AMC Medawisla Lodge & Cabins — Hotel in Greenville

Expectations, as they say, are everything. Picture, if you will, the trunk of a 2012 Toyota Rav4 packed with the following luggage:

Friend #1: Sleeping bag compressed to the max inside a waterproof stuff sack, tucked inside a larger drypack along with barebones necessities for a weekend in the woods.

Friend #2: Having visited AMC huts before, this person "did not hold back and brought whatever I felt like [e.g. three books, beer, etc.], but put it in a backpack to make it feel a little more outdoorsy."

Friend #3: Read her email describing the accommodations before the trip and packed two bags, both overflowing: one, a reusable Hannafords bag; another; an old paper bag, the handles of which had been ripped off. Contents of the bags included multiple pairs of pajamas; LL Bean slippers; a Neti pot; a loose Queen fitted sheet.

Which friend's pack job was best suited to their weekend ahead?

Trick question, because the answer is the AMC Medawisla Lodge is a dream vacation where you can come with nothing but a shirt on your back and enjoy a most comfortable and satiating experience, chock full of big adventures and small pleasant surprises.

We came with about a dozen friends, including two babies. (The babies are the reason we group-upgraded to this lodging, and -to be clear - all benefitted.) We stayed in the bunkhouses, which are like very cushy rustic hostels. Bunk beds with comfy mattresses, soft flannel pillowcases, plaid wool blankets, and v plush new towels. (Benefit of visiting in Year One of the new lodge.) Also some functional assets like a woodstove and clothesline for hanging damp gear.

Meals are served family-style, and are all multiple courses. Soup. Salad. Entre. Massive slice of decadent cake for dessert. Plus two varieties of trail mix available in unlimited quantities and a coffee/tea station (also unlimited). I've never been on a cruise ship before, and I think this was the closest I've come. Eating a four course dinner of braised beef brisket and jalapeño creamed corn last night did make me wonder about the "leave no trace" AMC ethic in terms of impact beyond the trail. You will have to do some mental gymnastics to balance it all.

Lunches are paper bag style. You get to custom-order a sandwich and the choices range from tuna fish to peanut butter and fluff. Then you add your own snacks. We were a little disappointed when the other group at the Lodge - an older generation of xc skiers, all AMC Chapter Members - bagged up all the peanut M&Ms in little ziplocks before we could get any. Just took em all. It did send us into a bit of a spiral about the Baby Boomer generation that has over-used national and global resources to an extreme and left youth and marginalized communities to pick up the shards and pieces.

A few parting notes: the staff were super friendly and fun. Definitely former camp counselors. Our first night, one of them led a game of Maine Woods Jeopardy. We got schooled by the AMC chapter members on snowshoe parts 🙄 . There are a bunch of other games in the lodge, from Yahtzee to puzzles. There are many Gazateers laying around.

Recommendation: if you are coming up on a Friday for a three day weekend, get your ass in gear early on Friday morning so you can get there and have a proper full day ahead. Everyone knows Sunday is a throwaway. There are so many miles of delightful trails and you wanna get two full days of skiing in.

Finally: it would be awesome if there was a version of the Lodge that was like this but less expensive and a...

Super friendly staff and I loved the food as well as facilities.

We were the first to hike the Shaw mountain trail this winter season and without snow shoes, it took us (a very adamant hiking family) 1-2 hours to walk those 0.6 miles to the first intersection due to the deep snow.

My family agreed that Medawislana had the best cross country skiing we’d done. On top of that, the outdoor scenery was beautiful.

The staff was super friendly and always willing to answer questions. I asked for a recipe one night and the woman working their gave it to me and told me the hourly forecast as I’d hoped to see the stars (it was too snowy though). We also talked to two groomers we stumbled upon at the end of our Shaw mountain trek and chatted for a bit. Super cool guys.

My favorite food was the the soup they served on the season opening night, it seemed to have a bit of an Indian twist with lots of flavor.

There is no real cell service there which is extremely nice. It’s one of few places I’ve been forced to be completely disconnected from the world and it allows you to bond with the people around you and really live in the moment. 100%...

The great staff and fantastic lodging made our group stay a wonderful winter getaway. The hot breakfast and dinner served family style at the main lodge were excellent. We stayed at the Hilltop Bunkhouse and found the mattress nice and comfy. The lodge was clean and nicely appointed. Cross country skiing, snowshoeing, ice skating and light hiking are the activities to enjoy here. Having a roaring fire and a glass of wine to come back to after a day outdoors seems like such a luxury, surprisingly the lodge has a decent selection of wines and beer on hand to purchase at Medawisla. I can't say enough about how pleasant the accommodations are at this AMC lodge, I will certainly add this a must see location and recommend everyone visit. Multiple cabin confirmations and food plans...