Chisholm Ski Club Honors Herb Adams
On the last day of the 2014-15 Nordic racing season, the Chisholm Ski Club, Rumford, Maine, honored Herb Adams with the naming of the Start/Finish line in his honor. The celebration included the unveiling of a sign depicting Adams, from an historic photograph, ski jumping over his name above the words “START/FINISH LINE”. Adams, an outstanding all-around skier, who competed in Alpine, Nordic and Jumping events, was especially heralded as a jumper. Adams was inducted to the Maine Ski Hall of Fame in 2009. During the ceremony on March 22, announcer Craig Zurhorst said the following:
“We are here today to thank and honor a distinguished figure in Maine Skiing. This individual is one of the great ski coaches of our era and he is, above all, a gentleman, our friend and a great advocate for the sport in all its forms. Ladies and gentlemen, it is the great privilege of the Chisholm Ski Club to recognize our own Herbert L. Adams.
Herb grew up in Rumford as an all-around skier, then attended Gould Academy where he competed and wonâŠa lotâŠculminating with his winning all 4 skiing events at the 1954 Maine State Championships, where he also was named State Ski Meister.
Herb received a scholarship to the University of New Hampshire for both skiing and baseball, was certified as a Class A ski jumper and was invited to the Olympic trials at Lake Placid. Herb didnât earn a place on the team, but he was tapped to be ski coach at Lake Placid High School where he served from 1961 through 1964.
Herb returned to Rumford to coach skiing at Stephens Memorial High School where he set the team on fire. From 1965 to 1967 the Rumford ski team achieved a Third and a Second in the Maine State Championships and a Third, a Second and a First in the New England Championships.
Herb was named as Coach for the 1967 Eastern Junior Jumping Team, which travelled to Duluth, MN and won the team title at the Junior Nationals.
Herbâs successes continued from 1968 to 1971 with a Third, two Seconds and a First in the Maine High School Championships, along with two Seconds and a First in the New Englands
Names of skiers on Herbâs teams are legendary and include Scott Broomhall, Lee Buotte, Avery Caldwell, Billy Chenard, Greg Cunningham, Buddy Fisher, Dickie Giberson, Gary Giberson, Larry Gillis, Tom Grace, Roger Hamann, Major Lefebvre, Jack Lufkin and Frank Lutick, each of whom skied in the Junior Nationals, Junior Olympics or the Olympics. Many also went on to coach.
When Herb retired from teaching History and coaching, he volunteered, putting his skiing passion and expertise to work in hill and course preparation, stadium setup, starting, timing, and jump marking at events ranging from middle and high school races to the 1980 and 2002 Winter Olympics. As his friend Dan Warner wrote, Herb has said, ‘5, 4, 3, 2, 1, Go!’ more often, and in more places, than anyone else we know. Deservedly, Herb was inducted into the Maine Ski Hall of Fame in 2009 for his contributions to the sport.
Herb, thank you for all you have done, all you are doing today, and all you will do in the future! You have earned this honor, and it is our great pleasure to confer this upon you!
So, in Herbâs own words, ‘Ok everyone…Let’s line up now!’ âŠas we officially name this historic place The Herb Adams Start / Finish Line! âŠNow, all together⊠5, 4, 3, 2, 1, Go!”
Appalachian Mountain Club Protects 4,311 Acres in Maine with Baker Mountain Purchase
Scenic and ecologically significant lands on and around Baker Mountain in the 100-Mile Wilderness region near Greenville are now permanently protected following purchases by the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) in late January, with assistance from The Nature Conservancy (TNC).
The purchases by the nationâs oldest conservation and recreation organization conserve the second highest peak in Maine between Bigelow Mountain and Katahdin, as well as the headwaters of the West Branch of the Pleasant River, a vibrant wild brook trout fishery. The property lies within an unfragmented, roadless area of mature hardwood and softwood forest, which also includes the preferred habitat of the rare Bicknellâs thrush.
âBaker Mountain was surrounded by conservation lands, but the Baker Mountain tract itself was not protected. It was âthe hole in the doughnut,â and with this purchase, AMC and its conservation partner, TNC, have ensured that this ecologically significant land will be protected,â said AMC Senior Vice President Walter Graff.
The land will be managed for a variety of uses, including recreation, habitat protection, and sustainable forestry. AMC will be providing pedestrian access to the land.
AMC purchased two adjacent parcels abutting its Katahdin Iron Works property: 3,111 acres from the Prentiss & Carlisle Group and Plum Creek Timber Co., and a separate parcel comprising 1,200 acres from Plum Creek.
TNC was a key partner in the acquisition, Graff noted. TNC holds a âforever wildâ conservation easement on the first parcel covering about three-quarters of Baker Mountain, including its 3,521-foot summit, to ensure permanent protection of the landâs ecological values, he said.
The second is permanently protected by the Moosehead Regional Conservation Easement, held by the Forest Society of Maine.
“Conserving Baker Mountain for future generations is a tremendous accomplishment, not just for its strategic location, surrounded by conserved lands, but also for what this project represents,” said Michael Tetreault, director of TNC in Maine. “It supports the Appalachian Mountain Clubâs efforts to provide a unique backcountry recreation experience, while conserving an important ecological gem in Baker Mountain, within a mosaic of working forest lands.â
Land acquisition, establishment of a stewardship endowment fund, and related costs totaled about $2.4 million, according to Graff.
The Baker Mountain acquisition was made possible in large part by the generosity of Steven C. Leuthold and his family. The Leutholds have a strong interest in protecting wilderness. After touring the area extensively, the family was committed to seeing this project through to completion. AMC and TNC are grateful to the Leuthold family and for the generosity of a small group of loyal AMC donors who helped protect Baker Mountain.
AMC also used proceeds from the sale of verified carbon emission offset credits from its ecological reserve lands as an important funding source for this land acquisition effort. By encouraging natural forest growth on its 10,000-acre ecological reserve, AMC is preserving stored carbon in the forest while realizing an additional revenue stream through the sale of these Climate Action Reserve-registered credits. âWeâre excited to be able to help reduce atmospheric carbon while at the same time using these revenues to directly support land conservation,â Graff said.
The Baker Mountain purchases are the latest milestones in AMCâs Maine Woods Initiative, a plan for land conservation in the 100-Mile Wilderness region that addresses regional ecological and economic needs through outdoor recreation, resource protection, sustainable forestry, and community partnerships.
The transactions bring AMCâs conservation and recreation land holdings in the 100-Mile Wilderness region to some 70,000 acres.
With a growing roster of more than 5,000 members in Maine, the Appalachian Mountain Club offers educational programs for children, adults, and families; operates its Maine Wilderness Lodges for the public in the 100-Mile Wilderness region; operates Knubble Bay Camp and Beal Island Campground in Georgetown and Echo Lake Camp in Acadia National Park; publishes the popular AMC Maine Mountain Guide; and maintains offices in Portland and Greenville.
Founded in 1876, the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) promotes the protection, enjoyment, and understanding of the mountains, forests, waters, and trails of America’s Northeast. AMC helps people of all ages and abilities to explore and develop a deep appreciation of the natural world. With chapters from Maine to Washington, D.C., guidebooks and maps, and unique lodges and huts, AMC helps people get outdoors on their own, with family and friends, and through activities close to home and beyond. AMC invites the public to support its conservation advocacy and research, youth programming, and care of 1,800 miles of trails.