Meet the Winter '16-'17 Hut Crew

This winter is shaping up to be pretty fantastic. Forecasts are calling for lots of snow, there are new trails to explore,  and the huts are staffed by some of the friendliest and most helpful people you'll ever meet. When you come to the huts, you'll be greeted by a diverse group of young adventurers- some who've traveled the world, and some who've been exploring the mountains of western Maine all their lives. They're students, teachers, athletes, and musicians... and they can all cook! They're excited to be living and working off-the-grid, and look forward to welcoming you to Maine Huts & Trails.

Stratton Brook Hut

Christie C. is originally from Morganton, North Carolina, and has found her way to Carrabassett Valley for her second winter at Maine Huts & Trails!  She spent April-November working for the Appalachian Mountain Club at Pinkham Notch, NH doing everything from teaching environmental science on Mt. Washington, guiding teens on long backpacking trips in Maine, and dropping supplies off from a helicopter to the AMC huts.  She recently explored the jungles and beaches on a solo journey to Costa Rica before making the trek up to Maine.  Christie loved spending last fall and winter at Grand Falls and couldn't be more excited to ski into work, cook excellent food, have gorgeous mountain views, and meet new people at Stratton Brook Hut this winter!

 

 

Hannah M. is originally from Huntington, a small town nestled in the Green Mountains of Vermont, but has spent the last four years in Maine studying at Bowdoin College in Brunswick. While at Bowdoin, she was a leader with the Outing Club and the captain of the Nordic Ski Team, which brought her to Maine Huts & Trails both backpacking and cross-country skiing. She was lucky enough to study abroad in both Nepal and arctic Norway during her junior year where she conducted geologic field research and lived in remote settings. She graduated this spring with a degree in earth and oceanographic science and is excited to be working with Maine Huts & Trails this season!

 

 

 

Annie C. grew up in Washington, DC. She spent the last ten months working in the great state of New Hampshire as an environmental educator and a trail crew member for the SCA. Annie is excited to get back up North and spend more time in Maine, where she once lived while attending school at College of the Atlantic in Bar Harbor. When she's not cooking up a storm in a hut, she can be found writing postcards, practicing cross-country skiing, attempting to knit a hat, tracking animals, and plotting future adventures.

 

 

 

Dawn B., a Maine native, has plenty of experience living off-the-grid. She’s had the opportunity to volunteer and work for Maine Huts & Trails in some capacity since 2010, when her dad Darren began working for Maine Huts & Trails as the hut facilities manager, and she volunteered in many capacities during the building and grand opening of Grand Falls Hut. She spent last winter grooming trails- being primarily responsible for the West Forks trail to Flagstaff Hut. She looks forward to sharing her vast experience with the area trails, as well as her working knowledge of the alternative energy systems, with guests this winter. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her siblings, her favorite niece Brook, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, mountain biking, trail running, and paddle boarding with her dog Bear.

 

 

Poplar Hut

Erin B. comes from Bowdoinham, Maine; the "merry-meeting" of five rivers- a unique natural feature only existing in two places on earth. Growing up in rural Maine, she has cultivated a passion for native edible plants and the wild flora of the woods. This is Erin's third season with Maine Huts & Trails, an organization that fits her conservationist-naturalist attitude perfectly. Though enjoying all facets of chef life, recently Erin has immersed herself in the art of artisan bread baking. In her spare time, she enjoys mountaineering, swimming in the Atlantic, vegetable gardening, and sleeping on the ground.

 

 

 

 

Mike S. hails from just north of Baltimore, Maryland. He is excited to spend his first winter at Maine Huts & Trails. After visiting the New England area a few times over the past year he couldn't resist coming back! Mike spends his time backpacking, fishing, kayaking and being outdoors. He is looking forward to meeting new people, cooking and working with the environmentally friendly energy systems at the huts.

 

 

 

 

Adam B. is excited to return to Maine Huts & Trails, and looks forward to seeing some familiar faces and meeting new friends this winter. In the summer, he spends his time kayaking, canoeing, hiking, and camping. After spending ten winters in Southwest Florida, he’s very excited to experience another Maine winter, and is especially looking forward to cross-country skiing. Originally from Woolwich, Maine, he’s looking forward to a snowy winter!

 

 

 

 

Hanni W. calls Duluth, Minnesota home but has spent many of the past years following her appetite and curiosity in agriculture to small scale vegetable farms and kitchens in the Pacific Northwest. Most recently she spent time exploring National Parks in British Columbia and Alberta, Canada as well as hiking the Superior Hiking Trail near the north shore of Lake Superior. Hanni is excited to be returning to Maine after having worked a season with a CSA farm in Warren through the MOFGA apprenticeship program in 2010. She’s also looking forward to helping prepare lots of cozy meals for the guests of Maine Huts & Trails during a true winter!

 

 

Flagstaff Hut

Amanda F. (AJ) is excited to be back for her second season at Maine Huts & Trails. She grew up in Boston, Mass, and right now spends her time between Western Maine and Montreal, Quebec. While her favourite sport is undeniably pond hockey, she can also be found tying her downhill skis to her back and walking upwards in search of powder. She is an experienced winter hiker, leading backcountry camping and skiing trips during college. Her goal for the winter season (in addition to being the best hut staff she can be) is to complete her first Nordic ski marathon. She likes her winters long, snowy, and bitterly cold, and she hopes you do too. Be sure to give her a high-five if you’re a fellow Canadian!

 

 

 

Doug S. will be spending his first winter with Maine Huts & Trails at Flagstaff Hut.  He was born in the Bay Area of California, and has spent the last ten years in the Northeast, splitting time between Maine, the White Mountains of New Hampsire, and the Adirondack Mountains of Upstate New York.  He was born a hiker, but skiing and canoeing have been making serious inroads into his heart since moving to cooler, wetter climes. He likes spending his down time in the winter with a hot beverage and a book, or out on the trail looking at animal tracks.

 

 

 

Ben L. just moved back home to Maine, after living in the Washington D.C. metro area for the last ten years. He’s been working as a commercial diver and a country club front desk supervisor since he left, but Maine’s raw beauty and amazing people were too hard to stay away from. He loves to be outdoors; hiking, rock climbing, canoeing, and camping. He’s looking forward to a big winter this year with lots of snow and time to go play in it.

 

 

 

 

Jess B. is a Rhode Island native who fell deeply in love with Maine during her college years in Portland. As a graduate of the Maine College of Art, she not only has a passion for art and design but also adventure and the great outdoors. This winter will be her second season with Maine Huts & Trails, having spent this past summer biking, hiking, and exploring all that Western Maine has to offer. 

 

 

 

 

Jesse G. was born and raised in Maine, just outside of Bangor. He spent last summer living on Monhegan Island- twelve miles off the coast of Rockland. He plans on moving out west to Colorado in the spring to be part of the climbing and skiing scene. He is very excited about his third winter season at Flagstaff Hut and looks forward to meeting all the guests and spending lots of time on the trails.

 

 

 

 

Grand Falls Hut

Emily Z. joins Maine Huts & Trails for her second season all the way from Phoenix, Arizona. Before selling a good amount of her possessions and driving to Maine last summer, Emily worked in various roles throughout the non-profit and education sectors since her graduation from Arizona State University. Most recently, she contributed with great pride to the construction and completion of the newest State Park in Arizona; the Granite Mountain Hotshot Memorial Trail. When not on the trail, Emily enjoys practicing yoga (she’s a certified teacher), painting and writing, as well as singing and playing the guitar. Being from the desert, she doesn’t really know what to expect for her first New England winter, but whatever it brings she welcomes it with open arms!

 

 

Rob S. hails from St. George peninsula in Maine, where he spends the summers kayaking and gardening. He has spent extensive time in New Zealand’s backcountry hut systems and a couple seasons raft guiding in The Forks. An avid baker and snack-producer, this is his third winter at Maine Huts & Trails.

 

 

 

 

 

Want to learn more about what goes on behind the scenes at Maine Huts & Trails? Read our mission statement, check out our history and vision for the future, and find out how you can get involved

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