A former park ranger and game warden, Chuck James has spent a great deal of his working life in the Maine Woods. And Rosemary James pretty much grew up in Maine sporting camps. So when the husband-and-wife team came to work for the Appalachian Mountain Club at Little Lyford Pond Camps back in August, it felt pretty familiar to them in a lot of ways.
“It’s like coming home,” said Rose recently, as she and Chuck had just passed the two-month mark as managers at Little Lyford.
The Millinocket couple said they’re enjoying their new post with AMC, and especially like interacting with the guests at the camps. “We’ve met some wonderful people,” said Rose. “We’ve met some first-timers who just love it here.”
Chuck agreed, recalling one guest from Boston who arrived at the camps for the first time in August, returned for a visit during foliage season in September, and has plans to come back in March for some late-season cross country skiing.
Chuck said guests are taken by the surroundings, the camp experience, and the food. “They like the food real well,” he said. In addition, he noted, “The accommodations are good, and things are clean. It’s quiet. The trails are nice--the trail crew has done a terrific job on the trails,” he said.
As for the food, that’s Rose’s specialty, and she’s proud of the guidance she received from “old school chefs,” as she came up through the camps. A native of nearby Greenville, she grew up at West Branch Pond Camps, where she began her cooking career and handled a variety of duties. Later, she spent 11 years at Big Lyford Pond Camps and Kidney Pond Camps, as cook and pastry chef.
More recently, she was a storekeeper and buyer for Baxter State Park, at the Park’s support services location in the gateway town of Millinocket. Chuck worked at Baxter State Park as a campground ranger for eight years, and later served as a deputy warden with the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. He recently retired from a long career in law enforcement, having served as Piscataquis County Deputy Sheriff and as a police officer with the town of Millinocket, retiring in 2001 as a sergeant. Retirement didn’t last long, though, and he returned the following year as a police officer.
It doesn’t appear that retirement suits either Chuck or Rose, who fill their days with the many responsibilities tied to managing the camps. “We’re meeting a lot of interesting people, and there’s plenty to do,” said Chuck.
They have a son, Steven, 24, and a daughter, Katie, 19. “They’ve both been in and helped out (at the camps),” Chuck said.
The camps reopen for the season December 15. Give Chuck and Rose a warm welcome the next time you visit.
And, come suppertime, save room for the pie. We hear it’s particularly good.
--Rob Burbank
