OT: XC Hut-to-hut in Maine

[schwa86]

For all those either in or willing to be in the northeast who like to throw a little XC skiing into the winter exercise mix. Just went for the 2d year in a row to Maine Huts and Trails -- a 50 mile (though we only did 36) series of four huts with groomed (in a good way) trail connecting them. Awesome accommodations, including great food, available post-ski microbrews, very comfortable/smaller bunk rooms, and very cool off-the-grid green technologies (the high efficiency wood-fired showers are a nice plus). Highly recommended. Snow is really good now, but maybe not for much longer.

More info here: www.mainehuts.org -- if you look through the media tab, there are a fair number of reviews from the newspapers, including one from last year's NYT that prompted my group's first trip up there.

Happy to PM etc if anyone wants more info.

[CNY rider]

I did a similar tour in the Adirondacks years ago.
Highly recommend for those that enjoy Nordic skiing and being outdoors in the winter.

[goonster]

Thanks for the tips, guys.

That's exactly the kind of thing I've been wanting to do for a while.

[tiretrax]

Sounds like a great trip. Post some pictures.

[maunahaole]

I did a trip to the Benson Hut many years ago. Parked at the base of Sugar Bowl and went up and across.

http://www.sierraclub.org/outings/lodges/huts/default.aspx

[schwa86]

The motto of the trip was "Carpe Skium!"

[merlinmurph]

Two winters ago, I visited a bud at Sugarloaf in the winter and we did a short hike to a cabin near Carrabasset Valley. So, I'm picturing a small, rustic cabin with some smoke coming out of a chimney, and people huddled together, sipping cocoa trying to stay warm.

Wrong.

We approach this very good-sized building (see the website), go inside where it's warm, and there's a big group of people sitting at a table drinking beer and whooping it up. They served food, too. Pretty funny.

Must have been a great trip. My wife wants to do it sometime.

[schwa86]

Should have mentioned that they claim to be building out MTB for the summers. I am not a MTBer, so hard to evaluate. There are a bunch of snowmobile trails that interlink -- much of what we skied would be scenic but flat, except for the last day from Great Falls hut to West Forks trailhead, but much of the surrounding area seems hilly. One of the guys I skied with went last summer and said the overall scene was terrific; also several of the huts have swimming and boating options.