Maine Huts & Trails--New Executive Director

[Vermonster]

Seems like a great choice.

Nicole Freedman Named The New MH&T Executive Director

Kingfield, ME, April 3, 2012 – Maine Huts & Trails announced today that Nicole Freedman will be its new Executive Director. For the last five years Freedman has been involved in broad scale community development and recreation as Director of Bicycle Programs for the City of Boston. Under her leadership as Boston’s Bike “Czar,” Boston has been transformed from a worst cycling city ranking to one of the best bicycling cities on the east coast with widespread growing network of bike lanes and bike racks as well as bike share and community biking programs. A former Olympic team member and three time national champion road cyclist, prior to her City of Boston role, Freedman founded and directed Boston Sports Management Group, a management company for professional women’s cycling teams. She attended MIT and Stanford, graduating with a degree in Urban Planning. Freedman was named by Bostonian Magazine to its “40 Under 40” list in 2011, and is a past Boston Globe Magazine Bostonian of the Year finalist. Consistent with Maine Huts & Trails activities, she is a cross country skier and mountain biker who won an age group world championship in winter triathlon in 2011.

More: http://www.mainehuts.org/blog/

VT

 

[Stan]

I've enjoyed these Maine huts in each of the seasons and think they offer good value, including showers, at prices favorable in comparison with AMC huts. Wine and beer is also available now. I was impressed with Grand Falls which I probably would never have visited if it were not for a compulsion to visit the nearby hut.

Though designed primarily for cross country ski/snow shoe and hiking use, I somehow suspect there will be adaptations and incorporation of nearby logging roads for mountain bikers. I believe this could be nicely done with biker-hiker conflict minimized by alternate approaches available to each of the huts.

 

[RoySwkr]

Seems like a great choice.

Once again someone has apparently been hired with little connection to the state (ME) or the sport (hiking/skiing), I'm not sure why you see this as a "great" choice

 

[brianW]

I was just looking at the hut system in Maine the other day for possible bikebacking trip. IMO bring more people into the fold of using the huts is a great idea for business. I have also felt for a long time the more people you get into the woods, let it be by foot, ski or bike the more people will want to preserve and protect the environment.

As for "biker-hiker conflict" education of trail etiquette is the key. How many times have you come across another "hiker" that was a complete _______? It is the same for every group, 95-99% are good people that just want to enjoy the woods/sport.

 

[Stan]

... IMO bring more people into the fold of using the huts is a great idea for business. I have also felt for a long time the more people you get into the woods, let it be by foot, ski or bike the more people will want to preserve and protect the environment.

As for "biker-hiker conflict" education of trail etiquette is the key. ...

Good points all. Frankly, I don't like to encounter bikes on the trail for safety, ambience and trail damage reasons but the availability of logging roads for access, combined with addition of short stretches of bike trails and sharing some sections, could minimize such "hiker-biker conflicts" in a way that is acceptable to all and help make this network of comfortable, economical and environmentally state of the art facilities more self sustaining and less reliant on the generosity of donors.

I don't know whether this executive director is a great choice but she does have some impressive qualifications for running this kind of organization at the stage of growth and development that it is in. What I disagree with is the provincial notion that one must have been a Mainer to be qualified to run an organization ... an understanding of Maine culture and politics is something she can learn from her Board and being a Maineiac is somewhat of a state of mind easily acquired by those with an open mind and an appreciation of "the way life should be".

I would be disappointed if the strategy of this appointment were to emphasize the pursuit of government grants and hope that it will follow Maine's unique model for conservation of private lands and public access free from the political vagaries and unsustainable costs of federal government intrusion.

 

[RoySwkr]

What I disagree with is the provincial notion that one must have been a Mainer to be qualified to run an organization ... an understanding of Maine culture and politics is something she can learn from her Board and being a Maineiac is somewhat of a state of mind easily acquired by those with an open mind and an appreciation of "the way life should be".

No, you don't have to be a Mainer to run such an organization - but hiring an out-of-stater without particular knowledge either of Maine or of hiker huts just because they are a good manager is a slap in the face to many unemployed Mainers who may have 2 or even all 3 of those qualifications and I have yet to hear why this was a "great choice".

 

[Brambor]

I wish these huts gave people choice of making or bringing their own food. As they stand they are overpriced for someone with food allergies.

Maybe a compromise with loosening the food restriction during midweek reservations would be appropriate.

The way they are managed right now, the huts are not affordable for a blue collar Maine family of 4.

 

[Peaks]

I wish these huts gave people choice of making or bringing their own food. As they stand they are overpriced for someone with food allergies.

Maybe a compromise with loosening the food restriction during midweek reservations would be appropriate.

The way they are managed right now, the huts are not affordable for a blue collar Maine family of 4.

I presume that you will not be going to AMC's Maine camps either.

 

[Brambor]

correct

Correct. Not with my wife and my two kids. $400 + per night? I did go once to the Maine AMC camps in the winter but it was only with my son and it was during one of their special offers. Same with the NH huts - I only go in the winter.

Two of our family members have serious food allergies.

I understand the the prices for summer weekends when the spots are sold out but I think the Maine huts could probably be more profitable if they offered midweek reservations with options to separate lodging from meals. I'm not sure about their summer bookings but winter reservations for midweek have got to need some improvement.

I presume that you will not be going to AMC's Maine camps either.

 

[skiguy]

No, you don't have to be a Mainer to run such an organization - but hiring an out-of-stater without particular knowledge either of Maine or of hiker huts just because they are a good manager is a slap in the face to many unemployed Mainers who may have 2 or even all 3 of those qualifications and I have yet to hear why this was a "great choice".

I'm with Stan on this. Besides I have a hard time believing that not a single Mainer applied and was interviewed. Defending the organization based upon everything else they have done with this project which IMO is pretty good; I am sure they gave this matter some serious consideration before making a decision on whom to hire. Thinking outside the box and bringing in someone from out of state could be a healthy perspective. Sometimes looking in from the outside intially can be better in the long run for eventually looking out from the inside.

 

[spider solo]

Looks like a fine choice to me. Then again I'm not from Maine, so I hope that doesn't disqualify my thoughts on the subject.
I don't think being from Maine needed to be prerequisite for the job.

Actually I don't understand why she would not be a good choice, surely not because she was born somewhere else.

 

[RoySwkr]

Looks like a fine choice to me. Then again I'm not from Maine, so I hope that doesn't disqualify my thoughts on the subject.
I don't think being from Maine needed to be prerequisite for the job.

Actually I don't understand why she would not be a good choice, surely not because she was born somewhere else.

Being born in Maine has nothing to do with it, although it would be nice if she understood the local culture. If she has any experience in managing food and lodging or building and maintaining hiking/ski trails it isn't given in the note. Her expertise seems to be in attracting grants and marketing to urban yuppies, and I'm sad that people think that makes her a "great" choice.

 

[spider solo]

Oh well, to each their own thoughts I suppose.
I'm not going to loose any sleep over it either way, but I'm all for wishing her good luck.

 

[Stan]

I understand the the prices for summer weekends when the spots are sold out but I think the Maine huts could probably be more profitable if they offered midweek reservations with options to separate lodging from meals. I'm not sure about their summer bookings but winter reservations for midweek have got to need some improvement.

During caretaker season, which is now, meals are not furnished but I think the kitchen is available and the rates for members are $30/night.

 

[Brambor]

Hi Stan, that is a great news which I did not know about, although it makes it hard now to ski hut to hut. I would love to do this in the winter too. If I'm not mistaken - the midweek dates for the huts have low turnout so let's improve that situation.

Of course the other way to try is what they have been doing : articles in prominent out of state newspapers and magazines to try to build up a buzz from the high rollers.

During caretaker season, which is now, meals are not furnished but I think the kitchen is available and the rates for members are $30/night.

 

[peakbagger]

Maine Huts and Trails is not really targetting "hiker trash", it may make a dent on some of the expenses but their target is a more affluent "destination" traveler. Unfortunately, there is a critical mass required for a destination trip and typically that is a 5 day trip to fit in a vacation week. Right now the string of huts isnt long enough to qualify for a typical destination trip and therefore they dont fit into the standard PR "machine" that plugs these trips. They also have the same issue as Sugarloaf Golf Course, a potential world class facility that cant be used for part of an already short season due to black flies, mosquitoes and mud season. MHT obviously has a somewhat longer season but they still only have a few prime months in later summer, early fall and mid to late winter. Sure they market to the "hiker trash" as a means to fill in the gaps but their ultimate goal has to be running groups of prebooked guests over a week long tour from hut to hut, most likely flown in by charter to Carrabasett with a luxury hotel room on either end of the trip. The new grand falls hut has opened up some addtional interest as they offer stay and whitewater trip combinations as they are very close to a destination whitewater rafting river.

This leaves them in a quandary, they desperately need a couple of more huts built by large donations as there is no chance that the standard traffic is going to be able to cover the debt for new construction. Even the AMC is heavilly dependent upon fund raising campaigns to rebuild the NH huts and they are full everynight and decidedly lack ammenities. This leads to hiring a high profile director with potential access to large donors and having "former olympian" on a resume is a definitely high profile. Having Boston and Southern Me (Boston north) contacts is also a need as there tends to be more high profile potential donors in Boston then in most of central Maine. Unfortunately, the realities of the business is that the finances are shaky and they are basically are break even at best until they can get more huts which hopefully leads to more traffic. That will lead to the new director working hard for awhile and building up her resume before she moves to another non profit on the career track. Unless the new director is independently wealthy, I would expect that there will be another opportunity to apply for the vacant position in a few years.

When I did the Milford track in NZ, I had a chance to talk to one of the long term guides that could be candid about the Milford as a business as he was just filling in for a week. MHT was patterned after the Milford (and other high end long distance trips). The Milford trip is 5 days (3 huts and one hotel) that fits in with the vacation week concept. The pricing for the trip was set up to be competitive with what it costs to take a cruise ship and they targeted folks who wanted to get out in the woods without roughing it (heat, showers and flush toilets). My observations of the participants on my trip was that most were relatively affluent folks who tended to do similiar trips around the world on a yearly basis. I stayed in a bunk room which was usually empty but the private rooms were all full and had been booked for several months while I could have done the trip with no reservations for a bunk. There definitely was a list of "must visit" like the Milford, Swiss hut to hut, Kilimanjaro, Machu Piccho, Alaska Cruises and other high profile trips that many folks were discussing. My belief is that MHT is going for those sorts of clients and until they get a longer system with a few more huts, its a rough sell for someone to spend two days minimum of traveling to do a four day hiking or skiing trip through industrial forest land.

I am not downing the MHT huts or experience, they are great huts with great staff and are built and maintained to very high standards, far nicer than NH AMC huts. They are a nice break to NH, but the extra two to three hours drive from Boston is going to keep them rarely used by much of the hiking and skiing public. They lack convienient connections to trails to the summits so people working lists will not frequent them. For those who do go up there, if the eventual business plan succeeds, they will probably remember the great trip they had and remember "when it was affordable and didnt require months in advance reservations" someday.

 

[skiguy]

Maine Huts and Trails is not really targetting "hiker trash", it may make a dent on some of the expenses but their target is a more affluent "destination" traveler.

Hey you calling me trash Although I do agree with your profiling to a degree I will add that the aging outdoorsman may also be attracted to these huts. I have yet personally to go to any of these huts but friends of mine have over the last two Winters. They are both over 50 and they were the youngest in their respective groups. With the aging demographics of our population that just might play into their hands. I will also add that some may do this trip as a one time experience for the experience wether they are an "affluent" traveler or not.

 

[peakbagger]

Long ago on VFTT, there was a link to a confidential study by AMC that made the case for where the club needed to focus their efforts in the future. It was inadvertently leaked via a PR firm and was not intended for public review although it may have eventually been issued. The link is long gone but the gist of the study was AMC was going for the same older affluent market as MHT, keep the rough backcountry accomodations for image but go for older folks with money who want amenities. Thus the Highland center and the AMC camps in the 100 mile wilderness.

Its interesting to note that LL Bean folks have contributed to both causes and both have buildings named after the Gormans. I expect that LL Bean customers are a target demographic of MHT and they have given away nights at MHT on occasion.

 

[Brambor]

I think you are spot on with your assessment.

<begin rant>Too bad. Even though I could afford these huts, I do not support them on principle. I have no interest in this 'exclusivity' whatsoever. It is a major turnoff. I have no appreciation of the added value of luxuries that will draw in cakeeaters who could get lost in Central Park.

These establishments keep selling an image of "Maine way of life" yet they manage to exclude most of Mainers. I hope that when the time comes to rely on fundraising that the Maine people will be able to understand what they should support.

Give me a good ole melting pot of classes bound together by the love of the outdoors, improving their know how and appreciation one trip at a time and I will be there. In the meantime I'll keep treating my winter sleeping bag well and keep my head in studying maps for my weekly trips.

Gosh I'm getting old - ;-) and I'm loving it.

</end rant>

Maine Huts and Trails is not really targetting "hiker trash", it may make a dent on some of the expenses but their target is a more affluent "destination" traveler. Unfortunately, there is a critical mass required for a destination trip and typically that is a 5 day trip to fit in a vacation week. Right now the string of huts isnt long enough to qualify for a typical destination trip and therefore they dont fit into the standard PR "machine" that plugs these trips. They also have the same issue as Sugarloaf Golf Course, a potential world class facility that cant be used for part of an already short season due to black flies, mosquitoes and mud season. MHT obviously has a somewhat longer season but they still only have a few prime months in later summer, early fall and mid to late winter. Sure they market to the "hiker trash" as a means to fill in the gaps but their ultimate goal has to be running groups of prebooked guests over a week long tour from hut to hut, most likely flown in by charter to Carrabasett with a luxury hotel room on either end of the trip. The new grand falls hut has opened up some addtional interest as they offer stay and whitewater trip combinations as they are very close to a destination whitewater rafting river.

This leaves them in a quandary, they desperately need a couple of more huts built by large donations as there is no chance that the standard traffic is going to be able to cover the debt for new construction. Even the AMC is heavilly dependent upon fund raising campaigns to rebuild the NH huts and they are full everynight and decidedly lack ammenities. This leads to hiring a high profile director with potential access to large donors and having "former olympian" on a resume is a definitely high profile. Having Boston and Southern Me (Boston north) contacts is also a need as there tends to be more high profile potential donors in Boston then in most of central Maine. Unfortunately, the realities of the business is that the finances are shaky and they are basically are break even at best until they can get more huts which hopefully leads to more traffic. That will lead to the new director working hard for awhile and building up her resume before she moves to another non profit on the career track. Unless the new director is independently wealthy, I would expect that there will be another opportunity to apply for the vacant position in a few years.

When I did the Milford track in NZ, I had a chance to talk to one of the long term guides that could be candid about the Milford as a business as he was just filling in for a week. MHT was patterned after the Milford (and other high end long distance trips). The Milford trip is 5 days (3 huts and one hotel) that fits in with the vacation week concept. The pricing for the trip was set up to be competitive with what it costs to take a cruise ship and they targeted folks who wanted to get out in the woods without roughing it (heat, showers and flush toilets). My observations of the participants on my trip was that most were relatively affluent folks who tended to do similiar trips around the world on a yearly basis. I stayed in a bunk room which was usually empty but the private rooms were all full and had been booked for several months while I could have done the trip with no reservations for a bunk. There definitely was a list of "must visit" like the Milford, Swiss hut to hut, Kilimanjaro, Machu Piccho, Alaska Cruises and other high profile trips that many folks were discussing. My belief is that MHT is going for those sorts of clients and until they get a longer system with a few more huts, its a rough sell for someone to spend two days minimum of traveling to do a four day hiking or skiing trip through industrial forest land.

I am not downing the MHT huts or experience, they are great huts with great staff and are built and maintained to very high standards, far nicer than NH AMC huts. They are a nice break to NH, but the extra two to three hours drive from Boston is going to keep them rarely used by much of the hiking and skiing public. They lack convienient connections to trails to the summits so people working lists will not frequent them. For those who do go up there, if the eventual business plan succeeds, they will probably remember the great trip they had and remember "when it was affordable and didnt require months in advance reservations" someday.

 

[peakbagger]

An update, MHT has just named a new director, Charlie Woodworth effectvie 1/1/13. I guess someone read some of the comments in this thread

Charlie Woodworth of Yarmouth and Carrabassett Valley, Maine, as our new Executive Director, effective January 1, 2013.

Charlie is well qualified to lead Maine Huts & Trails. He brings over twenty years of entrepreneurial success as a business founder and manager. He has worked with Maine state government on energy efficiency and conservation issues both important to the MH&T mission. Charlie's long involvement in conservation includes serving on the Baxter State Park Advisory Board and volunteering for the Royal River Conservation Trust. He is an avid outdoor enthusiast with particular interests in Nordic skiing, hiking, paddling and cycling. He has experienced other hut systems both in the US and abroad, and is a past member of the Carrabassett Valley Outdoor Center's Trail Committee.

I have seen recent minutes of a regional trail organization that the MHT has changed their intended route to start at Coburn Gore on the Quebec border. Previously they were going to connect to the AT in the Mahoosucs. There also was discussion that the next phase of the trail is scheduled to run into the Caribou valley and cross the AT near the AT crossing of the CVR.