100 Mile Wilderness XC Ski Trip
Day One:
We skied from the AMC Winter Parking Lot to Little Lyford Lodge. We started our ski along the KI Road, took the Hedgehog Gate Trail to Callie’s Trail to the Lodge to Lodge Trail. The Hedgehog Gate Trail is a wooded trail with some hills whereas the other trails are more like roads and are mostly tracked for XC skiing. Our total milage for day one was a little over 7.5 miles.
Once we arrived at Little Lyford we swapped our skies for winter boots and walked out to the ponds that surround the property. After a great dinner served by the AMC crew, we went back out to the ponds to check out the stars. Due to the limited light pollution, this area is home to some of the best stargazing in New England and is the only International Dark Sky Park in New England.
Day Two:
After a great breakfast, we started our ski out to the Gorman Chairback Lodge. We spent most of the day on the Lodge to Lodge trail which is a great trail through the woods, along a river with some decent climbs throughout the trail. Our total milage for day two was just shy of 6.5 miles.
Gorman Chairback is located on Long Pond which was frozen enough to venture out on. When we arrived, there was an airplane on the lake which we eventually got to witness taking off around sunset. We enjoyed the sauna at the lodge and some relaxation.
Day Three:
On our last day, we skied out across Long Pond then took Trout Brook Trail back to the KI Road. This was my first time skiing across the lake and it was a neat experience! Our total milage for day three was about 6.5 miles. Our gear was waiting for us at the gear shed in the winter parking lot and we started the trek back home!
Other Notes:
If you’re not a skier, these trails are also snowshoe friendly
The AMC Lodges offer a variety of lodging options. We stayed in cabins at each but there are also bunkhouses on each property which are more affordable options. Each cabin has beds, a wood stove and small table. Breakfast and dinner are served family style in the main cabins at shared tables with the other guests. Lunches are made by the crew and provided to-go to be enjoyed on the trails.
Gear can be dropped off to be carried to your destination via snowmobile. There are marked shacks in the winter parking lot to place your bag in. Be sure to check out the timing cut offs to ensure your gear gets to your destination on time!
Resources:
Winter Trail Map of Area:
https://outdoors.my.site.com/amcknowledge/s/article/Lyford-Gorman-Winter-Trails-Map
Little Lyford Information:
https://www.outdoors.org/destinations/maine/little-lyford-lodge-cabins/
Gorman Chairback Information:
https://www.outdoors.org/destinations/maine/gorman-chairback/
AMC DarkSky Park Information:
https://www.outdoors.org/amc-maine-woods-international-dark-sky-park/