Spectators at Cathedral Ledge ski jumping, part of the 1922 White Mountains Winter Carnival. Photo courtesy Conway Public Library Henney History Room.

Yesteryear

Winter Fun at the First White Mountains Winter Carnival

By Kathi Caldwell-Hopper

If you lived in NH’s White Mountains in the winter of 1922, you were likely weary of war and illness. Not long before, World War I and a pandemic that swept the globe took a toll on people everywhere. The Conway area felt the effects of the war and the pandemic as well and in the succeeding years, everyone was making attempts to move on with life.

During the winter of 1922, what was there to do to fill the long winter days? According to a February 1922 issue of The Reporter, the newspaper for the Conway area, you could attend a “photoplay attraction” at the Masonic Hall in North Conway where Hoot Gibson and Molly Malone starred in the movie “Red Courage”. You could also take in Bert Lytell in “The Idle Rich”, a satire. There were church services and Grange meetings and Ladies Aid gatherings, but the big entertainment was the first event of its kind in the town: the White Mountains Winter Carnival.

The carnival got a lot of attention in The Reporter; in fact, it took up the entire front page in the February 2, 1922 edition. A headline read that the event had “Thrilling Ski Jumping, Good Horse Racing, Hockey Games, Wonderful Skating and Other Exciting Sports”. 

People were hungry for some fun – even if temperatures were likely chilly – and crowds started to arrive on Wednesday of the previous week. By Sunday, all available lodgings in the Conway area were full. “The people came to enjoy themselves,” the article told readers. Some brought personal winter sporting equipment and others bought skates and other gear when they arrived in town. 

Spectators at Cathedral Ledge ski jumping, part of the 1922 White Mountains Winter Carnival. Photo courtesy Conway Public Library Henney History Room.

The first annual carnival began on Thursday, January 26, 1922 and activities were plentiful. Visitors could take a snowshoe hike, go for a fun ride on the toboggan chutes, or climb the many area mountains. A skating rink and a ski jump were busy for the duration of the carnival. 

In the area, sled dog master extraordinaire, Arthur Walden of Tamworth, made an appearance accompanied by his famed sled dog team. The crowds loved Walden and the dogs and appreciated that the team made an appearance each day. 

By Tuesday, the sporting events were well underway, including over 500 people who came to see the new ski jump at Cathedral Ledge. A Canadian ski jump champion and members of the Nansen Ski Club tried out the jump. The ski jump was built at the bottom of Cathedral Ledge off West Side Road in Conway to be used for the first winter carnival. Old photos show spectators aplenty for the thrilling jump portion of the weekend carnival events.

Elsewhere the main street was converted into a trotting park for horse racing and the sidewalks were lined with spectators. The races were a thrilling few hours of entertainment for those who had been house bound from winter weather.

The big day for the winter carnival was Friday, and the presenters and volunteers pulled out all the stops to create a lot of fun for everyone. Trains brought carnival goers from Bartlett, Glen and Jackson and others arrived from south of the Conway area. An amazing 2,000 people, according to The Reporter, were at Cathedral Ledge to see the ski jumping. Some competitors made perfect jumps and some did not, but it was an event people talked about long after.  

In an effort to promote further outdoor events, men from Washington, DC were on hand with representatives from the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture. They were there to take “moving pictures” of the sporting events to promote and further an interest in winter outdoor activities in the White Mountain National Forest. 

This was a time when some people still used horses for transportation, although automobiles were becoming more widespread. To see horses in town was not uncommon. What was unusual was seeing the horses racing through the town at high speeds. According to The Reporter, the crowds were heavy to watch the skijoring races at the winter carnival. Skijoring is a sport wherein horses pull skiers at a high speed and in Conway, it was a big draw at the carnival.

Ice skating was extremely popular in the 1800s and into the 1900s and brought a lot of inexpensive fun to families. Many villages, as well as cities, had skating ponds where everyone went for skating and socializing in the winter. The Winter Carnival in North Conway offered a place where everyone could skate and also watch the skating races. The men’s relay race with four men per team was popular during the Carnival with each man skating 335 yards for a timed race. At the ice skating area, hockey games also were held between Portland High and Deering High Schools. Portland won and was challenged by a group of local pick-up teens, offering a lot of competitive action for spectators.

Also on the ice, according to a 1922 front page story in The Reporter, “an audience was not lacking to witness some of the most wonderful skating performed by Mr. and Mrs. Nat Niles and Theresa Weld, all of Boston. Mr. Niles represented the United States at the Olympic games at Antwerp, and Theresa Weld is the champion woman skater in this country. They not only performed in the morning but also for an hour in the afternoon.”

If you were visiting or lived in the Conway area, you could see competitions at the toboggan chutes at Russell Cottages. Guests from all the hotels in the area were joined by Arthur Walden and his famed sled dog team as they watched the toboggan performers.

The big social portion of the Winter Carnival – and the closing event for the weekend – was a masquerade ball on Saturday evening. The ball took place at the ice rink with the start of the event reserved for masqueraded attendees. Unmasked attendees got to guess who was behind the masks and prizes were awarded for the three top costumes. At that time, everyone was allowed on the rink to enjoy a final evening of ice skating. 

Plans were underway for a second carnival and in the winter of 1923, the event was again well attended with ski jumping, ice skating and more. 

 (Thanks to Bob Cottrell and Conway Public Library for assistance with this article.)

Minus33 Keeps Tradition Alive in Historic Mill

Minus33 Keeps Tradition Alive in Historic Mill

Fifth generation continues woolen clothing history 

Story and photos by Leigh Sharps 

The Glidden family is well-known in the Squam Lakes region for operating one of the top textile plants in the world—the L.W. Packard Co.—for decades until it succumbed to the constant surging of the cheaper overseas labor market. The historic mill, located in the center of Ashland, and on the Squam River, ceased manufacturing in 2002. 

Standing before the MINUS33 on-site sock machines are (l-r) Lawson E. Glidden, Kelly Meegan, John L. Glidden, Meaghan Ruby, David Piper.

However, it is now perpetuating that same woolen fabric history with the operation of the ever-growing company known as Minus33, which was conceived and began just as the original plant was beginning its shutdown. 

The mill was built by the Briggs Brothers of Leeds, England in 1840 on the Squam River as it was in the geographical center of New Hampshire. It ran sporadically for 76 years. During that time it manufactured gloves, hosiery, sports equipment, wood products and paper and was called the Squam Lake Woolen Mill. 

In 1916, when Mr. Luther W. Packard of Berwick, Maine bought the mill, he re-named it L.W. Packard and began a textile business which initiated its premier place in that trade, not only in the country, but in the worldwide market as well. (Further history at the end of this article.)

Textile engineers from L. W. Packard and Co., Inc. created the MINUS33 concept as Packard’s “had been involved in every aspect of the wool industry and has been a proud family-owned business since 1916,” explained President John L. Glidden. “In 1995 Packard’s was selected by Textile World magazine as one of the top 10 textile plants in the world. With so much of our family history rooted in the wool industry, combined with our genuine passion for the outdoors, it only made sense for MINUS33 to emerge as a Merino wool clothing brand. MINUS33 began as a snowmobile brand, and quickly expanded to other outdoor markets, such as hiking, skiing, and hunting due to the versatility of our product offerings.”

John said he had tried wool for base layers for hunting and “loved the product.” Todd Allain, now the Brand and Sales Manager, used wool products for snowboarding and hiking and was approached to make MINUS33 into a bigger, profit-making entity. Todd had worked full-time as a textile engineer for L.W. Packard and part-time for the Waterville Valley Resort Ski Patrol and was very familiar with the outdoors industry. John said, “Todd took his knowledge of the ski/outdoor business, and his love for wool, and ran with the idea of using wool for base layers for other activities besides hunting.” 

Todd explained, “I used my experience in textile engineering, combined it with a global business model and blossomed it into a startup brand. It became a growing leader in the Merino Wool Base Layer industry and it remains so today.” 

Model display of Minus33 garments.

The company produces base layer tops and bottoms and socks, hats, neck gaiters, balaclavas, gloves, vests, hoodies, ¼ zip jackets, blankets, union suits and underwear. (Base layers are the layers closest to one’s skin and act like a ‘second skin’ adding a layer of warmth. They are mainly worn under other clothing but independently as well, like leggings. Balaclavas are close-fitting total head and neck coverings made of wool.) 

Tops, bottoms, hats, etc. aren’t your usual basic clothing. Just a few of the styles include tanks, vests, hoodies, tee, turtleneck and crew neck shirts, zip jackets, etc. Some bottom styles include leggings, all types of long underwear (both tops and bottoms), zip-off leggings and hooded jackets. Head coverings range from beanies, headbands, gaiters and scarves. Fabric weights for products are: micro (spring and summer use), lightweight (all year round alone or as a base layer), midweight (three-season wear) and expedition (for the coldest conditions). Activity levels ‘weigh’ in on customers’ fabric choices and type of garments needed, too. Their Woolverino (trademarked term) line is specifically designed for athletes. The fabric incorporates a technology making “durable and high performing merino wool garments for high-intensity activities. Our blend of merino and nylon creates a well-fitted garment that moves with you. It cools down when it’s hot and warms up when it gets chilly. It’s ideal for athletes, runners, cyclists and hikers,” their 2021-2022 catalog states. 

They also have a White Mountain Woolen blanket collection and, of course, their famous, varied types of socks are a company highlight. In fact there are 14 pages of different sock styles in their catalog featuring their Mountain Heritage line: liner socks, mini crew, crew, ankle, boot, and full length, and include ski and snowboard, hiker and runner socks, too. 

Lead sock designer Lawson E. Glidden (John’s son and fifth generation Glidden) explained, “We chose to build our own sock development mill in our on-site facility at our headquarters (at the mill in Ashland) using the most modern equipment available in the world today. We wanted to bring back some of the manufacturing to the original Packard Mill. These machines allow the development team to be directly involved in the design process/quality control and we can be hands-on with the production every step of the way.” 

MINUS33 brought along with it a long-time employee of Packard’s: David Piper. As technician and development assistant he operates the state-of-the-art sock machines. The machines have the capability of turning out a sock every three to five minutes (depending on the length-short, crew or calf ). “Our New Hampshire-made socks are knit using carefully selected yarns. Merino wool/nylon is used as the main body of the socks. These yarns deliver a high Merino wool content, with the extra durability of nylon. We have packed in huge quantities of wool next to your skin, using the synthetics only as needed to improve fit and durability,” said Kelly Meegan, Apparel Designer. “Our base layers are made of superfine Merino wool. The fine wool gauge provides just the right balance of durability and a super soft feel on the skin,” she added. 

“We are a global company with mills all over the world but the plan in the coming years is to have as much as possible made on-site depending on our growth,” stated John who said they are currently working on expanding their physical operation here. 

Meaghan Ruby, Content Marketing Specialist, notes that they do not have a showroom in their building right now “but we are working on changing that in the coming months. Due to Covid-19 it will not be open to the public for the foreseeable future, however. But we welcome interested shoppers to check out our network of dealers, or one may place an order on our website using curbside pick-up.” 

John states that Minus33 is distinguishable from other companies for many reasons. “We are a local, New Hampshire company. We live in the environment we sell to. We have high wool content in everything we make, attention to quality is a priority, our products are machine washable and dryable and they are offered at a reasonable price.” 

They have 15 full-time employees and continue to grow. Their administration staff includes: John L. Glidden-President, Todd Allain-Brand and Sales Manager, Lawson E. Glidden-Vice-President and Lead Sock Designer, Joel Schweizer-Operations Manager, Kelly Meegan-Apparel Designer, Meaghan Ruby-Content Marketing Specialist and David Piper-Sock Technician. 

Remember: their name may be MINUS33 indicating the below freezing mark, but their quality products serve all seasons, in any weather, and for any type of activity from leisurely to light to extreme. 

 MINUS is definitely MAJOR here!

NOTE: Contact and order information: info@minus33.com (customer service), merinoholics@minus33.com (general marketing inquiries), Minus33.com (catalog and prices). Facebook: Minus33MerinoWoolClothing; Instagram: @Minus33merinowool; YouTube: youtube.com, Twitter: @Minus33; Pinterest: pinterest.com/minus33merino; Address: 22 Mill St., P.O. Box 515, Ashland, N.H. Phone: 1-855-MINUS33 

Mill History continued from above: After Packard bought and renamed the mill (1916), Lawson W. Glidden joined the company in 1921 to help his uncle, Luther Packard. The mill survived the Great Depression, and the difficulty in getting adequate power to run the plant in the 1930s. They continued to grow, improve the facility and then John ‘Jack’ E. Glidden joined L.W. Packard in the early 1950s. With the Clean Water act in 1967, the mill expanded its discharge controls and it connected to the town’s waste-water plant. A new dye house was constructed and modern dying equipment installed. The mill paid about 87 percent of the bill for the town’s new wastewater plant. 

In 1973 John L. Glidden joined the company, working part-time until 1978 when he joined full-time after graduating from the Philadelphia College of Textiles and Science with a Textile Engineering degree. He became President in 1989. He remained President when they transitioned into the new MINUS33 brand after Packard’s closed in 2002. They continued the family tradition and work ethic by remaining in the mill location where they are today. Many other parts of the mill buildings are occupied by offices and businesses as well. 

(History provided by MINUS33 and Wikipedia.)

Sampling Something Sweet

Sampling Something Sweet

By Thomas P. Caldwell

Walker’s Sugar Shack in Bristol. (Courtesy Photo)

The boiling of sap to make maple syrup is one of the lessons the indigenous people of the New World taught the early settlers arriving from Europe, and today those lessons remain the basis for New England’s maple syrup production. New techniques have been brought into play to make the operation more efficient, but, at its core, maple syrup production today is much the same as it was in the early days.

It still takes roughly 40 gallons of sap to produce one gallon of maple syrup, and collecting that sap depends upon the weather.

“To get the good sap ‘runs’ it needs to be below freezing at night and mid- to upper-40s during the day,” says Jason Walker who, with his brothers, Jeff and Joe, began Walker’s Sugar House in Bristol as a hobby in 2002.

“It seems early to start talking about maple season, given the current weather,” Jason said when contacted in mid-February. “We [have] started tapping the trees and the extended forecast is calling for some warmer temperatures … so we are optimistic spring is on its way.”

Classic sap collection is done with taps and buckets. (Courtesy Photo)

Walker’s Sugar House normally starts tapping the trees in February.

“Normally we get a few decent sap ‘runs’ towards the end of February, first of March, but every year differs slightly,” he said. “Everyone always asks how the sap season is going to be, and I always say I’ll tell you at the end of April! It is so hard to predict and really depends on the weather in March and April.”

He continued, “It is not so dependent on what the weather has been, but more on the cold nights and warm days during March and the first part of April. Usually the crazier the ‘up and down’ weather we get in March and April leads to a good sugaring season.

“Last year, we began the season during the last week in February and ended the second week in April, making for an exceptional year for syrup production.”

Normally, sap from the maple tree contains about two percent sugar, but in recent years, many producers have said the sugar content has declined to one percent. Jason says it is not unusual for the sugar content to vary from year to year and throughout the season.

Although Walker’s Sugar House has been actively producing syrup only since 2002, maple production on the Walker Farm has a long history, starting with Jason’s grandparents, Lois and Chester Walker Sr. They produced maple syrup off and on over the years, and Chet Walker Jr. produced syrup on the farm for a few years after returning home from college in 1970.

The current sugaring operation started with just a few hundred buckets, but today it has grown to more than 2,700 taps, using modern tubing and vacuum collection systems.

“Over the years, there has been a lot of technological advancements in maple syrup equipment and processes,” Jason says. “The sugar house started boiling on a 2-by-6 standard evaporator, which was upgraded to a 3-by-10 high-efficiency model. Other upgrades since 2002 include the use of a reverse-osmosis system and vacuum pump collection.

“With all the technological advancements, the sugar house still boils with wood,” he said.

Vacuum tubing allows syrup producers to bring the sap to large collection containers, rather than having to carry sap from the trees a pail at a time. Reverse osmosis can remove as much as two-thirds of the water in the sap before it is boiled, reducing the boiling time and the associated energy costs.

Jason says that, in an average year, Walker’s Sugar House produces about 1,000 gallons of maple syrup.

The modern evaporator condenses the sap into the maple syrup that customers want. (Courtesy Photo)

Walker’s has been a New Hampshire Seal of Quality Producer since the state started the voluntary program. New Hampshire Department of Agriculture inspectors verify that producers subscribing to the program are maintaining high-quality standards through periodic inspections.

The Walkers will be welcoming visitors to the Sugar House on the weekend of March 20-21, between 10 am and 3 pm, offering maple syrup, along with other maple products, for purchase. Maple products also are available at Walker’s Farm Stand during the summer months. To purchase syrup and other maple products at Walker’s Sugar House, call 603-744-8459 or email walkerssugarhouse@gmail.com to set up an appointment for pickup.

Alden Walker, a fourth-generation farmer, drives a tap into a maple tree. (Courtesy Photo)

For a list of sugar houses that produce maple syrup, please visit www.nhmapleproducers.com. (March is NH Maple Month; typically, many sugarhouses are open to the public, but due to this year’s Covid-19 restrictions, please call ahead to all locations.)

More about maple syrup

According to www.nhmapleexperience.com, Native Americans were the first to discover that sap from maple trees could be turned into maple syrup and sugar. We cannot be certain what the process was like those many years ago, or how the discovery was made, but maple sugaring has been going on for generations.

Today, the maple syrup production season generally runs from mid-February (or a bit later) until mid-April. The process, in simple terms, goes like this: sap in maple trees is frozen during the cold winter and when temperatures rise a bit, the sap in the trees begins to thaw. It then starts to move and builds up pressure in the tree. If you have noticed sticky sap oozing from any cut in a maple tree, this is the sap that is used for maple syrup production. Ideal conditions for the sap to flow are freezing nights and warm, sunny days, which create the pressure for a good sap harvest.

The classic New England maple scene with sap buckets on the tree. (Courtesy Photo)

If you drive around the state, you are likely to see buckets and plastic tubing around maple trees here and there. This is how maple producers tap the sugar maples. They drill a small hole in the tree trunk and insert a spout, and then a bucket or plastic tubing is fastened to the spout. If you assume the sap dripping from the tree looks like amber or darker colored maple syrup, you would be wrong. The sap at that point is clear. Once collected, it is taken to the sugarhouse and boiled down in an evaporator over a very hot fire. Steam rises and the sap becomes concentrated until eventually is turns to syrup. It is taken from the evaporator and filtered, graded and bottled. 

Most of us love the taste of maple, but as those who make maple syrup will tell you, it is a long process and sometimes you stay up all night tending to the syrup. You watch the weather; you know that certain temperatures and conditions will make for a better season of maple syrup. You tap the trees, you tend to the sap house, you stoke the fire and you do it again and again.

Maple producers in New Hampshire love what they do, from opening up the sap house and getting everything ready for a late winter/spring season of maple syrup production to the first bottle of sweet maple syrup they produce each year.

Cold Weather Promises Good Ice for Fishing Derby

Cold Weather Promises Good Ice for Fishing Derby

By Thomas P. Caldwell

Hesky Park in the Meredith will be the place to be when not out on the ice hoping to hook the largest fish in one of seven categories during the Great Meredith Rotary Ice Fishing Derby on Feb. 13 to 14. Courtesy photo

With a few exceptions, this has been a pretty mild winter in the Lakes Region, raising fears among some fishermen that the 42nd annual Great Meredith Rotary Ice Fishing Derby would not take place. Just a month ago, very little ice appeared on New Hampshire lakes, but in late January the temperatures plunged to signal that the derby should be able to go on as planned during the weekend of Feb. 13-14.

This year’s derby will offer more than $50,000 in prizes, with a first prize of $15,000 in cash, a $5,000 second prize, and a $3,000 third prize. The five heaviest fish each day in each of the seven categories will receive prizes of $50, $200, $150, $100, and $50, and there will be several ticket stub cash drawings each day.

There also will be two “Grand Cash Drawings” for $5,000, selected from derby ticket stubs, whether or not the person has fished.

Contestants are able to fish any New Hampshire lake to land their prize-winner, with last year’s entries coming from 25 bodies of water.

The Meredith Rotary Club held its first ice fishing derby in 1979 and the derby has continued every year since, although the club was forced to postpone it a few times to wait for better ice.

“Given the current weather forecast, it’s looking like there will be no need to delay,” said Tiffany Pena in response to questions about the lake conditions in late January. “We are monitoring the situation and any decision to postpone will be made two weeks prior to the derby.”

During the early years of the derby, the club provided merchandise prizes, such as a boat and trailer, but derby officials learned that most winners would have preferred cash, and many of them sold their prizes after receiving them. As a result, the club switched to cash prizes — in amounts that have increased over the years.

Other changes that have occurred during the life of the derby include which fish qualify for prizes. The grand prize used to go to biggest tagged rainbow trout, but the New Hampshire Fish and Game Department asked the derby to relieve the pressure on the trout population, so the club expanded the list of acceptable fish to seven species. Today, the list includes Cusk, Lake Trout, Pickerel, Rainbow Trout, Yellow Perch, White Perch, and Black Crappie. The Black Crappie had not been on the list of acceptable fish prior to 2011.

One other change the club made was to replace its old trailer with a new one built by Rotary Club members.

This year’s derby changes the Saturday weigh-in deadline to its original time of 4 pm. The derby also has put in place special rules to meet state health guidelines during the coronavirus pandemic. Face coverings and physical distancing will be required of those in line to purchase tickets at Derby Headquarters, to enter fish at the weigh-in station, and to purchase merchandise at the club trailer.

To allow for longer lines, anyone waiting to enter a fish at the weigh-in station at the deadline will be permitted to continue through the line and have the fish weighed. The club website, MeredithRotary.com, will include a Min-Max report that is updated with each fish entered. Having that information will help people decide whether to go to Derby Headquarters to enter a fish. The fish board itself will be “virtual” this year, appearing on the club website.

Another change under the pandemic guidelines is that the grand prize drawing will be an online streaming event, with links on the website and on Facebook. A recording of the drawing will be placed on the club website as well. To qualify for the top three prizes, the angler must have had the largest fish in one of the seven categories and have a valid derby ticket. An angler can be entered in the Grand Prize drawing only once, no matter how many fish that person has caught.

The club has canceled the kids’ fishing clinics, but will allow youths with derby tickets to enter fish for prize drawings, whether or not they have cash-prize-winners.

The traditional fish board will be replaced by a virtual board this year to show the largest fish turned in at the Great Meredith Rotary Ice Fishing Derby this year. Courtesy photo

The names of cash raffle winners will be posted to the club website as they are drawn, and winners will be notified by telephone.

In announcing the changes under COVID-19, the club emphasized what doesn’t change: Everyone needs a ticket to win; all prizes will be awarded; anglers can fish any public water body in New Hampshire; Derby Headquarters will still be in Hesky Park in Meredith; Derby merchandise will be available for sale; and prizes can either be picked up at Derby Headquarters or they will be mailed to winners.

Good luck, and happy fishing!

(Editor’s note: information as of press time, but please check the Rotary website at www.meredithrotary.com for updates on weather and ice conditions.)

Alton Bay Winter Carnival to Take Place on Feb. 14

Although things will look different this year, the fundraising cause remains the same. Due to the pandemic, the Alton Business Association (ABA) will not be able to host a large-scale winter carnival event in the way the group normally would. With that said, the ABA is committed to bringing some winter fun to the community. There will be smaller (in the interest of safety) sponsored events and some events will be virtual, such as the popular Fundraiser RAFFLE.

The February 14 Winter Carnival events will include:

An Ice Sculpture Walking Tour in Alton Bay

A Bob House Decorating Contest (email @info@altonbusinessassociation.com to enter by February 12).

A VIRTUAL Fundraising RAFFLE, with prizes donated from ABA members and local businesses. The online raffle will run from February 7 to 14 at www.altonbusinessassociation.com (stay tuned to the ABA Facebook page event for sneak peaks on the prizes and more details).

The Alton Parks and Recreation Department sponsored Snow Shoe Hike (weather permitting) on Sunday, February 14 at 10 am at the Morse Preserve/Pine Mountain, located on Avery Hill Road, off Alton Mountain Road. For more information and/or to register contact parksrec@alton.nh.gov or call 603-875-0109. Register by February 11.

An ABA Table on the Ice for a brief time to announce Virtual Raffle & Bob House Winners.

Virtual events may be added, so stay tuned to the ABA Facebook Event Page @altonbusinessassociation and website.

The list of sponsors is growing and the ABA lists thus far, Alton Circle Grocery, Shibley’s at the Pier, Alton Excavation, Katie’s Kitchen, Dockside, Inspiration for Organization and Catchpenny. If you’re interested in a supporting a great cause and giving back to your community by being a sponsor, please email info@altonbusinessassociation.com.

Although Winter Carnival events may look different this year, it is a chance to embrace the fun that winter season brings.

Chasing the Light: the Photography of Jay Philbrick

Chasing the Light: the Photography of Jay Philbrick

By Kathi Caldwell-Hopper

Images courtesy Philbrick Photography

For North Conway area photographer, Jay Philbrick, it is all about the light. To capture the light, which can be elusive, he will get up long before the sun rises. Also, he will travel to hard-to-reach locations, even if it means using his skills as a climber or driving with his wife, Vicki, for thousands of miles to the western United States, for example.

Photo trips are made easier by a van

Many people know Jay for his amazing “cliff photos” of models and just-married couples taken in the Conway area. The shots are beautiful, showing the valley far below and sometimes mist rising from the treetops or the sun rising, while a bride and groom embrace on a cliff outcropping. The shots have garnered accolades for Jay, but such work has taken years of experience as a climber, and of course, as a professional photographer, to achieve. In 2008, Jay won Digital Wedding Forum’s Wedding Photographer of the Year award in the couples category for the first cliff shot.

Along with these dramatic photographs, Jay and Vicki have done, over the years, a range of work from studio photos to senior portraits, landscapes, inspiration photo shoots in all sorts of places around the world, to photographing individual models and weddings. 

Jay is originally from Connecticut and as a kid, he says he was fortunate to make family trips for mountain climbing in the Conway area. As a teenager, he took lots of photos to record the places he was climbing or hiking. “My first camera was an Olympus; it’s a relic now but I still have it,” says Jay. He had no idea at the time that taking those early photos was a prediction of his chosen art form years later.

“I was an Air Force pilot for 14 years,” he continues. “I was stationed all over before Vicki and I moved to North Conway in 1994. After moving to the area, I became a full-time certified climbing guide and did that until 2000.”

Jay says he realized he needed to “make some real money” at that point. He had done photography all his life, but more as a hobby. Vicki had a darkroom (she has a degree in photography) and has always worked alongside Jay as they shoot at locations all over the world. She has also stepped in as a model at times and some of Jay’s best work is of Vicki in places such as the desert or perched high on a rock formation.

Serendipitously, at the time he wanted to make some “real money”, Jay photographed a wedding. “I was totally surprised that I enjoyed photographing a wedding,” he recalls. “But I saw then that photography is a great way to capture emotions.” 

A beautiful photo combining a model in red dress with a field and sky.

Jay has a talent for photographing what others might not see in the everyday world. A wedding, for example, would seem to be an occasion where the photographer lines up the family and wedding party and bride and groom for some traditional shots. Jay can do that, but his work goes far beyond. “I am interested in capturing different perspectives. I can get those shots because Vicki works with me. She gets the traditional shots, which allows me to work on the shots that capture different perspectives.”

He says, looking back, he was very lucky to get those wedding shots that interested him. “The biggest take-away is that it is really important to be into what you are trying to photograph,” he adds.

In 2008, the first “cliff shot” combined his experience of climbing with a wedding. He worked on the photos with a couple who had hired him to photograph their wedding. Jay learned, when meeting with the couple, that they were both climbers and loved to pursue the sport in the Conway area where they had a second home. 

“I had wanted to do a cliff shot for about five years,” Jay recalls. “I had an idea to photograph a couple on the cliff. I told this couple about it, and they were excited with the idea. We decided to do the photo shoot and scheduled it for a few days after their wedding.”

The first day they set up for the shots, the weather did not cooperate and they had to reschedule for the next day, knowing the couple had to return home from their honeymoon very soon. With every safety precaution in place – Jay works with Marc Chauvin, an internationally certified mountain climbing guide from the North Conway area (www.chauvinguides.com) who does the rigging and accompanies the couple or model(s) for the cliff shots – the first cliff session took place with the bride in her gown and the groom in a suit. The weather was still uncooperative, rainy and misty, but they took the photos because of the couple’s schedule. Jay felt he had not gotten the shots he envisioned due to the weather. But when he got home and began to process the photos, he realized the haze/fog made for great images. 

The next cliff session was in 2010 and then another took place in 2012. As awareness of the cliff photos spread, NH Chronicle did a segment and it won a NH Emmy. 

Jay always stresses that the models are fully anchored and nothing in the photos is fake. The ropes and anchors are hidden by the camera angles but the shots are real; there is no photo-shopping. Marc Chauvin goes down onto the cliff with the couple and safety is everything. 

Certainly, these unusual and beautiful shots are not the only work Jay does. His photos encompass magazine work, model sessions, and more. 

A breathtaking cliff shot by Philbrick Photography

A few years ago, Jay and Vicki outfitted a van so they could live in it short term and travel to pursue photography and outdoor activities such as hiking, biking, skiing, and climbing. This led them to make the decision to drive to the western United States, often for weeks at a time. They camped at various remote locations and worked with models to get great “desert shots” as Jay refers to the images. Again, his ability to find the unusual and beautiful in the every day have to be seen to be believed.

Much of Jay’s work relies upon the ever-changing light and glowing sunrises and sunsets. He often photographs dancers and other models in downtown North Conway as the sun rises and the sky turns from inky black to gray to pink. The shots are breathtaking and rely upon Jay’s fascination with the light.

These days, because of the Covid-19 pandemic, Jay and Vicki are curtailing their travels and staying closer to home in the Conway area. With years of experience as photographers, they can now pick and choose what work they wish to take on; they certainly hope to return to the western part of the country in the future. 

For now, when the mood strikes, they get away from it all and into nature by packing up the van and going off grid in New England for a bit. They embrace the quiet, the chance to hike and be in the woods, and always, Jay looks for the fascinating, elusive and wonderful light.

To view Jay’s photographs, visit www.philbrickphoto.com. 

 (Editor’s note: The cliff shots Jay Philbrick achieves are always done with a hired, experienced internationally certified mountain climbing guide; do not try this at home!)

Loon Preservation Committee Biologists Rescue Stranded Loons

Loon Preservation Committee biologist Caroline Hughes prepares to release one of the six rescued loons on the ocean at Odiorne Point. Photo courtesy of the Loon Preservation Committee.

Cold weather following the December 17 snowstorm caused many of New Hampshire’s lakes and ponds to ice over, stranding six loons that had not yet left for their wintering grounds on the ocean. “Loons are heavy bodied birds with relatively small wings, which means that in order for them to become airborne, they need a long stretch of open water to act as a runway,” says Harry Vogel, Senior Biologist and Executive Director of the Loon Preservation Committee (LPC). “When lakes ice over rapidly, as we saw with the recent snowstorm and cold, loons can become trapped.” If not rescued, iced-in loons may starve to death or be predated.

From December 18 to 21, biologists from the Loon Preservation Committee rescued five loons that had become stranded on four waterbodies across the state, including Webster Lake in Franklin, Lake Kanasatka in Moultonborough, Angle Pond in Sandown, and Townhouse Pond in Milton. New Hampshire Fish and Game Conservation Officers rescued an additional iced-in loon on Lake Francis in Clarksville. These loons were examined and treated by local veterinarians and rehabilitated by Maria Colby of Wings of the Dawn Wildlife Rehabilitation.

Vogel said that by this time of year, loons should have already left New Hampshire’s lakes. He noted that there are several potential reasons why these six loons may have remained. “Climate change is one potential explanation—until this recent cold snap, the weather in November and December was warmer than usual. These loons may have remained on our lakes to take advantage of the open water and fishing opportunities and may have been caught off guard by the sudden cold snap.”

Another potential explanation, Vogel said, was that some of the rescued loons had underlying health problems. One of the loons that was rescued was found to have slightly elevated levels of lead in its bloodstream and fish hook fragments in its digestive tract, and another had a severe fungal respiratory illness.

Fortunately, there was a happy ending for most of the iced-in loons. “After receiving veterinary care, five of the six have been released on the ocean,” Vogel confirmed. The loons were banded prior to release, so biologists will be able to identify them should they return to New Hampshire’s lakes in the coming years. “These ice rescues have already proven to have a positive impact on our loon population,” said Vogel. “In January 2016, we rescued five loons on Lake Sunapee. Four of those loons survived and were released on the ocean, and in recent years, we’ve resighted three of them back on our lakes. Two have produced chicks since their rescues, helping to grow our threatened loon population in the state.”

Members of the public are asked to call the Loon Preservation Committee at 603-476-LOON(5666) if they see a loon that is at risk of becoming iced-in. LPC urges the public not to attempt to rescue loons themselves. Winter loon rescues can be hazardous to human safety, as rescuers risk falling

The Loon Preservation Committee monitors loons throughout the state as part of its mission to restore and maintain a healthy population of loons in New Hampshire; to monitor the health and productivity of loon populations as sentinels of environmental quality; and to promote a greater understanding of loons and the natural world. LPC was formed in 1975 in response to a severe decline in New Hampshire’s common loon population. For more information on loons or to make sure the bird you are seeing is actually a loon, please visit the Loon Preservation Committee website at www.loon.org.

Sidehillers Boast Scenery and Social Connections

Sidehillers Boast Scenery and Social Connections 

By Thomas P. Caldwell

The Sandwich Sidehillers Travel Club groomer clears a section of trail. (Courtesy Photo)

A wide expanse of open fields and mountain views in the Whiteface-Intervale area of the state is one of Ross Currier’s favorite places to ride a snowmobile.

“It’s the scenery,” he says, that makes the 25 miles of groomed track maintained by the Sandwich Sidehillers Winter Trails Club so special.

The Sandwich Sidehillers is but one of the many snowmobile clubs that maintain a total of 6,800 miles of groomed trails in New Hampshire, assisted in part by the registration fees that members pay to the state. Unlike most clubs, though, one-third to one-half of its membership is snowshoers/cross-country skiers. That is by design, says Ross, who is serving his fifth season as president of the small club.

Bob Condit operates the trail groomer. (Courtesy Photo)

“The original group knew it was going to be an uphill battle to try and get landowners to share their properties with snowmobilers, and the more [the club] appealed to the masses of the town of Sandwich, the better the chance to get the landowners’ support,” he said.

Today, the club has a “really good” relationship with the landowners, Ross says. “Basically, we keep in touch with them on an annual basis to update their permissions. Generally, the people that started the club treated them so well, there’s never much hesitation to renew. I think it’s also that our trails have been situated here for so long, and there are some very large landowners that are used to sharing their property with other uses.”

The club formed in 1998, with Dan Peaslee serving as its first president. The Peaslee family had taken the lead in operating the club over the years but decided it was time for others to step up to keep the club going. They put out a challenge, saying that either someone else from the town would need to take over, or it would have to be operated by a neighboring club.

“I’d retired that year and said, well, I’ve got nothing to do and have the free time, so I jumped in,” Ross said.

Beginning in late November or early December, work teams meet weekly on Saturday mornings to clean up the trails, clearing blowdowns and trimming branches.

The Peaslee Bridge crossing on a snowmobile trail maintained by the Sandwich Sidehillers Trails Club. (Courtesy Photo)

The Sidehillers’ trails stretch from Sandwich Notch to Whiteface-Intervale. Ross notes that it is a ride-in, ride-out system due to a lack of connecting trails.

The snowmobile trail leading from Whiteface Intervale Road to Bennett Street In North Sandwich. (Courtesy Photo)

“We lost a trail from Sandwich Notch Road to Squam Lake,” he said. That removed five or six miles from the original system. That section included a town road that never used to be plowed, but with increased development that brought in more lakefront property owners, the town started maintaining that road for winter traffic.

“Our neighbors to the west, the Squam Trail Busters, would like to see that get opened up because it would mean a lot to them, too,” Ross says.

On the eastern side, the Ossipee Valley Snowmobile Club lost its east-west pass, isolating the Sidehillers from them, as well.

“We’re almost landlocked,” Ross said.

There is limited parking at the end of Sandwich Notch Road, with room for two or three trailers, but most snowmobilers ride in from the Plymouth area, he said.

Between five and six miles of the trail runs along the power lines, with the majority of it lying within the White Mountain National Forest.

“It bridges two ranger districts,” Ross said, adding that they have an excellent relationship with the rangers. The trails skirt the edge of the wilderness, and one trail leads up to Flat Mountain Pond.

“It’s a pretty technical ride,” he said of Flat Mountain Pond, noting that there is no groomed trail there. “It requires a lot of snow to make it open, and it’s a very sensitive area, about eight miles long. The fact that we have a trail there at all in a protected wilderness area is a pretty cool feature of our trail system. You have to be an experienced rider because it’s too twisty to get a grooming machine up there.”

Sandwich Trail

Open to New Members

While the club had in excess of 70 family memberships at one time, the number last year was 34, and because it’s such a small club, getting help for trail work remains a challenge, even though it’s not difficult work.

“One of the reasons I came in as president was the dwindling participation,” Ross said. “The same people were doing all the work, with no one else helping to carry the load.

“I learned a lot that first year. When half or a third of those members are non-snowmobilers, it’s hard to get a quorum for meetings and to conduct regular business. This year, it’s a real challenge because of COVID. The clubhouse is so small it’s hard to meet and maintain social distance.”

Working on the trails is another matter. “This is the perfect way to enjoy a morning outdoors in a socially distant way,” Ross says.

The spiked interest in boating over the summer may translate into greater interest in outdoor recreation this winter.

“You read about how snowmobile dealerships can’t keep machines on the floor,” Ross said, “so you’d think there would be more members.”

He noted that membership in clubs affiliated with the New Hampshire Snowmobile Association, such as the Sidehillers, qualifies for discounts on state registration fees. Those registration fees are important to trail maintenance, helping to cover the cost of grooming machines, which can cost a quarter of a million dollars.

“Redoing the tracks on our Tucker Sno-Pad was $20,000,” Ross noted.

Ross and Bob Condit share the main duties of grooming the trails.

“We put boots on the ground to see what needs to be done,” Ross said, adding that the Saturday morning trail details tackle one section each weekend prior to the start of the season.

Despite the club’s excellent relationship with the landowners who allow the trails to cross their properties, there is always a challenge from users who do not obey the rules.

“Last fall, we had somebody go out with a four-wheeler on the snowmobile trail, and the property owner threatened to shut it down,” Ross said. “Things like that have a tendency to resolve themselves in this community because it’s easy to figure out who he was. The club had to do a little special attention to the landowner to get us past that, but the landowners knew they could count on us.”

Cars park along the easternmost end of the trail at Whiteface Intervale Road. (Courtesy Photo)

A bigger problem is along the power line. “We had people go off — they love to see that fresh powder and go off the trail, and as soon as people start doing that, it sends others off the trails. Mountain sleds are probably the biggest offenders: They’re designed to go off the trails. We’re trying to figure out how to handle that across the state because that’s the biggest offender type rider,” Ross said.

Still, he said, snowmobiling — as well as snowshoeing and Nordic skiing — remain a lot of fun.

“I’ve gotten to know a lot of people through being part of this club that I’d never meet otherwise,” Ross said. “That’s one of the things: It’s social.”

The Sandwich Sidehillers Winter Trails Club meets at its clubhouse, located at 303 Wing Road in North Sandwich, sharing a driveway with Young Maple Sugarhouse. For more information, email sidehillers@gmail.com.