Introduction to the AMC Lodge

Intro to AMC Lodge

Cabins at Gorman Chairback Lodge

AMC’s Gorman Chairback lodge was located near Mount Katahdin in northern Maine.  Gorman Chairback was so named, I was told, because it had been the Gorman family's summer camp and it was located near Chairback Mountain. 

AMC runs wilderness lodges throughout New England, mostly in the White Mountains of New Hampshire along the Appalachian Trail.  In the White Mountains you can hike from AMC hut to AMC hut.  These lodges are in wilderness areas, so they are very rustic and offer minimalist lodging: cots, common bathroom facilities, group dining rooms.  In the White Mountain lodges, all of the food is packed in daily by the staff on foot.  This can be a 12 mile round trip hike, with an 80 pound pack for the “business” half of the hike.

AMC Locations

I have stayed in other AMC lodges in the past and had a pretty good idea of how they operated.  Gorman Chairback was different in that we could drive to the lodge and would have our own cabin while we were there.  To me, the overall feel of the compound was that off a summer canoe camp. 

Our cabin actually had sheets, towels, electricity and running water.  We found out later that ours was the only cabin with these amenities.  We were undoubtedly viewed with distain by our fellow campers for our high maintenance lifestyle.

During our visit I developed a demographic profile of the typical AMC member.  In my estimation, they tended to be disproportionately:

-Democrats

-Easterners/New Englanders

-Academics

-Public service types

-Smart

-Civically involved

In other words, no fun.  (To all the civically involved, smart Democrats reading this: just kidding.  Republicans: not!)

Ann felt that Gorman Chairback was basically an LL Bean catalogue in the flesh.  I thought this showed her appreciation for the lodge until I realized she has never ordered anything from LL Bean in her life.