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rickb
12-08-2010, 19:56
I just got a mailing on the Gorman Chairback Lodge today.

Anyone know how close this is to the AT?

One of the photos of the property showed an old AT trail marker.

http://www.outdoors.org/publications/outdoors/2010/fieldnotes/historic-maine-camp-reimagined.cfm

walkin' wally
12-08-2010, 20:37
I just got a mailing on the Gorman Chairback Lodge today.

Anyone know how close this is to the AT?

One of the photos of the property showed an old AT trail marker.

http://www.outdoors.org/publications/outdoors/2010/fieldnotes/historic-maine-camp-reimagined.cfm

The former sporting camps ( now refurbished ) are located on Long Pond which are the headwaters for Long Pond stream that is an AT ford at the base of Barren Mountain near Slugundy Gorge. There is probably ( or will be ) a trail that goes from the camps to the AT somewhere along the Barren-Chairback range. The camps are supposed to open in 2011.

There is more info at AMC Maine Initiative under lodging.

Maybe Weary knows more about this too. That used to be his District.

neighbor dave
12-08-2010, 20:42
:-? i wonder why they didn't choose to "green" frame the dining room :confused:

WalkinHome
12-09-2010, 14:44
There is a an authorized side trail from Third Mountain to the new AMC facility. The blaze that was seen is an old AT route.

restless
12-09-2010, 17:02
The original route of the AT took it right thru Gorman-Charback camps. This was the case until the 70's if what the former owner told me is true. The current AT is about 1.5 mile from GC. The previous owner is said to not be in favor of what AMC has done to the camp, much less the 1 million acres it purportedly is preserving.

weary
12-10-2010, 14:51
The original route of the AT took it right thru Gorman-Charback camps. This was the case until the 70's if what the former owner told me is true. The current AT is about 1.5 mile from GC. The previous owner is said to not be in favor of what AMC has done to the camp, much less the 1 million acres it purportedly is preserving.
I don't believe AMC claims to be personally preserving a million acres. But a million acres are in play by AMC, the state, and other consevation groups. AMC to date has purchased about 66,000 acres, including three old sporting camps.

AMC has done a pretty fair job of fitting their new developments into the so called "100-mile-wilderness" but the new lodge at Gorman-Chairback camps seems to be pushing the envelop pretty tightly. The big new lodge was built to "green" standards, AMC tells us. And I'm sure it was. Some might question whether it meets sensible standards. I don't know. I've seen the architect drawings, not the actual building. But everyone can check for themseves. The facility reopens this winter -- by February if I remember rightly.

neighbor dave
12-10-2010, 15:23
The big new lodge was built to "green" standards, AMC tells us. And I'm sure it was.
the dining room is not "green" framed.

restless
12-10-2010, 15:29
It sure doesn't look like the original. I worked for AMC Maine Trail Crew in the fall of 2009 and we were based at GC camps. It is somewhat understandable why they had to redo the building but not totally. I know the kitchen area did not quite fit into their plans and requirements. It is a gorgeous area, but I'm not positive the "100 mile wilderness" comes into play much. 1oo MW is pretty much a term that I believe hikers use to describe that area and as I am sure you are aware of, this area is not much of a wilderness. Thru-and long distance hikers are not even players in AMC plans for their camps. They are geared toward skiers and winter use. Hikers would be welcome but I think they would find the Maine camps less accomadating then even the huts in the Whites.
A couple other things. Weary, do you have any sources that have the total amount of land purchased by AMC? According to what we were told by the staff in Greenville, the acreage is well over 100,000. Maybe being up there you have better resources. Also, conservation seems to be the big buzzword in this project:

The opening of Gorman Chairback will be the latest accomplishment of AMC's Maine Woods Initiative, the largest conservation project in AMC history, which seeks permanent protection of nearly 1 million acres in Maine's 100-Mile Wilderness near Moosehead Lake.


I'm not sure how conservation and the logging activity being conducted by AMC mesh with each other. Also, some of the things I personally saw led me to the belief that conservation is not nearly important as money. I'd be glad to share more if requested, but preferably in private.

veteran
12-11-2010, 09:46
The original route of the AT took it right thru Gorman-Charback camps. This was the case until the 70's if what the former owner told me is true. The current AT is about 1.5 mile from GC. The previous owner is said to not be in favor of what AMC has done to the camp, much less the 1 million acres it purportedly is preserving.

[From a old map:


http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=9385&stc=1&d=1288925085