RANGELEY – A nighttime snowshoeing excursion next week hopes to raise awareness of what some believe is Rangeley’s next big draw- the night sky.
Only 130 spots in the world are designated as International Dark Sky Places, and a group of community members in the Rangeley area believe that their pocket of the Maine woods could be next on that list.
“We believe the dark sky is the next tourism industry that we should focus on,” Rangeley Lakes Heritage Trust’s Amanda Laliberte said.
Laliberte said the organization has been on the search for the next designated Dark Sky Place, and that Rangeley has caught their attention. RLHT has been collaborating with the informal group to support the idea, but there will be a number of hoops to jump through before getting there. The town has to have specific lighting ordinances in place, and in general, the municipal government will need to be in support of the idea.
RLHT and the Dark Skies Rangeley group has organized the nighttime snowshoe hike as an educational opportunity for community members. Laliberte said they hope the local children and families will take advantage of the event, which is likely to be a one time thing.
The tour will be led by owner of Northern Skies Planetarium, John Meader. Meader typically visits more than 15,000 students across the state with his inflatable star theater, but due to the pandemic he hasn’t been able to. Instead, Meader will shed some light on the actual night sky above Rangeley.
The event will take place on Tuesday, Jan. 12 at 6 p.m.
The Sky Tour will depart the Trails Center Yurt trekking to Saddleback Lake stopping to learn about the January night sky. Upon return to the yurt there will be a warming fire.
Snowshoes provided at no cost by the RLTC.
