Gorham High School (GHS) ’01 grad, Michael Downing, and his wife Lindsay own and operate Mt. Chase Lodge on scenic Shin Pond. Ideally located in close proximity to Baxter State Park, Katahdin Woods, and Waters National Monument, Michael said, “If you have ever gone to the Northern Entrance to Baxter State Park, you’ve driven right past our driveway.”

Mt. Chase Lodge was built in the 1960’s as a traditional Maine Fall Hunting season camp. Michael and Lindsay bought the Lodge in 2016 from her parents who owned and ran it for 40 years as a year-round business catering to snowmobilers, fishermen, vacationers and hunters.

“Lindsay grew up right here in the Lodge, cooking, cleaning and learning how to be a great host,” said Michael, who also has fond family memories of yearly treks to the area as a child.

Michael said, “We still cater to traditional Maine activities, but have expanded our offerings to include activities that we are passionate about, such as xc skiing, snowshoeing, mountain biking, canoeing, hiking and ‘dark skies’ stargazing.”

Thanks to a grant to expand their trails, their current one-mile snowshoeing trail will grow to about 10 miles of multi-use trails for mountain biking, xc skiing, snowshoeing, hiking and running.

Michael explained, “With help from the International Mountain Bike Association, a concept plan is being developed to guide the expansion. We are also working with Katahdin Area Trails, based in Millinocket, to integrate our trail systems.”

The Downings have made other changes and improvements. The Lodge is kid and pet friendly, featuring upgraded decor in its five private guest suites and four additional private cabins.

In addition to serving breakfast to their guests every morning, bag lunches daily and dinners Wednesday-Sunday, they have expanded their restaurant, which is now open to the public by reservation on Friday and Saturday nights.

The Downings are also building a new house, a few hundred feet away from the main Lodge, for a bit of privacy.

Michael has always enjoyed the outdoors. He ran track and cross-country at GHS, and indoor and outdoor track all four years at Bates College, where he graduated with a degree in Physics in 2005.

After several corporate jobs, Michael decided that he wanted a different kind of life. He spent three years at Maine Huts and Trails in Carrabassett Valley exploring his interest in cooking, building upon the skills he had learned at part-time jobs at Subway in Gorham as a high school student and at his job at a campus restaurant at Bates.

Carrabassett Valley is also where he met Lindsay. She was planning to hike the Appalachian Trail, and when her hiking partner bowed out, she asked Michael instead. He jokingly said, “Our first date was a six-month hike in the woods. We knew it would either end horribly or work out perfectly.”

A stint in Alaska at Kenai Fjords Glacier Lodge, came next: Michael as the sous chef and Lindsey as the sea Kayak Guide. He worked directly under a professional chef at this high-end lodge. “My kitchen skills really expanded, including my love of making sourdough bread,’’ he said.

Michael proposed to Lindsay in Alaska. They married in 2013, finally returning to Maine and jobs with the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) in Greenville as the food service manager (Michael) and the assistant lodge manager and guide (Lindsay).

Running the Mt. Chase Lodge is a 24/7/365 job. It is definitely a family affair, requiring a wide array of skills, split between Lindsay, who runs the business side and coordinates five staff, and Michael who is in charge of food service and maintenance. Lindsay knows her way around frozen pipes and can handle other emergencies while Michael is preparing the evening meal.

They share the parenting, with help from a part-time nanny, of their 4-year-old son, Walter, and 2-year-old daughter, Annie.

The Downings can be reached at info@mtchaselodge.com at 207-528- 2183, on Facebook or their website.