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February 7
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Sleigh Ride
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February 14
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Valentine Shoe & Stew
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February 20-27
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Big Sky Trip
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March 7
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Nordic Skiing/Snowshoeing
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March 21
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Big Sky Post-trip Party
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March 28
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Annual Dinner Meeting
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May 16
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Valley Roads Clean-up
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June 13
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Coastal Bike Ride/BBQ
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July 11
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Chain of Ponds Paddle/BBQ
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August 9
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Dead River Paddle/BBQ
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September 18-20
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Little Lyford Pond
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September 26
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Exploring The Bigelows
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October 11
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Exploring The Bigelows
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October 9-12
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Sugarloaf Homecoming
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October 24
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Exploring The Bigelows
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How about planning an Adventure?
Adventure Coordinators Jan Doherty and Linda Trueworthy are always looking for more folks to step up and run a few trips or outings such as:
*Golf Fun Day *Summer Camping Weekend *
*Quebec Bike Trip *Foliage weekend*
You can contact them at: [email protected]
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Every Sunday - 9:00 AM in front of the Base Lodge
Leader: Chris Paradis
Who: Skiers who want to ski with other CVOA members
What: CVOA "Show and Go" Skiing
Where: U.S. Flagpole Outside Rental Center-Front of Base Lodge- Look for the Big Orange "CVOA Show & Go Meets Here" sign in the window!!!
When: Every Sunday
Time: 9:00AM
Note: All abilities are welcomed; no RSVP of any kind is required.
  
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February 7th
Over the hill and thru the woods we go.....
in a sleigh drawn by two prized Belgium horses.
We will be in a 12 person sleigh and the horses will have bells on their harnesses as we glide along the trails, thru the fields and into the woods. Meet at Ken's barn at 5:45 PM and watch as the horses are harnessed up to the sleigh. We can feed carrot treats to the horses before leaving the barn for the sleigh ride.
After the sleigh ride, we will return to the barn for hot chocolate (optional w/schnapps) and desserts. BYOB if you want something other than hot chocolate.
Cost is $12.50 p/p (Cash Only) based on 12 people on the ride; it could be less if there are enough to fill the sleigh for a 2nd trip.
Directions: Ken's address is 1446 Foster Hill Rd, Freeman Township. From Kingfield at the corner of Rtes. 27 and 142 (Sugarloaf ski outlet is on the corner) drive 4 miles on Rt. 142 then bear left onto Rt. 145 and Ken's place is the first driveway on the right.
To sign up for this fun event,
contact Linda Trueworthy at [email protected]
Last year's Sleigh Ride event was fun for all!
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February 14th at the Sugarloaf Outdoor Center
Come JOIN US for an evening of XC skiing and snowshoeing on the groomed trails, or ice skating on the rink. Or just keep warm in the Lodge with friends and enjoy the many delicious soups & stews and Valentine themed desserts.
Groups will be skiing or snowshoeing up to the Warming Hut where we will enjoy refreshments (BYOB & appetizer - pack your happy hour goodies in your backpack). After our trek to the warming hut, we will convene in the Lodge to warm up with some hot soups, chili, chowder, breads and desserts.
Or join the group staying in the Lodge for happy hour (BYOB & appetizer). Everyone will enjoy dinner together.
3:00-4:30 - snowshoe trek at the Sugarloaf Golf Course (see below)
5:00 - skiers and snowshoers head out with leader at the Outdoor Center
5:30 - appetizers - bring your own - either to enjoy at warming hut or at the lodge if you are not skiing or snowshoeing
6:30 - Potluck: soups/stews/chowders and breads.
7:00 - Valentine dessert social
We've always enjoyed sampling from the line-up of crockpot soups and stews and look forward to this year's selection of gourmet and comfort food offerings!!! This year we'll have a DESSERT SOCIAL featuring some Valentine themed desserts to enjoy after dinner.
Cost for XC skiing/snowshoers is $6.00 for trail use and $5.00 for ice skating (free skate rentals). Rentals of skis & snowshoes are available. Please bring your own liquid refreshment, snacks to share and headlamps.
Already have dinner plans for Valentine's Day? Join us afterwards for our dessert social and sample some wonderful baked goods made by our own bakers. (Bring a dessert to share or pay $3.00 to enjoy a sampling of the dessert table.)
Contact Linda Trueworthy at [email protected] to let her know what you plan to bring (soup, bread, dessert) and how many are coming.
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3:00 - 4:30 - Snowshoe Trek at the Sugarloaf Golf Course
CVOA is offering an afternoon snowshoe trek as part of our Shoe & Stew event.
We will meet at the Sugarloaf Golf Course, and walk a loop around several of the fairways. The views are spectacular, the snowshoeing will be easy on generally sloping or flat terrain, and photo ops abound! Join us for this hour and a half outing, then venture over to the touring center for the 'Stew' ( and Valentine desserts) portion of our event.
Date: February 14
Time: 3:00-4:30 PM
Place: Meet at Golf Course parking lot
Trip Leader: Peggy Bickford - [email protected]
Last year's Shoe & Stew......
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Saturday, March 7th
Rangeley Lakes Trail Center
CVOA will be taking a trip to Rangeley Lakes Trail Center on Saturday, March 7th. The XC center is located at the base of Saddleback Mountain. There are both XC ski trails and snowshoe trails for all abilities. There is a yurt, where we can purchase snacks, drinks, and soup, or we can bring a lunch and eat at the tables inside, or at the picnic tables outside. They also rent XC skis and snowshoes, if needed.
There will be more information on cost and meeting place for carpooling as the date approaches.
To sign up for this event, contact Jan Doherty at [email protected]
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Saturday, March 28th, 5 pm
Sugarloaf Outdoor Center
Laissez les bons temps rouler!
CVOA is celebrating its 15th birthday this year. And, as they say in New Orleans, it's a perfect occasion to "let the good times roll." 
CVOA has long been dubbed the "active outdoor club"... a moniker rivaled only by the well-earned label "the most fun loving outdoor club anywhere". Like our counterparts in the French Quarter, we embrace the "joie de vivre," the joy of living in the wondrous outdoor playground we call home. This year we'll celebrate that heritage in our usual style.
To keep in the spirit, your CVOA party planners are plotting a Mardi Gras Extravaganza.... with great Creole and Cajun food prepared by CVOA "Guest Chefs", lively music and a memorable hike through the 15 chapters of our colorful history.
We'll also sneak in our annual business meeting, elect new officers for the upcoming year, honor our dedicated volunteers, eat, drink and be merry.
So... SAVE THE DATE! This is one you won't want to miss:
- WHEN: MARCH 28 at 5 pm
- WHAT: A Mardi Gras Dinner Party and Annual Membership Meeting
- WHERE: Sugarloaf Outdoor Center
- WHY: We're turning 15!
CVOA past president and outgoing treasurer Pete Weston has agreed to MC the event. If you know Pete, you know that means a lot of laughs are guaranteed! We'll also have a handful of "old timers" with tales to tell from our early years and we'll have time for our members to share their own memories.
Do you know, for example, who drove the school bus for our MOAH hike... where we camped that night... what the heck MOAH stands for?
How about who lost his wallet when he fell overboard on a CVOA Kennebec River trip?
Or what essential food never made it to the annual Baxter State Park camping trip?
Or how about who needed to eat a whole bunch of bananas to banish leg cramps on a Gulf Hagas waterfall hike (Hint: The same guy who ended up wearing most of a banana on a Tour de Gagne bike trip?)
Know how many states and countries we've skied in? How many mountains we've climbed? How many rivers we've paddled?
There's one way to find out: JOIN US!!!
For more information, contact Nancy Perry at
[email protected]
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CVOA held its Annual Winter Social on January 31st at the Stratton Community Center. The event was well attended with more than 75 members enjoying a great evening of camaraderie, food, music, and dancing. The evening kicked off with a happy hour accompanied by potluck appetizers, followed by an excellent selection of dinner entrees, salads and side dishes, and desserts. Members were treated to the sounds of The Delta Knights, a well-known live band from Portland, and everyone young and old could be found out on the dance floor enjoying the music.
One lucky member even left a little richer as the big winner of the night's 50/50 drawing. A big thank you goes out to everyone who volunteered to help out or contributed to the potluck since without members pitching-in this annual favorite would simply not be possible.
~ by Chris Paradis
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CVOA Donates to Local Organizations
At the meeting in January, the CVOA membership approved donations to the local Cub Scouts and the local chapter of the New England Mountain Bike Association (NEMBA).
CVOA has long been the sponsor for local Boy Scout Troop #525. Recently, Dave Koenig of Coplin, and coach/instructor at CVA, became the Cubmaster of the new Pack #525. They are meeting at CVA and have generated lots of interest by boys ages 8 to 11. CVOA is donating $500 to help with the initial expenses of setting up the new Cub Scout Pack. This money will be used to pay application fees for the Pack  and the scouts themselves. In addition, the funds will help with purchasing Cub Scout flags and other supplies. For those of us who were in scouting while growing up, like this Eagle Scout, it's great to see the tradition of Scouting continue in the next generation. Hopefully someone will get a Girl Scout troop started in the area, and CVOA can support that effort as well.
The Carrabassett Valley Chapter of NEMBA has been busy over the past few years building mountain bike trails in the Valley. These professionally designed and built trails are intended for all levels of ability and have generated a great deal of enthusiasm throughout the region, bringing hordes of bikers to the Valley during the biking season. NEMBA is a non-profit organization that relies on donations from individuals, landowners, municipalities, and local businesses to pay for the labor and expenses of building these trails. CVOA voted to donate $1,000 to the local chapter to help with the cost of constructing additional trails. The Town of Carrabassett Valley will match this money, so our donation results in $2,000 of capital for trail construction. NEMBA uses volunteer labor to build some of their trails, but the majority of the work is done by hired labor. So, not only will these funds provide  additional mountain biking trails, it will provide employment for several people living in the Valley during the 'off season' when jobs are not as plentiful.
When informed the donation had been approved, Peter Smith, president of the local NEMBA chapter, replied "[The donation] is greatly appreciated and we will put this to good use in continuing to build world class mountain bike trails in Carrabassett Valley." For additional information and/or to join the NEMBA club, please check their website: http://www.nemba.org/join.
CVOA President Sandy Jamison pointed out at the meeting that both of these organizations are worthy of our support, as they meet our mission statement: "To foster and promote the conservation of our natural resources and the creation of recreational opportunities in our region".
~ by Peter Weston, Treasurer
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Change in membership year:
At the Board Meeting on January 10th, the board voted to change the membership year from an October 1-September 30 year to a calendar year of January 1 - December 31. The change will be voted upon by the members at the Annual Meeting on March 28. You will receive more information about this change in an email later this month. All memberships that currently expire on September 30, 2015 will be extended to now expire on December 31, 2015.
Treasurer position open:
We are still actively searching for someone to replace Peter Weston, our current treasurer. If you would like to find out more, contact Peter at: [email protected].
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This photo from last month's newsletter inspired me to include a "Photo of the Month" in each newsletter. If you have taken a great photo, send it to me for consideration. The photo should be somehow related to CVOA, taken within the last year, in a digital format, and by a CVOA member.
 | Photo by Judy Weston in December 2014. The mountain is Bigelow, the photo taken from the Westons' snowshoe trail, at the Spruce Hill lookout. Judy took it while they were breaking trail, ahead of the holiday hike & cookie swap.
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Are you a photography buff? Know anything about photo contests? Would you like to take ownership of a photo contest, set guidelines, select the monthly photo? If so, contact me!
~ Cindy Foster, Newsletter Editor
[email protected]
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Gift Memberships
Give the gift of fun and adventures to your family and friends! We now have certificates that you can present to your favorite people. Sign them up online or with a paper application, and note that it is a gift. We will send the certificate either to you or the recipient, as you request.
Questions? Contact Cindy Foster, Membership Chair,
at [email protected] .
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Maine Huts and Trails is offering a $10 discount on the cost of an annual Maine Huts & Trails membership to all CVOA members. For more information, click here.
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