Brien and Seth Gilbert are exploring movable targets, both metal and paper.

Pistol and Rifle Ranges will remain open and plowed throughout the winter as well as the heated bathroom. Remember to have your range badge or a copy of your membership verification letter on you when using the range. A copy on your phone is acceptable. Make sure you take a photo of both sides of your badge, as the back has the Gate Code. Though Range Officers are not in frequent attendance during the Winter, you may still be asked for membership verification.

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

YONDER KNOLL HIKE



There were seven of us, including a fun ‘first time’ couple. Light snow and cloudy skies, but sunny smiles! Snowshoes needed to make ‘first tracks’ up! Looking forward to the next two treks on the ‘second Saturdays’ of February and March. Yonder Knoll is a gem!!

Jan Mildram trip leader. 

January Winter Social

My feet felt like they were still dancing when I went to bed!! A sell out group of eighty members attended the Winter Social at the Outdoor Center. The Outdoor Center space allowed more members to attend, had tables with chairs and ample parking. Thank you to the “helping hands” that came early to help decorate the tables. Two food tables were filled with AMAZING appetizers. Hot from the oven bacon wrapped stuffed peppers (a really big hit!!), taco dip, hot from the oven tacos, sriracha hot dogs, meatballs…just to name a few of the treats generously provided by the excellent CVOA cooks. Whether you were there to eat, dance or socialize with friends a good time was had by all. 

A BIG shout out to DJ Greg Powers. Dancing got off to a slow start as all enjoyed the food and socializing. When the dancing started, it continued right up to the 8:00 finale!!!….even by some who skied that day…. such hearty Sugarloafers!! Sparkling light up rings, eyeglasses and necklaces added to the fun of the event.

To view event photos CLICK HERE!!

Door prizes of $25 gift cards to Tufulio’s were won by Elaine Fitzpatrick, Don Hathorn, Peter Howard and Joyce Tobias. 

NOTE: MARK YOUR CALENDAR FOR JANUARY 10, 2026! Plans are already in the works to “expand” this event next year with a theme, think creative winter attire, decorations, etc. Social Planners, Bonnie and Jeannette will be looking for volunteers when the planning begins.

3rd Thursday Social

Third Thursday Socials are off to a great start!! Seventy-six members attended this popular event at the Shipyard. New members making their first appearance were immediately welcomed. Name tags are greatly appreciated! After an hour of beverages, appetizers and socializing, trivia teams were formed, questions distributed and the timer set for 10 minutes. Team Trivia is a great way to meet other members and continues to be great fun enjoyed with enthusiasm and friendly competition. 

Winner of the $25 Shipyard gift card door prize was Alan Fraser.

A shout out to Chris Prudente for again donating a large butternut squash. Pat Robinson was the very happy winner!!

Thank you CVOA for providing the appetizers. The Shipyard staff, Bryce and Luke, cook and bartender, were very complimentary of our members for the generous tips and many compliments for the food and service.

To view event photos CLICK HERE!!

Thank You CVOA members who regularly attend our social events. Your attendance and participation are what make these events consistently FUN!

Jeannette Parker & Bonnie Farrar

Climate Solutions Workshop: HOPE FOR A HEALTHY PLANET

There were 20-25 attendees of all ages at the workshop. Quite a few were CVOA members, and the rest were community members. Diane Stone provided an overview of CVOA and its mission, welcomed attendees to join and introduced Laurie. Laurie in turn introduced the non-partisan, non-profit, climate change organization, Citizens’ Climate Lobby & Education. She stressed the importance of non-partisan climate solutions during these divided times in order to address the eminent challenges of a warming planet. Then she led the group in an interactive workshop featuring the MIT ENROADS Climate Solutions Simulator. Together the group explored a wide variety of potential climate solutions, including the most effective Carbon Pricing solutions. They then bundled several reasonable solutions together to illustrate that we can in fact get to and keep global warming below the +2C Paris Agreement threshold beyond which consequences are severe. In conclusion, Laurie talked about the numerous ski resorts including all four of the major Maine resorts, non-profit organizations, professional skiers, and snow sport manufacturers who endorse a carbon fee to mitigate climate change. She welcomed attendees to Join CCL/CCE to help build the social and political will for a livable planet. For more information feel free to reach out to Laurie at laurieamanos@gmail.com.

CVOA First Cribbage Tournament



Karen Packard organized the Tournament, and Ray Stone assisted with tournament rules.

There were thirty-two participants in the singles division and four teams in the doubles.

After five rounds of single elimination play, Annie Tuelle became the reigning Singles Champion.

After battling it out the doubles division champs were Stephanie and Chris Rushton.

Karen Packard organized the brackets, Ray Stone assisted with tournament rules, and Diane Stone presented Sugarloaf cribbage boards to the winners. The Doubles Champs also received a traveling cribbage board donated by Jeff Strunk.

To view event photos CLICK HERE!!

This event was a great opportunity for players of all levels to mingle, play ad-hoc cribbage, and feast on some delicious appetizers. This was the first CVOA event for several new members. A special thank you to all who helped to set up and clean up.

To foster and promote the conservation of our natural resources

and the creation of recreational opportunities in our region.