Spring-like warm temperatures are on-going in the White Mountains and all across New Hampshire and Vermont .  While night time snow making is sustaining the ski slopes, the snow melting on valley trails is giving snow mobile participants a difficult time.  The lake ice continues to thaw, and authorities are warning everyone to be especially watchful for soft ice.

The warm days are making it possible to enjoy some winter bike rides on area roads, and snow shoeing is still viable in most places.  I have been taking long hikes through the Maine woods every day.  The bright sunshine we are experiencing is melting the snow base in the valleys, and area streams are running fast with clear cold water.

The weather service promises temperatures as high as 50 degrees tomorrow, following a snow shower or two over night.  I plan to paint some outside doors tomorrow afternoon, and expect  continued warm sunshine to dry my paint.

While spring seems just around the corner, mother nature still has time to provide a blast of cold air and heavy snow.  So, be prepared!  Call ahead before you drive up, or check your favorite mountain website for information!

Best regards,

Jim

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The 2012 Maine winter has provided mixed snow conditions, with enough real snow to cover most ski trails and pretty good skiing with the help of the man made stuff.  This week, we are experiencing bright weather with temperatures in the very high 30′s and mid 40′s across the White Mountains of New Hampshire and Maine.

Today was Valentine’s Day, and I took a walk through the Maine woods and up a local road where melting snow trickled down hillsides into a running stream. The  weather conditions were similar to the “February Thaws” I experienced during my youth.  As I learned during those winter days gone by, mother nature may provide another blast of cold air and heavy snow at any time.  So, I will keep my winter gear handy and in good order for a change to colder conditions.

Later this week, we are promised snow with a mix of rain and freezing rain.  Higher up the mountain, it will be real snow that falls along the trails, providing a special treat for the coming “President’s Day” holiday weekend skiers and snow mobile crowd.

Best regards,

Jim

This week, the weather continues on the warm side with sunshine and clear blue skies all across northern New England.  With warm days and cold nights, the ski mountains are offering spring-like snow conditions and still have the option of making snow during the cold nights.

I traveled down to the Maine lakes region this week and took lots of pictures of the Shawnee Peak ski mountain.  Shawnee is in one of the most spectacular settings I have seen for a ski mountain in the northeast.  A huge lake/pond lies right at the bottom of the mountain, and from the highway outside of Bridgton, Maine, the mountain appears to be growing out of the far side of the lake.

The Shawnee facilities are of high quality for this “smaller resort”.  The chair lifts are modern, there are no lift lines that I could see, the lodge facilities are of a high standard, and the parking seems adequate.  The road sign says that the ski mountain has been in business for 73 years, making Shawnee one of the oldest of the smaller resorts in Maine.   I suspect that Shawnee will be enjoyed by your entire family!

An all day adult pass is only $59, and there are lots of special programs and events available at Shawnee.  The ski clothing shop is well stocked and the staff at Shawnee seems very happy to provide information and great service to skiers.

I recommend this resort as a must see, and a must ski!  The spectacular views alone are worth the drive.  The neat little town of Bridgton, Maine is just up the road, and there are many places to stay!  There is a great pizza shop in downtown Bridgton staffed by smiling and very helpful people.  I enjoyed a pizza there for lunch, and highly recommend the service.  Ski Shawnee!  It is a real family treat!

Best regards!

Jim

It’s clear and cold across northern Maine today.  Sunday River had small crowds yesterday, due to the Super Bowl game.  The skiing was pretty good, with some icy spots on the upper trails.

I checked out Mt. Abram in Greenwood, Maine yesterday.  It is just up the road from Bethel, and this smaller ski mountain charges only $49 for all day adult tickets.  There were perhaps 100 cars in the parking area at 11:00 A.M.  The Mt. Abram temporary lodge is large and efficient.  It includes a great little ski clothing shop and a snack bar.

The lodge has rules about where you can go and where you can eat inside the lodge.  I’m not pleased with the rules.  If I buy a sandwhich, I like to sit where I feel comfortable.  The area your not supposed to eat in was mostly empty.  They have a tall picture of a guy in a suit with the rules sign attached.   I guess he must be someone in authority who wants everyone to acknowledge his presence.  It is an offensive sign, and they should take it down!

I used to have a janitor in a recreation building I managed who made rules to keep people out of certain areas.  He was a “clean freak”, and I had to explain to him that the building was for recreation and for people to enjoy.  I think he just didn’t like to clean it.  Maybe the Mt. Abrams guy in the suit is the janitor?

The Mt. Abram ticket sales shack is modern, and well managed.  I asked for a brochure, but was told they don’t have any, and that I should go on-line to get information.  I think that is a big mistake not to have literature at a ski mountain.  It only takes a few minutes and very little money to print out some 8.5 x 11 inch sheets with rates and current information.

There were small lift lines at Mt. Abram even though there were very few skiers on the mountain.  The snow looked ok, and they do have snow making equipment to supplement the regular stuff.  The mountain staff appeared to be good at their jobs.

I think Mt. Abram is a good value for families and seniors who don’t care to pay $80 for an adult ski pass, and then struggle through the crowds and parking lots at Sunday River.  The Mt. Abram lines are short and the equipment seems to be well cared for and efficient.  Give it a try!  But, be careful where you eat your sandwich!

Best regards,

Jim

Maine skiing is good today, with a groomed crunchy cover resembling spring snow.  The slopes are not crowded this weekend, and the parking lots have plenty of room.  Sunday River is a good place to ski this weekend, with limited lift lines and good snow.

I spent the morning at Black Mountain, a smaller ski mountain near Rumford, Maine which is in it’s 51st year of operation.  The 20 or so open trails were well groomed and I saw  no lift lines.  Only one parking area was filled with cars, and the comfortable lodge had many open tables.  I enjoyed a Black Mountain lodge lasagna lunch which was very good, and the lodge staff was very accomodating.

Black Mountain’s all day adult ski ticket costs only $25. The mountain is typically open Friday through Sunday with night skiing on Thursdays!  Black Mountain is about 2 miles outside of Rumford, and I would highly recommend it for families.  Black Mountain offers Nordic skiing and racing, downhill skiing, and even a tubing hill. They get you up and on the mountain with a triple chair, double chair, T-bar, and even a couple of rope tows with handles.

Try Black Mountain, I think you will like it a lot!   Call before you drive up, or check out your favorite mountain on the web!

Best regards,

Jim

It’s a good time to get out and to enjoy the recent snow and freezing drizzle which has covered most of the hiking and snow mobile trails with a frosty layer of wintry mix.  During the past couple of days, I have been out and about in New Hampshire, taking pictures of everything from the town of Littleton up through Jefferson and the notch over to Gorham.  The parking lots along the Presidential Range hiking trails had a few mid week cars in them, and the snow mobile crowd was visible in Gorham.  If you like to hike on snow shoes, the woods are beautiful in their winter cover, and there is a breeze this week which softly rustles the pines.

I’m in Maine today, and the local smaller ski resorts are my goal over the next few days.  Black Mountain is a smaller ski mountain in Rumford Maine, and I hope to take a lot of pictures for the new Western Maine site I will launch in the next few days.

Skiing should be mostly good this weekend with enough real snow to cover everything, and  a bit of snow making by the resorts.  Call ahead or check your favorite websites before you drive up!  Enjoy the winter wonderland of northern New England!

Best regards,

Jim

I just returned to my Maine camp from the village market, where I picked up a bag of bird seed for my bird feeder.  A wonderful Vermont friend introduced me to feeding the birds in winter, and it is a joy seeing them swooping in for a meal outside my living room window.

A brisk wind is blowing in the pines, and I look forward to another jaunt in the woods this afternoon.  I am staying fairly close to the house today, because I am expecting delivery of a  new 4G Droid RAZR phone with major internet and access point capabilities.  I am hoping that my traveling communications will become “cutting edge state of the art” with this product!

Enjoy your cold weather recreation this week, and expect more of that wonderful snow!

Best regards,

Jim

It’s sunny and crispy cold today in the western Maine mountains.  What a perfect day for skiing, or for hiking in the Maine woods.

I will be hiking in the woods this afternoon, feeling the crunch of the new snow under my boots, enjoying the wind as it rustles the tall pines, admiring the birch trees as their  white trunks blend into the snowy landscape, and feeling the winter sun on my face as I break trail.

It’s a great day for snow shoeing, and snow mobiling as well!  Skiers should have a good time at Sunday River today!  The parking lots are filling up.  Enjoy!

Best regards,

Jim

Sunday River has pretty good skiing on the upper slopes today, but it is a bit icy in places.  The weather is warm, with sunshine.  It feels like Spring skiiing!  The forcast is for more snow later in the week.  But, large storms are going elsewhere.  Enjoy the warm weather skiing, and the sunshine while you can.  Spring skiing may end soon, and winter may return.

We will be reporting on other New England resorts later this week!

Best regards,

Jim

Well, winter seems to be on in Maine, New Hampshire and Vermont.  However, I was walking around in my shirt sleeves this week in Massachusetts.  A recent snow had melted, the sun was out, and the temperatures were nearing 50!

Yesterday, I spent some time in Hampton Beach, New Hampshire, taking pictures of the closed and shuttered beach front community.  The casino and the big band stand across the street looked lonely as they sat shuttered,  waiting for the cold to go away and for the summer sun to bring in the tourists. A lonely guy on a tractor was patiently grooming the beach sand as the endless waves continued to splash upon the mostly empty beach.  I sat on the beach for awhile, remembering a wonderful sunny day once spent here with a special friend!

Maine is waiting for another few inches of snow tonight.  The ladies in the local market were suggesting from four to eight inches of new powder for Sunday River over night.  .Skiing should be good at Sunday River this weekend.   Call ahead or check the web for skiiing and driving conditions.

Best regards,

Jim