This ski season has been quite a ride… down and up and down again. I am not talking about chairlift rides and schussing descents. I am talking about conditions and the general climate of skiing in Maine. We should know by now that winters in Maine are consistently inconsistent. You never know what its going to be like, or when its going to snow. This December and January had us wondering if it was ever going to snow. While the snow wasn’t flying – ski area sale rumors were. Some extraordinary things happened this winter. Here are my top ten picks for the season in review.

1. Despite the aforementioned lack of snow in December and January, the mild temperatures in the heart of the winter make my list. Trying to make lemonade out of the early season lemons here, my positive spin is that we had sun, 50-degrees and spring skiing in January. I realize some ski areas struggled to remain open and ski shops didn’t sell their usual facemasks and handwarmers, but the slopes that were open (with entirely manmade snow) were unusually soft and sunny for January.

2. The Valentine’s Day snow storm was sweet, a high point. Just as people were calling off winter entirely, the sky opened up, blanketing downhill and cross country terrain for February vacation. Some of Maine’s smaller ski areas were finally able to open their trails for the important holiday week. My only regret: I wasn’t snowed in with my sweetie slopeside on Feb. 14 - forced to shovel and ski our way out.

3. March came in like a Lion with an extra fur coat. This is a lesson to folks who think March means spring in Maine. March was the snowiest, coldest month. Saint Paddy’s Day was “lucky” for skiers who braved the coated roads to find white gold in the mountains.

4. American Skiing Company’s “All for One” turned out to be a highlight for those who purchased the multi-resort season’s pass at this time last year. It was a screaming deal to get Maine’s two premier resorts plus four other New England resorts all in one discount pass. I hope you maximized your privileges in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont, since that door is closing with the sales of Killington and Pico, Attitash and Mount Snow, and uncertainty for Sunday River and Sugarloaf. Eastern skiers may never see another deal quite like this; it’s the end of an era.

5. While the pass promotion was phenomenal for those that skied around on the same ticket, die-hard Loafers and River regulars are excited by the thought of these two players being sold separately in the A.S.C. “all for sale” scenario. If Sunday River and Sugarloaf  become independent again, this could spawn the return of lively competition, mountain improvements as each resort tries to outflank the other, and adversarial après ski banter. Maine’s smaller ski areas would likely favor the disappearance of A.S.C.’s mega-mountain monopoly, which has been hard to compete with.

6. As for private ski resort ownership, Saddleback is proof that new ownership and capital are good things. The Rangeley resort, under the Berry family’s management since 2003, reports ticket sales up 33% this winter on top of recent years’ increases, and a dramatic 66% over February vacation week. Saddleback’s improvements to lifts and terrain, while continuing to offer affordable prices, has obviously enticed Maine skiers and riders, as well as folks from away.

7. Black Mountain and Big Rock also discovered success by renting their entire ski areas for $1,500 a day. Andy Shepard, President of Maine Winter Sports Center, explained that previously these ski areas would have more staff than the 10-15 skiers on a given Wednesday; now with this program they see 300-700.

Shepard said, “We allowed local businesses to sponsor the mountain for the entire day for $1,500, and it was extremely well received. We sold 15 days at Big Rock. The business model showed us that skiers who came for free on those sponsored days would return and pay for additional skiing. So it worked for the ski area, it was great for the businesses to own the mountain for a day, and benefited the local people, which fits our mission at Maine Winter Sports.”

8. Shawnee Peak hit the wall this season. The Pleasant Mountain ski area built a Monster Wall to amp up their terrain features. The 20-foot by 12-foot Monster Wall Ride with a butter pad top for tricks definitely beefs things up and provides a healthy evening alternative for teens and tweens. Shawnee has done a nice job graduating their features from the Grommet Garden with beginner size elements, to trickier features like wishbone and rainbow rails, box slides, and a double barrel LD70 rail. If you are not familiar with these terrain terms, then you need to sneak to the Peak’s park next year and check out one of New England’s largest lit parks.

9. South Paw’s debut makes the list. Skiing Sunday River’s new trail when it opened in December, I realized how refreshing it is to discover a brand new snow covered path. Not knowing what’s around the next corner is exciting. This undulating, narrow New England style run on Barker Mountain is a great addition. Skiers and riders appreciate new terrain, not just the renaming of trail sections, even if its just one or two a year.

10. Sugarloaf was the chosen one. In The Maine Sunday Telegram Annual Readers’ Poll Sugarloaf was named “Best Skiing” by 398 voters, peaking out over Sunday River’s 336. Sugarloaf’s golden boy on a board Seth Wescott was also dubbed best Maine athlete.

That’s a wrap for this season’s column my skiing and snowboarding friends, till November. I still hope to see you on the slopes in April, often the second snowiest month.

"The gift of Easter skiing"

April 1, 2007