Where better to spend part of your summer than at Acadia National Park at Bar Harbor and Schoodic Point.

CVOA has reserved the entire group site at the Schoodic Woods Campground; the site is spacious with mowed grass tent sites. A large covered post and beam Pavilion with lighting, new picnic tables and electrical outlets. Brand new restrooms with running water and real toilets (not rustic).

Miles of biking on Park roads and various Park trails throughout the peninsula. A kayak 'put in' site for paddling around the harbor. Various scenic hiking trails, cliff walks and local fishing villages with shops and restaurants. Ferry rides across the harbor to Bar Harbor are also available.

We have arranged a meet-and-greet and eat at Casey's Restaurant in Winter Harbor Thursday night at 7pm. And an on-site lobster feed Saturday night.

Your Hosts,
Glenn & Peggy Bickford
[email protected] OR 207-712-8503

p.s. contact Glenn and Peggy if you are not already on the list of campers! And signing up late is OK.

 

Greg and Cindy Foster's waterfront home on McFarland's Cove in South Bristol offers:

What: a day of activities of your choice;

	View out to John's Bay

lobster lunch at 1:00 (details below)

When: 9am - 4pm - Spend the day or a few hours.

Where: 43 Point Priscilla Road, South Bristol - email for directions. If you have boats to put in the water, when you get near the end of McFarland's Cove Road, turn right on Edwards Lane, drive to the end and park in the field just below our gray house.

 

Lunch - served at 1:00.

Lobsters: Place your order with Cindy by 11:30, payment by cash only. We'll get them at the local co-op, cooked, market price about $10 each for pound and a quarter. Not a lobster lover? Bring something to put on the grill.

Sides and munchies: please bring something to share, and check ahead with Cindy so we'll have a nice variety.

Dessert: Ice Cream Sundaes by Cindy and Greg

Beverages: Bring your beverage of choice.

 

This is a "Rain or Shine" event; if the weather is poor, don't feel obligated to come.

 

RSVP's would be very much appreciated so we can plan accordingly. RSVP soon if you can, or later if need be.

 

~ Cindy and Greg Foster

[email protected] or  207-644-1334

 

Daggett Rock and Sandy River and Rangeley Lakes Railroad Museum, Phillips, ME 

	Steam locomotive Monson #3

(Other members are welcome to join us.)

 

Meet at Tufulio's parking lot at 9:30 a.m. and depart by 9:45.

We'll drive to the rest area - 1 mile west of CV & Kingfield town line on Route 27 and check out the signs about the history of the two foot railroad and Narrow Gauge.

Then on to Phillips and take on the 2/10 mile hike up a fairly rocky old dirt path to Daggett Rock *. If anyone is into "Geo caching", I've been told there are a couple of them hidden there. Be sure to wear good sneakers or hiking shoes as sandals would not be good. This round trip hike is considered easy in the CVOA Hiking Guide. Approximately 1/2 mile round trip.

From Daggett Rock we're 10 minutes to Sandy River Railroad Museum to have a picnic lunch, explore the old train station, and ride the railroad. Fee is $ 6.00 for 13 and up; $1.00 ages 6-12; and under 6 are free.

Then we will return to the Carrabassett Valley Town Park. If it's a nice day and anyone wants, we can have a dip in the CV Pool. (A fee is charged if you are not a CV resident or taxpayer.) So bring your bathing suits "just in case"!

Be sure to pack:

Any questions or to sign up - Call Susan Fraser at 207-318-0430 or e-mail [email protected]

~ Susan Fraser, trip leader

* Learn more: Click Here:  view and explore the largest Glacial erratic in Maine 

On Sunday, August 13th CVOA will once again be kayaking and canoeing the North Branch of the Dead River in Eustis.

This will be the third time CVOA has sponsored this event and the participation continues to grow each time. In 2015 we had 40+ paddlers cruising one of the western mountains least known, but most beautiful, flat water paddles.

 

Paddlers will be meeting at the put-in ramp on King and Bartlett Rd. in Eustis at about 9:00 AM. King and Bartlett Rd. is about 3 miles north of Pines Market on Route 27 North. The actual put-in is just beyond the wooden bridge about 100 yards off Route 27. Directional signs will be put up for first time attendees. There is ample parking and there will be folks to show you where the parking spaces are located.

 

Once launched, the trip is about 2 hours with one very short 200 foot portage. Assistance with the portage will be available for anyone needing a helping hand.

 

Spectacular views of the Bigelow Mountain Range and beautiful Flagstaff Lake await you on this trip.

 

Canoeists' and kayakers' will take out at the Wing Community landing in Eustis where Gail Miller and Joe Loughran will host the now famous post-paddling barbecue and gathering. Provisions will be made for transportation back to King & Bartlett Rd. to retrieve vehicles.

 

The Dead River Paddle trip has been one of CVOA's most popular day trips and we look forward to another great paddle, barbecue and gathering.

 

~ Gail Miller & Joe Loughran (needless to say, Gail will not be paddling nor helping with the portage)

note: RSVP's are appreciated now or in August to Gail at [email protected] or 207-650-0033

On Friday, September 8th a group of CVOA's most adventuresome members will be visiting Skydive New England to embark on one of the most exhilarating experiences of their lives.

 

 

In 2016, 3.1 million people in the USA entered the skydiving community. Ages ran from 18 to 93. The safety record of the skydiving industry is among the best of any sport in the country. On a tandem dive you are physically secured to an experienced skydiving guide at four points and he or she is in control the entire jump process.

 

A day of tandem skydiving begins with registration, moves on to a 90-minute safety and jump instruction class and a then a meet with your designated jump guide. A friendly, get to know you chat with the guide and then you are checked out the equipment. Shortly afterwards jumpers board an open vehicle for a short 3-minute ride to the plane. The flight takes about 15 minutes and conversation between the guides and jumpers is brisk with a definite air of "oh my, what am I doing here". Last minute instructions, if necessary, are shared between guides and jumpers.

 

Under the guide's direction both move to the jump door and given the command ... ready ... set ... go. And out you go. A quick free fall, the stabilizer canopy deploys, you are now parallel to the earth and then you are flying through the air at 120 miles per hour.

 

You are totally surprised by two thoughts -- you feel no sense of height and no sense of speed. You are in a new world unlike anything you have ever experienced. You can see the Atlantic Ocean to your right and the White Mountains to your left. Unbelievable experience! After about a minute the main canopy deploys, you feel the gentle upward pull as the canopy raises you 200 feet up and then you settle into a world of total silence. Your guide shows you how to control the canopy, to make right and left turns. Now you are in control. Swooping down and then rising up, turning right then a quick move left. Amazing.

 

At about 750 feet the guide takes back control and you are approaching the landing zone, you have slowed down but still moving at about 25 mph as you make your approach, then quickly down to 5mph, and a gentle landing on your butt. Terra firma again. Your first thought, I have to this again! And you just might.

Skydive New England is located in Lebanon Maine, about 20 miles west of Sanford.

For those CVOA members traveling from upcountry, there is a campground at Skydive New England. As we get closer to a final group count, we can make reservations for camping the night before the jump. For more information about the first time tandem skydiving visit: Click Here.

Joe Loughran will be the CVOA Trip Leader for this incredible experience. He did his first Tandem Skydive last September and vowed to "do that again". The cost for the tandem skydive is $215.00 per person all inclusive. Camping fees, however, would be extra.

You can contact Joe at [email protected] or call him at 207-650-3099 for sign up and/or more information.

~ Joe Loughran, Adventure Lover

Copper Mountain - January 21-28

Click here for brochure or go to our website page

 

Banff/Lake Louise - February 6-13

Click here for brochure or go to our website page.

We have room for 8 more.

 

Schweitzer Mountain - March 6-13

Click here for brochure or go to our website page

Plenty of room for more!

 

Sporting Clays has been described as the most fun you can have with a shotgun. Some say it's like playing golf with your shotgun. Sporting Clays originated in the 1920's in Great Britain for the purpose of teaching wingshooting skills to wealthy sportsmen. In the last seventy years, it has expanded worldwide and is recognized as a system for teaching shooting skills and one of the major recreational shooting sports. Participation in sporting clays is growing faster than any other shooting sport in America.

Several years ago, after much discussion and research on how we could enhance the shooting experience at our range, we settled on a form of sporting clays called "5 stand". The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife has grant money funded from the taxes on guns and ammunition. With grant money available at that time, we decided to submit an application. John McCatherin put together a beautiful and thorough application, and funding for our project was approved. We have purchased the equipment and are moving right along on the building. We expect to be up and running by mid-July, and we are all so excited!

If you aren't familiar with 5 stand, it may become one of your favorite games to play with your shotgun! Our course will be one of the finest you will find anywhere. It is like sporting clays without the walk in the  woods. It is a 25 target game and can be shot in about a half hour or so, under a covered  range to keep you out of the weather. The targets are launched from 6 locations in many directions for you to try to break from the five

	Jim Heichel, volunteer

shooting stations. Each time you change to a new station the targets look different with new angles to keep the game interesting.

This is great fun, terrific upland game practice and a good warm up for fall bird hunting. We change the target presentation often to keep it fresh and challenging for you and your shooting friends. There are lots of laughs, and some moan and groans, too. Give it a try, you will love it.

~ Jim Heichel,

Enthusiastic Range Volunteer and Shooter

Two years ago CVOA entered into a joint project with the Town of Carrabassett Valley to establish a resident population of Maine Brook Trout in the pond located at the Outdoor Center. CVOA provides about 50% of the funds for the Brook Trout stockings each year. The objective of this project is to provide local residents, both adult and children, with a safe, quality trout fishing experience.

 

The Outdoor Center Pond is Fly Fishing Only at this time, barbless hooks and fishers are requested to practice catch and release for all Trout caught. These measures are in place to hasten the establishment of a permanent year round population of Brook Trout. Fishers are also encouraged to record their fishing activity on survey cards located at the landing and leave the cards in the wooden box. This information is vital to making effective long term decisions on the viability of the Outdoor Center Pond to support a healthy population of Brook Trout. While some fishers have filled out the survey forms we need more detailed information over the course of this fishing season to make informed decisions regarding future stockings and the health of the resident fish population.

Responding to fishers concerns regarding poor canoe and kayak access to the Outdoor Center Pond, the Town of Carrabassett has constructed a first class dock at the lower end of the pond. The new dock provides a much quicker and safer put in for visitors, both fishers and non-fishers alike.

 

So where does CVOA fit in this project today?

 

With input from Mr. Sonny Pierce, retired Fisheries Biologist for the State of Maine, 550 new Brook Trout have been recently stocked in the Outdoor Center Pond. Mr. Pierce judged the ponds' water conditions and early catch/release survey information sufficient to go ahead with a new stocking.

 

The success of this project will depend, in large part, on the consistent inflow of information from the survey cards submitted by fishers utilizing the pond. The objective is to provide the town and Mr. Pierce with numbers of Trout caught/Trout size/time of day fished and growth rates throughout the season.

 

To this end, I am looking for 8 to 10 CVOA volunteer fly fishers to visit the Outdoor Center Pond once every 7 to 10 days for a couple of hours of what we hope is a successful trout fishing outing. If you can combine your day with a child or teenagers, so much the better. On the survey card there is a box to identify yourself as a member of CVOA.

 

Please message me at [email protected] just to let me know you are on board. If you cannot get to the pond on a regular basis, that's alright, just go when you can. I will be providing survey information to those CVOA Members participating in what should be a fun and rewarding experience.

 

Tight lines,

Joe Loughran

FFF Certified Fly Casting Instructor

Last month, we asked for some feedback about your Facebook interest, and unfortunately, no one replied. Let's give it one more shot -

 

What are your thoughts about the CVOA Facebook page? 

- Or don't you look at it? 

- Do you get notice of new CVOA posts? 

- How can we increase interest?

 

ANY input will be appreciated!

 

Send your input to me at [email protected], or call me at (207) 799-8254, and thank you for your time.

 

~ Steve Smith, Facebook Master

As new members of CVOA, Ed Gervais and I joined 18 other active and fun-loving members for Mary Berger's trip to Sky Lodge in Moose River just beyond Jackman. We experienced "luxury in the rough" from our arrival Friday 'til a reluctant departure Sunday.

A video explaining the history of Sky Lodge was shown in the well-equipped lounge where we enjoyed happy hour. Michelle, our Australian lodge hostess and gourmet chef, catered to everyone's dietary restrictions. Following dinner, some retired to the lounge while others danced to the music of our youth in the game-filled trophy great room. The lure of pool table and slot machine drew some to the game room.

Up at 4:15 AM Saturday, dedicated angler 

Steve Huebner caught no fish but saw moose and a bear and made it back for a sumptuous breakfast. After breakfast, some of us practiced casting under Joe Loughran's watchful eye. Thanks for your patience, Joe.

The afternoon's activities provided entertainment for the retelling that evening. Mary was the lucky angler catching 3 dace (def.: "a small freshwater fish of the minnow family, typically living in running water") ... and a rock. Rick Young's minnow was lost in the wind and Janice Davis hit the "biggie." She caught a tree. The hiking contingent wasn't as lucky using a snow mobile map in hopes of finding a suitable hiking trail. They did manage to get back for dinner. The bargain hunters struck a 30% off sale at a Jackman store closing after 37 years. Bill Haefele, story-teller extraordinaire, kept us in stitches with his stories of the old Sugarloaf Sauna. For newer Sugarloafers who might not know, the present day Hugs was the site of the Sauna well over 40 years ago.

Sunday breakfast included Michelle's apple and custard filled French toast which was just the beginning of an awe-inspiring morning. We were treated to a guided tour of the lodge's museums. 

	There are 19 working trains!

The first was a model train lover's dream come true. The set-up cost over $2 million in the 80's when it was built as a Christmas display in NYC. It was transported by the lodge's owner to its present location. We were like kids in a candy store. The wonder didn't stop there. 

The second museum housed a collection of cars from the first horseless carriage to a 1999 Plymouth Prowler. The 1965 red Mustang convertible was my personal favorite.

As we were packing and leaving on Sunday, the sun, which had eluded us all weekend, made a teasing appearance. It didn't matter; a little cold and damp made us appreciate the cozy lodge and provided an opportunity for enjoying the camaraderie of the group.

 

Thank you, Mary. We are anticipating next year's Sky Lodge adventure.

 

~ Patricia Clark, Sky Lodge Guest

Our quarterly board meeting was held on Sunday, June 11th, at the Carrabassett Valley Town Park. Prior to the meeting, we enjoyed a lunch featuring grilled meats and vegetables, prepared and cooked by our president Joe Loughran. There were also salads, fruit, and desserts brought by various members.

 

The meeting began at 1:00, with Joe at the helm, in the shade of the covered picnic area. There were 11 officers and board members present, along with 8 members.

 

These are some of the items reported or discussed and voted upon:

The meeting adjourned at 3:00 as scheduled.

 

To read the complete minutes, click here to view or download a pdf of the minutes.

 

~ Cindy Foster, Secretary