~ February 2023 ~

Hello CVOA,

Greetings CVOA members,

The ski season has hit its stride with good conditions and most trails open at Sugarloaf. As a result, I’m seeing more CVOAers on slopes and in the lines.  The Tuesday 9am “Meet Ski Go” gathering has been attracting more members.  It’s a great way to meet friends and new people in a low-key ski-around-the-mountain. Third Thursday socials have also swung into high gear, the most recent one in January included a trivia contest. The next one is scheduled for February 16 at the Shipyard. Thank you Jeanette Parker and Nancy Makin for making these possible.  

CVOA ski trips started with Sun Valley having left January 28. The trip to Telluride will depart February 11, and the Whitefish trip leaves March 1. Finally, the Quebec trip heads for the border March 20.  CVOA is planning a day trip to Saddleback to check out the improvements that have taken place in the past year.  The date in March to explore Saddleback will be based on predicted sunshine and snow conditions.

Member interest in CVOA ski trips has grown and planning has started for next season to reserve lodging and transportation. The CVOA Board would like input from members. If there are ski areas you would like to visit or revisit and think they might attract a group of 20-40 CVOA members, send me your thoughts at cvoa.president@gmail.com. 

The CVOA Board will hold its regular meeting Saturday February 25 at 2-4pm at the Carrabassett Valley Library, and members are welcome to attend. After the conclusion of the Board Meeting, a PIE SOCIAL will take place starting at 5:00pm at the CV Library. All members are welcome. Details appear in this Newsletter.

Finally, CVOA is planning adventures that are attractive to members beyond the ski season. With the initiative taken by CVOA Secretary Tracy Goller, a group of members met to discuss the kinds of trips and timing that would lead to successful activities. We look forward to ideas and energy from this new Activities Committee.

Thom Johnston

Thank you for being a 2023 member of CVOA. More than eighty members have joined since the January Newsletter was sent making a total of 433 memberships. There are never enough CVOA members. Encourage family, friends, acquaintances to consider joining CVOA, to get involved and to enjoy many fun social events and outdoor activities.

See you in the Valley!

Membership Secretary Patti Johnston

January 21st - Trip Leader Information Session

On Saturday, January 21st a number of CVOA members met to learn about being a trip leader and begin some discussions on future potential trips. There was interest in looking into spring and fall trips, events for outdoor skill development and general enthusiasm for future member opportunities. Some of the ideas discussed were backcountry ski/winter camping, canoe poling instruction, camping at Cobscook Bay and hut to hut cross-country trip, either in Maine or Europe. Lots of great ideas and discussions were had. 

An important outcome of the meeting was to create an Activities Committee. The more members we have involved the more fun events we can get rolling - so please reach out to CVOA.Secretary@gmail.com if you have interest in getting involved.

Tracy

Have you missed going into Bullwinkle’s to have coffee or hot chocolate, meet up with friends, get warm or go to the restroom? You can do all of this, and the bonus is that their coffee and hot chocolate with whip cream is exceptional. Pastries and other food items are available. Just give the hostess a smile and a wave and head into the front room. Join a group or start your own table. A nice server will ask you if you would like something to eat or drink. The staff is thrilled to have people to serve in the midmorning. Coffee and hot chocolate are $4.00 and an easy way to pay is to hand the server $5 per person and call it good. Easy for you and for them.

Some of us miss the mug club and self-service…but they’re gone. The “AARP” meeting still exists. After much customer feedback to management including letters, a petition and some Unofficial Sugarloaf postings, Bullwinkle’s is a place for us to gather again. Give it a try!

D’Ellies is another venue to consider if you are at the Base Area. Their expanded seating area allows room to relax with coffee and food. “It’s all about the bread!”

Remember half the fun of skiing and gathering is the people you meet.

FEBRUARY 2023

February 5 - Bowling at the SugarBowl 2-4pm

February 7 - Meet Ski Go 9am Whifftree Lift

February 11 - Yonder Knoll Hike 1pm

February 12 - Bowling at the SugarBowl 2-4pm

February 14 - Meet Ski Go 9am Whifftree Lift

February 16 - 3rd Thursday Social at the Shipyard Brew Haus 4:30-6:00pm

February18-25 School Vacation Week No Sunday Bowling or Meet Ski Go

February 25 - Board Meeting at the CV Library 2-4pm

February 25 - Pie Social at the CV Library 5:00 pm

February 26 - Bowling at the SugarBowl 2-4pm

February 28 - Meet Ski Go 9am Whifftree Lift

Check out the CVOA 2023 PRELIMINARY ACTIVITIES CALENDAR

CVOA Events Calendar

CVOA Bowling

Sundays at the SugarBowl

2:00 to 4:00pm

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

$10 includes shoes.

Come join the fun Sunday afternoons…..beginners welcome!

February 5,12, 26

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

Meet Ski Go Tuesday Mornings

February 7, 14, 28 Promptly at 9:00am

Meet At Whiffletree Lift Area

Calling all CVOA skiers! 

Please join us for a’Ski Around The Mountain’. 

Join in and 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 or go to the Sugarloaf website: https://www.sugarloaf.com/mountain-report to review the weather, trail and lift reports. If the mountain is having issues, we will not ski together as a group.

A weekly reminder will not be sent for this event.

Yonder Knoll Hike

Saturday February 11, 2023

Show ‘N' Go Hike 

Trip Leader: Jan Mildram

Meet at the Stratton Brook Hut Parking lot, just north of the Loaf Access Road. Head out at 1:05pm. 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.

Jan will be doing Yonder Knoll Hikes the 2nd Saturdays February 11th and March 11th...mark your calendars now!!

Trip leader Jan Mildram...207-491-6798 

Hope you can make it!

3rd Thursday Social Food & Trivia

February 16th at the Shipyard Brew Haus

4:30-6:00pm

Join us at the CVOA mid-week Socials on the 3rd Thursday of each month December through March 4:30 – 6:00 pm.

Meet Up With Members and Make Some New Friends

Food ~ Trivia ~ Door Prize(s)

Note: Cash Bar. Be considerate of your servers … tips greatly appreciated!

Appetizers provided by CVOA. 

Hope to see you there!

PIE SOCIAL at the CV Library

Saturday, February 25th at 5:00pm

Appetizer Pies 🥧 - Dinner Pies 🥧 - Dessert Pies - 🥧

If it’s in a pie plate or it’s a hand held mini pie or a slice of pizza pie, bring it to the social. We’d love to taste it!

The suggestion for this social came from Past President and CVOA member, Bonnie Farrar. She had attended a successful "Pie Social” years ago. We’re running with that idea for a February get together. Who doesn’t love pie? Come join the fun and have dinner with friends.

CVOA has a Board Meeting at the library from 2:00-4:00pm. Set up for the social will begin at the conclusion of the meeting. 

5:00 - 6:00: Social Hour with Appetizers

6:00 - 7:30: Dinner & Desserts

🎟 Doorprize Drawing 🎟

No Admission Fee

BYO

Ice, cups, plates, cutlery, etc. will be provided by CVOA.

Plenty of room at the library, guests are welcome.

A few members will be needed at 4:15 to help set up tables and chairs and a few also needed afterwards to take down and clean up.

CVOA has many great cooks and bakers among our members. For those that don’t wish to cook, surely you know a good bakery, Good Pie in Belgrade, the Beer Shed in Kingfield or perhaps there’s a great bakery where you live when you’re not at Sugarloaf.

RSVP is not required to attend. However, to balance the food categories, appetizers, dinner pies and desserts please email Jeannette and let her know what you plan to bring. jparker16seabreeze@gmail.com.

Oven will be on to heat dinner pies.

Mark Your Calendar

CVOA Annual Meeting 

Saturday, April 1st

Shipyard Brew Haus at 5:00pm

….more details to follow....

Pictured are a few of the 42 CVOA members enjoying their first day of skiing in Sun Valley. Lots of Sun, blue sky and packed powder. Weeee! Maybe it was more like Sugarloaf with powder on hardpack. 

The Telluride Travelers are less than two weeks from departure and are getting excited about skiing at Telluride. Twenty-four of our 32 gathered last week to meet new people and share final details about the trip. You'll hear all about our adventures in the next newsletter.

bfarrar7@aol.com

207.735.3984

Summer address: 21 Chapman Lane,

Dedham, ME 04429

The Whitefish trip is full but there is currently no one on the waiting list. There’s always the possibility that there will be cancellations. So, if you’re interested please contact me. 

.

Trip Leader, Dan Hitchcock

Dan@wesmac.com

Usually, great skiing is the headline for a ski trip. I’m getting excited about skiing in March at Stoneham, Mount Sainte Anne and Le Massif. But, I’m also getting excited to see Quebec City again – it’s been a while.  As they say “Je me souviens”.

There may be a few spots available. If you’re interested, read through the brochure (click on it) and send in a reservation form. If you have any questions, please contact trip leader Thom Johnston as soon as possible..207-852-3595

Trip Leader: Thom Johnston

tandpjohnston@gmail.com

The Range is Plowed for Pistol and Rifle

Hello Range and CVOA Members, 

A friendly reminder to renew your membership for the 2023 season. Even if you've put your guns and bows to bed for the Winter, CVOA has lots of activities to play in the outdoors or socialize indoors. Come see all the things CVOA has to offer!

Winter season is here. Trap, 5 Stand, and Archery have been put to bed for the winter, but you can still shoot on the Pistol and Rifle Ranges. Also, the heated bathroom is available. Thank you all for a wonderful shooting season. And special thanks to our Range Committee, Seth Gilbert, David Hatch, Kathi & John Bennett, Alexi Godin, Tom Poulin, Bill O'Brien, and Thom Johnston.

Reminder that the gate code will remain the same throughout the Winter for those intrepid shooters!

Diane Stone

Range Secretary

CVOA.range@gmail.com

207-240-4752

Yonder Knoll Hike

January 14

Cloudy, but not raining or snowing!

The trail seemed like big navigable marshmallows! Peter VanAlstine and I had the pleasure of showing our newbie Karen Curtis the views. Hope to see old and new faces Saturday Feb. 11. 

Cheers!

Jan Mildram

January 14th Winter Social at the Yurt

My feet still feel like they’re dancing!…how about yours?...and a good time was had by all👍 Fifty members was the limit for the Yurt dance…43 attended! 

A BIG shout out to CVOA member and DJ Steve Kolenda👏👏. He rocked the house. Everyone was on the dance floor! Steve and Jan will enjoy dinner at Tufulio’s compliments of CVOA. There were two tables filled with a great selection of tasty, interesting and yummy appetizers! Well done everyone!

In typical CVOA fashion, attendees generously filled the donation jar with cash and checks totaling $313. President Thom Johnston presented AOEC with a $500 donation from CVOA for a total of $813.00. Well done!

Door prizes were $25 gift cards: The Bag - The Rack - Sugarbowl - Tufulio’s 

Door prize winners were Bob Farrar, Bonnie Farrar, Candy Anderle and Sandy Osterrieder.

Thank You for making this event a great one.

Nancy and Jeannette are already at work on next year’s dance on MLK weekend. Watch for updates.

January 17th...Meet Ski Go!!



Ten CVOA members met promptly at 9:00am at the Whiffletree Lift. Everyone had a great time skiing together in perfect conditions.

January 24th...Meet Ski Go!!

Fifteen CVOA members met promptly at 9:00am at the Whiffletree Lift. Everyone had a great time skiing together and again near perfect conditions...The Emery's not shown

January 31st...Meet Ski Go!!

Nine hardy skiers on a blustery cold day hit the slopes for some fun runs on great snow conditions.

3rd Thursday Social

January 19th at the Shipyard

WOW! A record breaking turnout! Our largest social gathering post COVID! Mike Parker and Nancy Makin enthusiastically greeted guests while writing name tags and doorprize tickets. Nancy had 65 tickets in the door prize bucket.

Twelve trivia teams were organized, each with five attendees. It was great fun to see enthusiastic and competitive teams come together. New faces in the crowd no doubt saw someone they knew. Others met friends and also made new ones. Name tags were appreciated! First and second place teams received triple sweet treats.

Winner of the door prize, a $25 Shipyard gift card was Roni Emery. Congrats, Roni!

Thank You to everyone who came and participated to make this event FUN!

Jeannette Parker