LEARN MORE Information on guided and self-guided ski adventures Lodge to lodge ski route map (PDF)

Generations of visitors to the White Mountains are familiar with the hut-to-hut hiking experience, having enjoyed the pleasures of a hot meal and a good night’s sleep in between day-long hikes. In the Maine Woods, where AMC now owns nearly 70,000 acres and three wilderness lodges, a winter version of this tradition is emerging.

AMC purchased Little Lyford Lodge and Cabins in 2003, then added Medawisla Wilderness Lodge and Cabins in 2006. Located approximately half-way between these two AMC camps is the independently owned West Branch Pond Camps, which helps create a convenient series of overnight stops for skiers, all linked by a network of groomed trails. 

“The wintertime is just fantastic. The views are amazing,” says Walter Graff, AMC’s deputy director. “And when you're skiing from Medawisla to West Branch, there's lynx tracks. You really feel like you're in the wild—which you are.” 

Following a night in one of Medawisla’s wood-stove-heated cabins, and a hot breakfast in the lodge, you’ll have 8.7 miles to cover. The Shaw Mountain Trail gradually rises along the eastern side of Shaw Mountain, providing a view of Katahdin to the north. The route then descends toward Second West Branch Pond before turning to the west and leading to West Branch Pond Camps, located just a short distance from where the Appalachian Trail (AT) passes over White Cap Mountain.  

When you arrive at West Branch, your gear will already be there, having been shuttled by snowmobile from Medawisla earlier in the day. While waiting for dinner to be prepared, guests can page through an old guest log that includes a signature from Myron Avery, chair of the Appalachian Trail Conference from 1931-1952, who stayed here in 1936 while visiting the area to complete the final stretch of the AT. 

Your meal may very well be cooked by Eric Stirling, the fourth-generation owner of West Branch Pond Camps. “Having the destination skiing point-to-point seems to really appeal to folks,” Stirling says. “I really enjoy it because I enjoy the rhythm of the day, having folks [arrive] in the afternoon and wind down from their ski, then have dinner, and head out after breakfast the next morning."  

After breakfast, it’s off to Little Lyford, an 8.4-mile ski along the West Branch of the Pleasant River, where another hot meal awaits—perhaps after warming up in the sauna.  

With AMC’s Gorman Chairback Lodge and Cabins scheduled to open in the winter of 2010-11, the lodge-to-lodge network is set to grow even more. Six miles of trail connect Gorman Chairback to Little Lyford, and are already open for skiers. The lodge itself is undergoing renovations, but once those are complete, lodge-to-lodge skiers will have more options for extending their trip.  

This winter, visitors to the Maine Woods enjoy guided or unguided trips. A shuttle will transport skiers to Medawisla, and their gear will be shuttled between camps each day while you’re on the trail.  

The full lodge-to-lodge route isn’t just for skiers. Local guides can take visitors out on sled dog excursions, and on February 6, 2010, the 100-Mile Sled Dog Race will utilize the route. Mushers and their teams will start and finish in Greenville, and pass through Gorman Chairback, Little Lyford, West Branch Pond Camps, and Medawisla on the out-and-back course.