Check out the following story ideas for inspiration or read AMC's winter press releases and winter multi-activity itineraries.
- Lodge-to-lodge skiing in the Maine Woods: new six-day itinerary combines local and connecting trails
- Snowshoeing with the kids, just for starters: expanded winter family programs offer a sampling of outdoor adventures
- One part yoga, one part snowshoeing: new health and wellness weekends
- Especially for Boomers: AMC expands winter outdoor adventure options for ages 50+
- Naturalist-led lodge-to-hut trips: snowshoe and cross-country ski overnight adventures in the White Mountains
- Rediscovering an historic ski lodge, with the conveniences of summer
- Navigating New England's winter wonderland: classic snowshoe, ski, and snowboard tours in New England
- Mt. Washington in winter: ten ways to explore the northeast's highest peak
- Hiking the Appalachian Trail in winter: AT hiking and snowshoe loops in the Delaware Water Gap of New Jersey
- Winter Presidential Traverse: tackling New Hampshire's 4,000 footers
1. Lodge-to-lodge skiing in the Maine Woods: new six-day itinerary combines local and connecting trails
The possibilities for backcountry adventure in the Maine Woods are continuing to grow. This winter, as part of its self-guided, lodge-to-lodge ski tour, AMC is building in extra days to explore the extensive local network of cross-country ski trails around AMC's lodges, mix in a few miles of snowshoeing, or simply enjoy some downtime to recharge. Each lodge features private cabins heated by wood stoves and freshly prepared meals, and a wood-fired sauna welcomes guests on the final leg of the trip.
Skiing between lodges, guests stay overnight at AMC's Medawisla Wilderness Lodge and Cabins, partner West Branch Pond Camps, and AMC's Little Lyford Lodge and Cabins -- all meals and gear shuttling are included, so travel is relatively light. The self-guided tour starts at Medawisla, with a choice of two routes to West Branch. The first is a nine-mile trip around Shaw Mountain, or long-distance skiers can traverse frozen Trout and Fourth Roach Ponds to reach the lodge. The most remote, narrow stretch of trail awaits the next day, while skiing down the Pleasant River Valley and past views of Baker, Hay, Gulf Hagas, and Indian Mountains en route to AMC’s Little Lyford, located about nine miles away.
2. Snowshoeing with the kids, just for starters: expanded winter family programs offer a sampling of outdoor adventures
There's much more to winter than sledding and snowmen. AMC's new winter family weekend series and winter family camp are perfect opportunities for exploring winter's untapped potential -- snowshoeing, animal tracking, snow shelter building, and more -- under the watchful eye of expert guides and naturalists.
AMC's series of family weekends will offer a small taste of winter, with opportunities to look for tracks and signs of wildlife in the snow alongside a naturalist, get a feel for snowshoeing, and venture out into the wintry night to listen for owls concealed by the expansive darkness of the Maine Woods. Also offered for the first time this year, AMC’s week-long winter family camp will give families an even bigger bite of the season. Activities will include guided cross-country skiing, snow shelter building, dog-sled rides, ice skating, snowshoe tours, ice climber viewing tours, and sledding.
All programs are based at AMC lodges in New Hampshire's White Mountains and in the Maine Woods. Read press release >>
3. One part yoga, one part snowshoeing: new health and wellness weekends
Spend time recharging outdoors this winter, as an extension to gym or studio workouts. AMC's new health and wellness weekend series will complement Yoga, Pilates, and Qigong exercises and breathing techniques with low-impact snow sports like snowshoeing and cross-country skiing. Amenities at AMC's Highland Lodge include private rooms in a green-friendly setting and free use of L.L. Bean gear.
One weekend, Women in the White Mountains, is a girlfriend getaway offering a mix of guided cross-country ski and snowshoe tours and indoor wellness programs -- including stretching, yoga, Pilates, massage, and evening talks by women’s health experts. Read press release >>
4. Especially for Boomers: AMC expands winter outdoor adventure options for ages 50+
A thirst for trying new experiences, a characteristic often associated with Baby Boomers, makes winter ripe with possibilities for branching out beyond summer hiking. Activities like guided snowshoeing, cross-country skiing on backcountry trails, and exploring the vast, snowy landscape of the Maine Woods while tracking signs of wildlife offer a whole different perspective on the outdoors, and AMC is continuing to expand on its winter outdoor adventure programs for enthusiasts ages 50+.
With the growing popularity of its 50+ Adventure Camps, AMC is offering this program for the first time at its Joe Dodge Lodge, the ideal location to explore the trails, ponds, and scenic vistas near the base of Mt. Washington. For a taste of winter in the Maine Woods, AMC’s 50+ Adventure Weekend at Medawisla Wilderness Lodge and Cabins in the Moosehead Lake region will offer a more remote setting for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. Private cabins with wood stoves make toasty retreats following a day on the trails. Read press release >>
5. Naturalist-led lodge-to-hut trips: snowshoe and cross-country ski overnight adventures in the White Mountains
For a unique backcountry winter adventure, without having to camp, travel lodge-to-hut in New Hampshire's White Mountains. AMC’s naturalist-led lodge-to-hut overnight trips blend winter ecology with a guided snowshoe or cross-country ski tour to one of AMC’s backcountry winter huts. Explore less-traveled, snow-covered trails while following animal tracks and hearing about winter ecology from guide Nancy Ritger, an AMC naturalist for nearly 20 years. The first night is spent at AMC's Highland Lodge or Joe Dodge Lodge in the comforts of full-service.
6. Rediscovering an historic ski lodge, with the conveniences of summer
Ski back in time this winter on historic backcountry runs. Some of the first ski trails cut in the Northeast are on the slopes of Mt. Cardigan and Firescrew, only a two-hour drive from Boston in New Hampshire's Lakes Region. AMC's Cardigan Lodge at the base of the mountain is a convenient jumping off point for these famous trails. And with the lodge now serving up freshly prepared meals on weekends this winter, a popular amenity carried over from the summer full-service season, snow conditions are all skiers will have to worry about.
With the added convenience, it is also easier for kids to sample a taste of winter at this lodge long popular with families during the summer. The sledding hill is a favorite for thrill rides, and easy to moderate snowshoe hikes in the lower valleys will round out the days.
7. Navigating New England's winter wonderland: classic snowshoe, ski, and snowboard tours in New England
Mountainous New England terrain in combination with long, snowy winters make for many classic snowshoe, ski, and snowboard tours - and also make sorting out the best routes for all ages and ability levels no small task. Just a few of the classic backcountry ski tours recommended by AMC Backcountry Skiing Adventures, plus snowshoe treks, are:
- Moderate ski: Pinkham Notch, NH: Old Jackson Rd., down the Mt. Washington Auto Rd, and back on Connie's Way Ski Trail
- Moderate ski and snowboard: Mt. Cardigan, NH: Duke's Trail
- Moderate snowshoe: Crawford Notch, NH: Mt. Willard
- Moderate to more difficult snowshoe: Gulf Hagas, Maine: Rim Trail
- Most difficult ski and snowboard: Mt. Cardigan, NH: Alexandria Trail
AMC Pinkham Notch Visitor Center/Joe Dodge Lodge, Highland Lodge, Cardigan Lodge, and Little Lyford Lodge and Cabins are all ideal basecamps for many classic New England ski and snowboard runs and snowshoe excursions.
For more route recommendations, see AMC Destinations multi-activity itineraries.
8. Mt. Washington in winter: ten ways to explore the northeast's highest peak
Enjoy the giant of the northeast in winter, whether you're a beginner, intermediate, or expert in the outdoors. Here are ten ways to explore Mt. Washington in winter, as recommended by AMC's member magazine, AMC Outdoors:
- Beginner: Snowshoe Glen Boulder Trail, explore Great Glen Trails, cross-country ski Old Jackson Road, Hike the Tuckerman Ravine Trail
- Intermediate: Stay overnight at the Mt. Washington Observatory, hike/snowshoe 19-Mile Brook Trail to AMC Carter Notch Hut, ski/snowboard John Sherburne Trail
- Expert: Ice climb Pinnacle Gully, Climb Mt. Washington, winter camp at Hermit Lake, learn about avalanche safety
Read the full story and details of all recommended activities.
9. Hiking the Appalachian Trail in winter: AT hiking and snowshoe loops in the Delaware Water Gap of New Jersey
The Appalachian Trail is well traveled by a mix of thru-hikers, section-hikers, and day-hikers during the warmer months, but with winter comes solitude on this famous trail. AMC Mohican Outdoor Center in the Delaware Water Gap area of New Jersey is an ideal jumping off point for a number of Appalachian Trail loop hikes or snowshoe excursions when the snow is flying.
- Easier, family friendly: For an easy, family-friendly hike past the local waterfalls down to the Delaware River, take the Coppermine Trail off of the AT. Go two miles past the Coppermine Falls and down to the river, where you can see the remains of abandoned mines that date back to the eighteenth century. The trek is four miles roundtrip with an elevation change of approximately 700 feet.
- Moderate to more difficult: For a more difficult hike, stay on the AT going south along the Kittatinny Ridge until you get to the famed Raccoon Ridge, a peak in the Kittatinny Mountains with outstanding views of the New Jersey Highlands to the east and the Delaware River and Pocono Mountains to the west. The round-trip is 5.8 miles with a 500-foot elevation gain.
- Moderate to more difficult: For those hiking north on the AT, take the 5.8-mile loop trail out past Catfish Fire Tower and make the trip back to Mohican on the Rattlesnake Swamp Trail, passing by Catfish Pond. Or, take the shorter 2.9-mile loop, if you’ve got less time.
10. Winter Presidential Traverse: tackling New Hampshire's 4,000 footers
Peak-bagging lists like New Hampshire's 48 4,000-Footers are great motivators that drive people to new heights...quite literally. But there's the added twist of tackling these lists in winter for those ready to conquer a new hiking milestone, and the allure of the Winter Presidential Traverse is the possibility of bagging a few of the Presidents on this list in a single push for these summits, all while contending with some of the worst weather in the world on Mt. Washington.
The AMC Four Thousand Footer Club formed in the 1950s to recognize hikers who have climbed all 48 peaks of the White Mountain Four Thousand Footers. To date, more than 8,000 hikers have applied for membership.
This winter, AMC will offer a multi-day Intro to Winter Mountaineering program as part of AMC Outdoor Explorations.
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