Family-friendly, walk-on naturalist and outdoor skills programs offered free to guests at White Mountain lodges, plus ski or climb free
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 9, 2007
For many families, Saturday, February 17 marks the beginning of the winter school vacation week. Snow is falling in New Hampshire’s White Mountains, and the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) is offering families their choice of many indoor and outdoor adventure activities, including walk-on snowshoe and cross-country ski tours with AMC naturalists, one-hour winter skills sessions, and special evening presentations with expert speakers.
All of these activities are free to guests at AMC’s Highland Center and Joe Dodge Lodge as part of AMC’s Outdoor Explorations, a program introduced this winter to provide options ranging from one-hour, walk-on outdoor skills clinics to fee-based, multi-day introductory adventures. For more experienced outdoor enthusiasts, AMC is also offering several cross-country and downhill ski-and-stay packages, including cross-country ski or climb for free at Great Glen Trails Outdoor Center available to Joe Dodge Lodge guests.
Expanded Outdoor Explorations programs offered, as scheduled, February 17 – 25, 2007:
- Free, one-hour winter skills sessions with AMC staff, including winter gear, animal tracking, naturalist table talks, map and compass navigation, White Mountain weather, and kids’ crafts and naturalist activities. These introductory, one-hour programs are offered daily at AMC’s Highland Center and Joe Dodge Lodge at Pinkham Notch Visitor Center.
- Free, one-hour cross-country ski “tips and techniques” clinics offered daily, excluding Sundays, plus half-day guided cross-country ski tours offered daily at Highland Center.
- Free, one-to-two-hour natural history snowshoe walks offered daily at Joe Dodge Lodge. Free snowshoe excursions ranging from one-hour walks with minimal elevation gain to moderate-to-difficult half-day hikes and tours offered daily at Highland Center. Highland Center’s half-day snowshoe tours at Bretton Woods Ski Area on Sundays require a $10 lift ticket. Snowshoes are free to borrow at both lodges during the programs.
- Free evening programs offered daily at Highland Center and Joe Dodge Lodge. Some vacation week highlights include an hour-long moonlit snowshoe tour and “Adventures in the Himalayas” presentation with renowned climber Rick Wilcox at Highland Center. Joe Dodge Lodge will feature two evenings of orchestral and choral presentations and feature “Trekking the Cordillera Huayhuash of Peru” as part of AMC’s weekly International Dinner series.
All-inclusive stays at Highland Center and Joe Dodge Lodge feature private room/shared bath lodging, family-style dinner and breakfast, Outdoor Explorations as scheduled, and free use of L.L. Bean gear with stays at Highland Center. Highland Center rates February 16-25 start at $69 per person/night, plus taxes, for adult members ($87 for adult non-members) and $41 per night for child members ($49 for child non-members). Joe Dodge Lodge rates start at $63 per person/night, plus taxes, for adult members ($69 for adult non-members) and $39 per night for child members ($43 for child non-members). Child rates apply to ages 12 and under. Private room/private bath and family room options are available for an increased rate.
Ski/Climb Free at Joe Dodge Lodge; Additional Ski-and-Stay Savings
For those ready to head outdoors on their own, AMC is offering several cross-country and downhill ski-and-stay packages this winter. Stay at AMC Joe Dodge Lodge this winter and ski or climb for free. AMC and Great Glen Trails Outdoor Center are teaming up again this season and offering a free ski pass or indoor climbing wall access to all overnight guests. Rates February 16-25 start at $63 per person/night, plus taxes, for adult members ($69 for adult non-members) and $39 per night for child members ($43 for child non-members), with no restrictions or minimum. Child rates apply to ages 12 and under. Includes private room with shared bath, dinner, breakfast, and Great Glen Trails cross-country ski or climbing pass.
Other ski-and-stay packages at Joe Dodge Lodge and Highland Center include Bretton Woods and Wildcat Mountain. Highland Center cross-country ski packages with Bretton Woods start at $83 per person/night, plus taxes, for adult members ($101 for adult non-members). For downhill skiing, rates start at $123 per person/night, plus taxes, for adult members ($141 for adult non-members). Joe Dodge Lodge downhill packages with Wildcat start at $117 per person/night, plus taxes, for adult members ($123 for adult non-members). Starting at rates quoted reflect the adult, per person/night rates February 16-25 for private room/shared bath accommodations. Discounted child rates are available for ages 12 and under. Private room/private bath and family room options are available for an increased rate.
For a full winter’s worth of activities and packages, visit AMC’s Winter Planning Guide at: www.outdoors.org/winterguide.
For information about scheduled programs during the second February 24 – March 4 school vacation week, visit AMC’s newsroom at www.outdoors.org/about/newsroom/index.cfm.
Rates and Reservations:
For rates and reservations, call (603) 466-2727 or visit www.outdoors.org/lodging. Space is subject to availability for all packages. All AMC programs and destinations are open to AMC members and non-members, with additional discounts available to members. Membership is $75 for families and $50 for individuals. Must mention specific package deals when booking, and packages cannot be combined with other offers or discounts.
Founded in 1876, the Appalachian Mountain Club is the oldest conservation and recreation organization in the United States. With 90,000 members in the Northeast and beyond, the nonprofit AMC promotes the protection, enjoyment, and wise use of the mountains, rivers and trails of the Appalachian region. The AMC supports natural resource conservation while encouraging responsible recreation, based on the philosophy that successful, long-term conservation depends upon first-hand enjoyment of the natural environment.
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