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Maine Sunday Telegram - SKIING

February 2004 Ski Columns

 

 

 

“Big Ski - Mainers migrate to Montana’s Big Sky Resort"
Feb. 29, 2004

Riding the Southern Comfort triple chair on the backside of a Montana ski mountain last week, I was reminded of Maine. Slapped on a lift tower was that familiar triangular blue and white sticker, the Sugarloaf logo.

On my next lift ride, this time on the high speed Ramcharger quad, I met a Big Sky Resort ski instructor who, making conversation, inquired about my home state - apparently I did not have that “native” western skier raccoon tan. Learning that I am from Maine, he informed me there are four Mainers on the ski school staff at this Montana resort.

I later caught up with two of the Maine Montana contingent, John Quinn and Ken Shaw, both former Sugarloafers.

John Quinn taught skiing at Sugarloaf for 10 years before he moved out to Montana in 1993. “When the director at Big Sky called me at Sugarloaf to invite me out west I said no. I had a great clientele in Maine,” said Quinn. “He called me again three nights later, so I drove across the country to check Montana out. I never looked back. In fact, I have not been back to The Loaf since.”

Every St. Patrick’s Day, Quinn says he receives a call from Sugarloaf’s managing director John Diller, trying to lure him back to Maine’s big mountain ski resort. “It hasn’t worked yet, I love it out here,” Quinn said. Quinn does return east each summer. He has worked for the past decade on Boston’s Big Dig as a Laborer.

Still he said, “I miss Sugarloaf - that place has a great feel.”

“Mostly I miss the people. I had made some really good friends during my years there,” said Quinn.

“Sugarloaf’s above tree-line skiing, the snowfields and the steeps are similar to Montana’s wide-open skiing. Back east the challenging conditions certainly make you a strong skier. But I don’t miss the hard bumps and the ice,” said Quinn. “Out here the snow is so dry and light. You can tell the boys back home in Maine that I never have to tune my skis anymore. That should give them some idea of the conditions.”

Ken Shaw of Rockland also made the cross country leap from Maine to Montana, following Quinn’s recommendation. Shaw is now in his second winter of ski instructing at Big Sky, after 12 years on the Sugarloaf ski school. Shaw teaches skiing, Telemark and snowboarding. Summers he returns to Maine where he is a yacht charter captain out of Rockland - he admits he has dream jobs on both sides of the country.

Shaw talked about the differences he has encountered ski instructing in Maine versus Montana. “At Sugarloaf, people would show up for a 90-minute group lesson only because it was included in their lodging package. Out here, full day privates are much more common. Skiers are very serious, and request more private instruction. John Quinn is actually booked with privates for the next 50 days.”

“Skiing at Big Sky is a bit like Sugarloaf in that both are hard to get to, so they don’t get overly crowded,” said Shaw.

“I miss my friends back in Maine. It would be nice to be 100 miles from the Loaf, not 2,600,” said Shaw.

“I hesitate to tell people in Maine how great the skiing is out here at Big Sky. The snow is so dry and soft; the off-piste skiing options are unlimited. I don’t want too many people to discover this place and start a whole migration from Maine.”

For those interested in migrating: www.bigskyresort.com

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"Famous Maine skiers’ favorite trails"
Feb. 22, 2004

Have you skied all of Maine’s 567 alpine ski trails? Neither have I. We tend to have our favorites, those special trails that we happily ski over and over again.

That is the beauty of skiing. You can ski the same trail 100 times, and each run will be different. No two turns are identical; every day on skis is inimitable. Perhaps that is why we have favorite trails, combining the familiarity of a particularly stunning view or a heart-thumping pitch, with the ever-changing snow and light.

I asked a few of our more famous Maine skiers to share their favorites trails.

Former Gov. Angus King’s favorite trail is Timberline at Sugarloaf. “The views, particularly to the west from the summit, are fabulous,” said King. “The slope is just right for the kind of relaxed, wide turn skiing I like, and it is a long (usually) uncrowded run,”

“Mary's favorite is Horseshoe to Glancer on the west side of Sugarloaf, good variety of slope, generally uncrowded, and the short hike up from Bullwinkle's is beautiful and invigorating,” said King. “Ben and Molly like the terrain park—naturally.”

Seth Wescott, U.S. Snowboard Team champion and CVA graduate, said, “Never Never Land is my favorite Sugarloaf trail. It is a secret, so I will not give directions. It is nice and steep early season when it first gets blown in. It is a great little luge run under the trees.”

Les Otten, former owner of Sunday River said his favorite run is Ecstasy to Cascades at The River.

Meteorologist Russ Murley’s favorite run is Double Bitter at Sugarloaf. “We call it "The Axe” since a double bitter is a two-headed axe. It is classic New England "old-school" skiing with a great fall line, always holds the snow well and can have surprises around every corner,” said Murley. “Second place is Bim's Whim to Crossbow to Tightwire at Sunday River, an all natural run that can't be beat if there is snow.”

“At Squaw, I would pick Penobscot and Seboomok,” said Murley, who appears as passionate about skiing as he is about weather.

Bill Berry, owner of Saddleback, said, “Blue Devil is my favorite, it is relatively narrow and curvy. It is just a fun trail to ski on.” Blue Devil was renamed this season, formerly known as Wildfire.

Josh Burns, owner of Mount Abram, said his favorite is Dudley Do Right at Mount Abram, of course. “It has everything, including great views. Dudley is also the first trail that our kids, Jake and Anna, skied on the big mountain, so that makes it special to me personally,” said Burns.

Chet Homer, owner of Shawnee Peak for the past decade said, “My favorite ski trail is not surprisingly at Shawnee Peak. Fat and Happy is a couple years old, with expansive views of Moose Pond. While you are cruising, it just puts a smile on your face. Plus it is a fun name for a ski trail.”

WMTW News anchor Steve Minich is a Timberline fan. “My favorite run begins at the top of Sugarloaf with a pause to enjoy the magnificent 360-degree views from Katahdin back to Mount Washington. I cruise down Timberline, which always allows me the option for a quick pit stop at Bullwinkles. A right off Timberline hooks up with Scoot, which is not the toughest trail on the mountain, but it is rolling and winding. That takes me to west mountain, and ends smack between Gepetto's and the Super Quad at the base. If I am feeling good, I am back on the lift to do it again. Otherwise, Gepetto's always has a warm bar stool waiting.”

Tom Caron, NESN sports analyst said, "Back when I lived in Maine and I skied 40-50 times a year, Bubblecuffer at Sugarloaf was my favorite. Time and tide have taken their toll (not to mention gravity) and I cannot hit those bumps the way I once did. I still take the odd run on 'cuffer, but at a much slower pace. I also spend a lot of time around The Landing with my wife Kelley trying to find our sons, or on Narrow Gauge, where I can make longer turns and not embarrass myself.”

Ken Bialrucki, manager of Joe Jones Ski and Sport in Scarborough said, “T-2 to Monday Mourning at Sunday River is the best, the snow is always good, people don’t seem to find that trail, so it stays good. That is my favorite.”

James Krams, a shop employee at Joe Jones Ski and Sport, said, “Three Mile Trail at Sunday River, because that is where you find the damsels in distress.”

Paul Schipper of Sugarloaf has skied about 3,700 consecutive days at the Loaf, so he should know the mountain. “There are so many great runs and they do such a good job these days with snowmaking and grooming. But I would have to pick Narrow Gauge, it has everything you could want all in one run, it is nice and long with steeps,” said Schipper, who turned the sage age of 81 this month.

John Ritzo, headmaster at Carrabassett Valley Academy, agrees with Schipper. “My favorite ski trail is Sugarloaf's Narrow Gauge. It is steeped in tradition and it is fun and challenging to ski. It is a complete journey. I always ski “Gauge” for my first run to start the day.”

Blueberry Bear and Amos the Moose, Sugarloaf’s cherished mascots, each have their own trails, so while they refused to comment verbally, we can assume they prefer their namesake runs. Blueberry's Grove is gently pitched with a sprinkling of beautiful birch trees that make young glade skiers smile – just like Blueberry.

Moose Alley is Amos’ favorite, as it leads to his cabin in the forest, and the trail is a roller coaster with surprising turns and a few kid-pleasing features along the way.

Greg Sweetser, director of Ski Maine, chose Muleskinner at Saddleback, partly because he was one of the original trail designers, hiking in from the base with chain saws, tools and water every morning.

“I love the long traverse to the head of Muleskinner. It keeps the masses at bay and allows skiers to adjust to the high alpine environment. At 4,000’ above sea level, you get an amazing view of Maine’s western mountains,” said Sweetser. “This is a narrow winding trail, totally dependent upon natural snowfall, with twists and turns and drop-offs that allow me to jump from turn to turn. It is the type of experience you get in the Rockies or the Alps. I smile because right here in Maine is terrain that rivals anything found on Earth.

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”Retire that remote; make a play date outside instead”
Feb. 15, 2004

When was the last time you played in the snow with your kids? With high-speed Internet access, new release videos and so-called ‘interactive’ computer games, it is easy to let technology provide all the vacation week entertainment.

Or you can entice the family outside to create your own action adventure series in the snow. Put down the remote, and consider these ten reasons to play in the snow this week:

1. In the first week of February, we received 21 times more snow than in the entire month of January - 6 inches in Portland vs. the previous month’s paltry 028 inches. The mountains received almost a foot of white confection, which provided a heavenly coating of nature’s best to the piles of machine-made snow already on the slopes.

2. January’s bitter cold and dull grey skies have been replaced by intervals of glorious sunshine and glimpses of brilliant blue sky. In January, I wrote about being bold and dressing properly for the cold, but given the record number of frost bitten faces I saw last month – you may have been wiser to hibernate. You can now come out of hiding; a sunnier snowier month has arrived. As a bonus, it is no longer dark in the early morning when you are catching that first chair, and gone are the shadows that loom large by 2p.m. – longer, brighter days are here.

3. You do not have to ski to partake of Maine’s ski area activities. Shawnee Peak, Camden Snow Bowl, Mount Abram, Sunday River, Sugarloaf, and Seacoast Fun Park all offer snow–tubing. Tubing requires minimal physical coordination and no cranial activity. So the “I am not coordinated enough” excuse does not apply here. You simply sit on an over inflated rubber contraption and whirl down the slick hill like a tick on its back. Laughs and a few screams will ensue, getting the endorphins flowing more than any video game on the market.

4. You can combine snow fun with recycling. Make a sled out of a cardboard box and head to Mount Abram for Cardboard Boxsled Race Day on Feb. 16. Engage your kids to “think outside the box.”

5. Kids love mascots, and Maine ski areas have a cast of their own characters. Sugarloaf’s beloved Amos the Moose and Blueberry the Bear are oft seen around the resort, and on the slopes. Sunday River’s Snowball the Snow Tiger has been known to make a few furry turns around South Ridge during the holiday week.

6. Fresh air is very therapeutic. With endemic flu and cold symptoms traveling throughout schools in our state, concern for contaminated air in confined spaces is warranted. Breathe in Mother Nature’s purest on Maine’s mountain peaks.

7. Skiing is a superb exercise, but it is also a matter of choice. I find it ironic that Maine has one of the highest rates of asthma and obesity, but we also have 22 alpine ski centers, 19 Nordic centers, plus half a dozen snow-tubing facilities. There are plenty of winter recreational opportunities in Maine to alleviate sedentary indoor habits. Motivate yourself to go explore them.

8. Maine has one of the most extensive free skiing for students programs in the country. Maine’s own WinterKids serves as the prototype for other states, offering school age children free and discounted skiing. If you have a 5th, 6th, or 7th grader, you should be aware of this program valid at most of Maine’s ski areas.

9. In 20 years, will your kids remember that you bought them that $29 video game? Or will they remember the day they took their first air off that jump on Cruiser? Hold hands with your child while you both careen down a snowy chute, your other hand firmly gripped to the flimsy tube handle. I am confident these outdoor adventures will result in far more treasured life experiences.

10. Life is short, winter in Maine does not last forever, mud season will be here soon enough. Get out and play in the white, wonderful snow.

Events: Saddleback celebrates Family Fun Day on the slopes Wednesday with toboggan rides, a lollipop ski race, a scavenger hunt, and ice sculptures on display.

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"Liars Race – social event of the season”
Feb. 8, 2004

If you want first place in this ski race, you better have the biggest wad of cash – not the fastest time through the gates. This is a pay-to-play event called the Liars Race.

Mount Abram’s ski patrol hosts this annual race followed by a lively après ski auction in the Loose Boots Lounge. Having attended this rather raucous benefit bash last season, I can report that the patrollers combine hearty laughter with serious dough-raising. $14,700 was raised at the auction last February.

“We started this event eight years ago to raise funds for equipment and medical supplies,” said Pete Preble, a nine-year ski patroller at Mount Abram. “We decided to have the race and auction during February vacation, and we have fun with the fact that the “Liars Race” is on Presidents Weekend.”

“The patrol auction is the high point of the year here socially,” said Josh Burns, owner of Mount Abram.

“We have a lot of fun with this auction and race, but we are very dedicated to what we do,” said Jim Ryan, a Mount Abram patroller for 15 years. “It takes a lot to become a patroller, continuous education and training.

“Within our group we have a Doctor, several business owners, a lobsterman, a civil engineer, and the director of Maine wilderness,” said Ryan. “We are a core group, we are married to the sport, and to the mountain.”

They are the only self-funded ski patrol in the state, and of the twenty patrollers, all but three are volunteers.

“We work at the discretion of the mountain and the owners,” said Ryan, who has seen five sets of owners during his tenure at Mount Abram. “We help keep the skiing prices down, by lowering the bottom line. At ski areas, all the services help bring in money - the rental shop, the food service, they all bring in revenue. But not ski patrol; there is no revenue, only expenses.”

“Thanks to this event, we have completely replaced our fleet of rescue toboggans, obtained new lift evacuation equipment, and renovated our patrol facilities in the past four years,” said Preble.


“I believe we are the best equipped patrol in the state of Maine, said patroller Warren Michaelson. “We are one of very few ski areas equipped with an AED (automatic defibrillator) due to this fund raiser.”

“This auction is a big deal, we have people who fly in from across the country for it each year. Many of the donated items come from our owners, Josh and Sue Burns. They are the flame behind us,” said Ryan.

In fact, the Burns donate the naming of a trail with a sign each year. “Last year, the Patrol Director bought it, so the trail is currently named Abby Road for his daughter,” said Pete Preble. “That will be up for bid again, along with a bunch of other donated items and services.”

Josh Burns has a sweet spot for auctions, since he purchased the struggling ski area at auction in November of 2000 so that his wife and two children could ski more.

Burns said, “Just prior to that, Susan was considering being an ambassador at Sunday River so that we could have family ski benefits.”

The Burns are now in their fourth season of ownership. Burns said he and his wife are “very much of a team, and she is a fantastic skier.”

This year’s Liars Race takes place at Mount Abram on Feb. 21. Contestants can race for actual times and be listed on the official winners t-shirt in the “Good Guys” category.

If you prefer to let your money buy your time, you can purchase first, second or third place in men’s and women’s division at the auction and be listed on the “Liars” side of the printed t-shirt. According to Preble, last year’s first place in the Liars Race went for a few hundred dollars.

The real winner of the women’s race is awarded the Sandy Fitch Cup, in memory of the long time patroller whose husband and daughter continue to work at Mt Abram.

New this year, the Dave Gilpatrick Cup will be given to the men’s race winner in memory of the former patrol director.

Events: Mount Abram’s Auction is Feb. 21 at 6:30pm. Items up for bid include an all East ski pass, and “King or Queen of the Mountain” – the highest bidder gets private use of the ski area for the day.

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"Maine's Gould Academy - grooming skiers and scholars"
Feb. 1, 2004

Though only 14, Shelley Bowen is chasing her dreams.

“My goal is to make the US Ski Team,” Bowen, a sophomore at Maine’s Gould Academy in Bethel, said. “Not just to make the team but to go on and win.”

Shelley Bowen grew up skiing Sunday River, and recalls riding the chairlift with friends when she was just five years old. “We would all talk about being on the US Ski Team and my friends would say that could never happen to any of us. I knew then I was different – because I really wanted it and was determined to make it happen,” said Bowen.

Shelley Bowen, a native of Gilford, NH, chose Gould Academy in Bethel over other prep schools and ski academies throughout New England. “Gould allows me to pursue my skiing goals, and it is a great learning environment,” she said.

Bowen skis everyday, with one class in the morning and two in the late afternoon when she returns from on-snow race training at Sunday River. “I take just three classes in the winter, and make the rest up in the summer,” she said.

“Being ranked #3 nationally in Giant Slalom is a big burden for Shelley, or any fourteen-year-old, said Tim LaVallee, Gould’s On-Snow Program Director and Coach, “along with the academic pressures that come with attending a top prep school. She has all the potential, and at Gould we can support her with our coaching staff and the academy behind her.”

“Our goal is to get our kids to a level in their skiing that they can go to the college of their choice, and if talented enough, continue to pursue their sport to the elite level. Gould gives them that opportunity,” LaVallee said.

Opportunity is an oft-used word at the 168-year-old private Maine academy. Gould’s extensive campus for only 220 students includes a new $4 million science center. These kids have an elite educational experience, at a privileged price tag, to say the least. Sunday River Ski Resort serves as their practice hill, complemented by travel around the globe for glacier training and international competitions.

“We get to ski the world,” said Bowen who went to Chile with classmate Erin Forbes of Hanover for training last fall. “That is one of the best parts about Gould. And we are able to keep up with our schoolwork through our info server.”

Coach LaVallee described a 12-week ski trip to Megeve, France last year, during which students did schoolwork via linked laptops, and even calculated physics experiments on the overseas flight as part of a tailored curriculum. With a 1:6 teacher to student ratio, Gould can cater lesson plans to accommodate racers’ and freestyle competitors’ schedules.

“The academics at Gould are intense,” said Bowen. “I know I am making sacrifices, especially socially, in order to compete in skiing and keep up with my studies. Right now skiing is pretty much my social life, but it is my dream.”

Alexander Thompson is a Gould senior from Los Angeles, CA. As a skier on the Freeride team with aspirations to hit it big, Alex came across the country to attend Gould.

“My brother Chris and I were looking for a place with training time on snow, plus the traditional prep school atmosphere,” said Thompson. “Gould allows us to pursue our skiing six days a week and at the same time get a first-class education with interesting courses like AP Government and Politics.”

In the past year, Alex has been accepted to top New England colleges, has competed in Tignes, France, and is headed to Vail to ski in the US Open.

Coach LaVallee said, “At Gould, we recognize that the mind and the body must work together. Success in a competitive sport is not just physical or mental. We have developed a scientific approach to our training.”

According to LaVallee, while Gould has a long tradition of exceptional academics, the competitive ski program went through a renaissance ten years ago, when a partnership between Gould and Sunday River was formalized to create GSR with a training facility at the ski area’s Barker base, and the recruitment of top seed coaches.

Gould has since produced a short list of stellar skiers and riders. LaVallee proudly explains that among recent academy alumni, two were named to the US Ski Team and one to the Canadian National Team. Gould has also produced two National Snowboard Champions, a World Junior Freestyle Champion, a National Boardercross Champion, and a two-time Junior Downhill Champion who is now on the Gould/Sunday River coaching staff.

LaVallee said, “We are training in individualized sports. Our coaches stress that while only one athlete wins the podium, a lot is gained by participating and achieving personal goals. We also emphasize that they are developing a lifelong sport.”

The co-ed academy students are not all World-Cup bound, in fact only a select few will compete on an international level. Gould also offers non-competitive athletics including Ski Patrol training, plus recreational and adaptive ski and snowboard programs.

Rebecca Rowe of Tampa, Fla., came to Gould this year as a freshman having never been on skis. Her goal was to learn to ski, last week she competed in her first ski race and placed second. “I came to Gould for a different experience, being in a small school we are able to get so much personal attention,” said Rebecca Rowe.

Director of Admissions at Gould, John Kerney said, “At Gould, our students have the chance to see the world, to pursue both academics and athletics in order to find their passion, whether it is filmmaking, pottery, robotics, or competitive skiing.”

Of Gould’s 220 full time students, 32 are international, but 40% are from Maine, giving the private high school a diverse mix of cultures, goals and athletic talents. Young skiers are fortunate to have such an advanced facility here in Maine.

Events: As if I need to tell you, today is the Super Bowl, but kick off is not until 6:25pm. Today is a super un-crowded day to ski and still be home in plenty of time for the big game. Go skiing and go Pats!