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Advertising Supplement to the Sun Journal, Lewiston, Maine, Sunday, December 5, 20102 WINTER IN MAINE

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By Donna Rousseau Feature Writer / Photographer

Skating: An activity for all ages

Skating is a fun and healthy pastime, especially for folks who live in states like Maine, where the winters are long and frozen lakes and ponds are idyllic for easy gliding or a fast game of pond hockey. Like riding a bike, skating is a learned ability of balance and control, but with the added challenge of maintaining that balance on ice.

Gary Rousseau, who has been teaching children and adults to skate through Rousseau’s Hockey Clinic for 25 years, has personally taught his own three children and his wife how to skate.

“I remember when my oldest son participated in the Learn-to-Skate program at what is now the Colisee. I was asked to help on the ice and the first thing I did was take my group to the far end of the rink and practice falling down and getting up. From there, I used familiar games, like freeze tag, to help the kids get comfortable

moving on their skates. When kids are having fun, they forget to worry about what happens if they fall down. It’s a little different teaching adults. Once my wife realized her equipment would protect her when she fell, she was more confident to try different skating drills designed to help her develop as a skater.”

Proper skating equipment can make or break a first time skater. Ill-fitting skates will not provide proper support and can leave feet feeling tired or sore and the new skater discouraged early on. Falls on hard ice without protection are not fun for a child or an adult. “Think use and fit,” says Rousseau, “when purchasing skates and protective gear. Younger children should have enough gear to protect them in the event of a fall. Helmets can be anything from a biking helmet for small children to helmets with full face mask that protect the chin. Knee pads, elbow pads and gloves with an under layer for warmth provide another level of protection.”

Skate fit is also important for comfort. The days of two pairs of socks inside the skates are gone. If a skate fits properly, socks for warmth or snugger fit are not necessary. Top-of-the-line skates now have a heat molding feature whereby the boot is heated then molded to the skater ’s feet, providing a customized fit that improves comfort and performance.

Though Rousseau’s teaching approach is specific to hockey, he explained good technique is key for all skaters. “It’s important for skaters, especially those who want to develop skills for competition, to have a solid skating foundation.”

B asic e lem ent s of sk at ing, whether for recreation, f igure skating, or hockey are the same: posture, stance, and weight distribution. “Stopping, starting, use of edges, and the motion of pushing side to side are all the same,” explained Rousseau. “It is a common misconception that a skater has difficulty due to weak ankles. Today’s skates are

designed specifically for good ankle support. If a person is having trouble maintaining balance and control on skates, I first consider the posture, whether the skater is in an athletic stance. Balance starts with proper posture, keeping the knees bent with the skater’s center of gravity over their feet.”

Nicole and Keith Desjardins have recently introduced their three-year-old daughter, Avaya, to public skating. Her equipment includes a bike helmet and knee pads, Bauer Little Angel skates, and CCM hockey gloves.

“We started with modified hockey attire,” said Nicole. “We wanted to see if she would like skating first.”

“I need to wear gloves under my hockey gloves because they aren’t warm enough,” explained Avaya, “and I have a stick!” She said she wants to play hockey someday and watches the games on television with her dad. When asked about her favorite team, Avaya didn’t miss a beat. “Go HABS, go!”

Three-year-old Avaya Desjardins wears a bike helmet, knee pads, Bauer Little Angel skates, and CCM hockey gloves.

Skatingpage 6 ‰

In Maine, it’s said, we’ve got two seasons: “Winter, and a month of bad sledding.” If people with a passion for snow sports had their way, that’s the way life in Maine would be. According to Bob Myers, executive director of the Maine Snowmobile Association, snowmobiling in Maine “is a 350-million dollar per year industry.” With 14,000 miles of scenic, maintained trails, Maine has become “the premier destination in the eastern United States.” Although this trail system is open and available for year-round use, the difficult and costly task of maintaining all these miles of trails falls primarily to members of the 291 Maine snowmobile clubs who volunteer their labor, time, and resources.

With 159 members, the Hillside Family Riders Snowmobile Club in Lewiston was the 10th largest club in the state of Maine during the 2009-2010 season. Lewiston alone has more than 40 miles of maintained trails and is home to the southern terminus of ITS 87, a “Corridor Trail” and a major part of the Interconnected Trail System that connects New Hampshire to Canada, via Maine.

Eric Spears, president of Hillside

Family Riders, along with his team of volunteers, is responsible for maintaining the Lewiston trails, which connect the towns of Lisbon, Sabattus, and Greene. Local businesses benefit from these well-maintained trails as riders stop for gasoline, food, and other items as they travel through town. Hillside Family Riders offers memberships to businesses and signage is erected along trails directing riders to services.

Brothers Tim and Greg Morin, owners of Shaker Hill Outdoors in Poland and experts in snowmobile maintenance, understand the importance of the relationship b e t w e e n b u s i n e s s e s a n d snowmobile clubs. Both are active members of the Poland Sno Travelers and spend many hours getting the trails in Poland ready for riders. Shaker Hill Outdoors has a large parking area and the Morin brothers welcome riders who would like to “park and ride” from their lot.

L ike Lew is to n , Po lan d h as approximately 40 miles of trail to maintain. According to John Young, the Poland Sno Travelers are “working with other agencies to develop a multi-use trail system that would also be used for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing in the winter, and mountain

biking, hiking, running, and horseback riding in the summer,” when the sledding is not so good.

With their considerable arsenal of tools and grooming equipment, most of which has been donated or is owned and maintained by members of the clubs, the clubs in both Poland and Lewiston have a lot to offer. Visitors to the area and non-snowmobilers who wish to use the trails for other purposes are also welcome and encouraged to join these clubs.

Young, Spears, and the Morin brothers agree that the biggest benefit to joining a club is that the dues paid by its members help to make the trails wider, smoother, and safer for everyone, including non-snowmobilers. Given that the physical labor is done by club members who volunteer their time, without club membership the trails simply could not be

maintained. In addition to providing expertly maintained and clearly posted trails, most clubs offer frequent group rides, trailside cookouts, and other gatherings. Some clubs have newsletters and many have websites listing current trail and weather conditions.

Membership in the MSA is also important as the MSA, according to Myers, “represents the interests of the clubs before the legislature and other State agencies.” Myers further explained that “as 95% of the trails in Maine are on private land, the MSA also provides assistance and representation with respect to landowner relations.” A portion of dues paid to each individual club gets shared with the MSA.

Owners are required to register snowmobiles and some towns, including Poland, give a portion of those fees back to the local

snowmobile club. In addition, according to Scot t Ramsey and the Maine Department of Conservation website, any club that is incorporated and in good standing is eligible to receive a

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By Deb ConwayFeature Writer

Maintaining Maine’s trails for snowmobiles and year-round use

Members of the Poland Sno Travelers repair a bridge.

Alan and Holly Young get ready for a ride.

The Moreau family rides the trails - Larry, Sandy, Nick and Katie.

Maine trailspage 8 ‰

GREENWOOD – Mt. Abram Ski Resort will be launching a non-academy race program this winter that will feature one of the elite United States ski racers of all-time, Julie Parisien, and her former coach, Tim LaVallee.

Le Club de Sport LaVallee/Parisien will be geared toward promoting high school and middle school ski racing and to helping those athletes reach their full potential and growth in alpine racing.

“It’s a wonderful synergy,” Parisien, who recently moved back to Maine from Michigan, said. “The program is something I am really excited about and totally 100 percent on board.”

Parisien, a three-time Olympian and World Cup racer, will be joined by coach LaVallee, working to create a great race development program. Both have competed and coached at the highest elite levels in the world and will be bringing their knowledge and skills to the youngsters interested in developing their abilities.

Mt. Abram program director, Mark Thibodeau, and LaVallee have spent two winters developing the program and, with the addition of Parisien to the staff, are ready to help young skiers expand their racing opportunities and experience.

“We will supplement and support the athlete’s home program, high school/middle school coaches, and training needs,” Thibodeau said. “We will do this by providing world class coaching, a 40 -day training program that includes training over Christmas break, low racer to coach ratio, extensive video analysis and logical progression of skills development through a

blending of directed, free ski drills, gate drills and full-length courses.”

Parisien skied on the World Cup Alpine circuit winning titles in giant slalom at Waterville Valley, New Hampshire in 1991; in slalom at Sundsvall, Sweden in 1992; and in slalom at Park City, Utah in 1992. She had one other World Cup podium finish and 15 top 10s in her career. At the 1993 World Championships, Parisien won silver in the slalom. She narrowly missed an Olympic medal, placing fourth in slalom and fifth in giant slalom at Albertville in 1992. After her retirement from the World Cup circuit, Parisien skied for 10 years on the women’s pro ski tour.

“Joining with coach LaVallee and Mark, we will be able to offer a program from three different perspectives,” Parisien said. “I have been an elite athlete, coach LaVallee has skied and coached at an elite level, and Mark has the community coaching experience.”

LaVallee is a former four-year standout and two-year captain of the Plymouth State University ski team and has enjoyed a distinguished coaching career in ski racing. He has been successful at the high school level in Bethel and at Oxford Hills High School; the college level at the University of Colorado and Bates College; the prep school level at Gould Academy; and the national level with the United States Ski Team from 1983-87.

“Having the opportunity to be a part of this program is truly exciting,” LaVallee said. “We are not looking to take kids away from their high school programs, but to supplement what they do, only from a different perspective.”

“It was a natural fit for everybody,” Thibodeau added. “We are going to be able to give kids an exciting program,

something they deserve.”

Joining Le Club de Sport will be coaching staff, Tim Hutchinson, Joey Chretien, and former Mt. Abram athlete and University of Maine at Farmington ski racer Courtney Poston.

“In addition to our top level coaching staff, Mt. Abram has one of the best training facilities in the country and a management that is fully supportive of racing on its slopes,” Thibodeau said. “Superb snow-making capacity with the addition of 60 new HKD tower guns to our snowmaking fleet, 28 dedicated for the race hill, outstanding training and racing terrain, and a lighted

training and race hill make Mt. Abram the ideal place for development of young ski talent.”

“We, also, have a great nucleus of young talent returning and they are anxious to show off their skills and prove themselves on the race hill this winter,” LaVallee said. “Mt. Abram is a safe place for kids to learn to ski and enjoy the sport.”

The Mt. Abram Le Club de Sport LaVallee/Parisien will begin the first day of training on December 4. For more details on how to join, Le Club de Sport LaVallee/Parisien go to www.skiabram.com

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Every year about this time we drag out our ski equipment and ask the big question: Does anything need replacing? In my full-time patrol days the answer was easy. More than 120 days on the mountain, no matter what the conditions and any skis would be tired, if not completely gone. Of course, if you ski 12 days a year then you could get 10 years out of a pair. But it would also mean you were skiing on 10-year-old technology and the way ski equipment has improved over the past decade, you would really be missing out on performance. In fact, if your skis are five years old, there is room for improvement.

The good news is that the same technology that makes today’s top-end skis perform better than their ancestors, has trickled down to moderately-priced models and there are some at the low-end that are solid performers. The new shapes of skis are well-known, a wider tip and tail with more side-cut make skis easier to turn. The carved turn, once exclusive to racers and advanced skiers, is now achievable by intermediates.

Even more important, new materials and construction techniques have given the new skis stability and strong edge hold in shorter lengths. This is best demonstrated by comparing race skis. Those of us with more than 30 years of skiing, especially at advanced levels, skied GS skis in lengths of 200-210 cms, and slalom skis, 195-205 cms. Today’s World Cup skiers race GS on 185’s and SL on 165’s. Obviously, these shorter skis make the sport easier to learn, and if you’re looking at those old, long skis in the garage, think how much easier it will be to turn a new, shorter pair.

Before you get the idea that all this new technology is expensive, let’s check some actual prices. It is true that at the top end, today’s skis are pricey, but packaging has increased the value. Consolidation in the industry has brought ski and binding companies together with the result that most skis are now sold as

By Dave McLaughlin Feature Writer / Photographer

Le Club de Sport LaVallee/Parisien

Julie Parisien and Tim LaVallee

Time for new equipment?

Equipmentpage 7 ‰

By Christina LeBlanc Feature Writer / Photographer

SnowboardingIt’s almost winter, which means skiers and snowboarders are anxious to hit the slopes.

There are different methods of prep for skiing and boarding, and different risks to take into account for each. Snowboarding tends to be more extreme than skiing and, as with any extreme sport, snowboarding has its share of safety concerns, especially for beginners. According to ABC-of-Snowboarding.com, “nearly 25% of injuries occur during a snowboarder’s first experience and almost one-half occur during the first season of snowboarding.” An easy way to prevent injuries is by utilizing the proper safety equipment.

A helmet “is the number one thing” for snowboarders, according to Jeremy Petrocelli of Backwoods Snowboards & Skateboards in Auburn, since a head injury is the average boarder’s biggest safety concern.

“A lot of people just associate ‛head injury’ with a bad fall,” said Petrocelli, but there are other ways to get hurt. For example, “if you’re riding on the edge of a trail, you can get hit by branches.” In that instance, a helmet and goggles come in very handy to protect the head and face. Goggles also protect the eyes from wind and cold, which Petrocelli said makes for “a much better experience.”

According to ABC-of-Snowboarding, “Wrist injuries are by far the most common [of]

snowboarding injuries... slipping backwards and falling on your hands is a common occurrence,” especially when snowboarders are just starting out and haven’t perfected their stance yet. Consequently, “Wrist guards are also pretty common,” said Petrocelli. “There are gloves with built-in wrist guards, but most individual wrist guards are pretty low-profile, so they fit under most hand wear. That’s what most people prefer to do, so you’re not limited to that one pair of gloves.”

As snowboarding has increased in popularity, its safety gear has gotten more comfortable and customizable. “I think you’re seeing more and more people wearing this stuff [now] because of how much better it’s gotten,” Petrocelli said. “It’s lighter weight, more comfortable, warmer... helmets used to be heavy, uncomfortable and [kept one’s head] colder than hats. Now it’s the opposite.”

When it comes to different equipment for men and women, “It’s not just different colors,” said Petrocelli. “The sizing’s different, too... it tends to be smaller, more lightweight, a little more low-profile for females.”

The equipment tends to be structured toward the general body types of each group; there is also equipment styled and structured for youths. Everything from head size to maneuverability is taken into account when customizing equipment for boarders of different sexes and ages.

With the improvements in safety gear and

apparel and the customized styles and fits for men, women, and youths, it is easier than ever to stay warm, comfortable, and safe when snowboarding this winter. Safety and style have merged, and just-right gear for veteran and beginner boarders alike is a must-have as this year’s snow season gets underway.

For more information about common snowboarding injuries and simple prevention, visit http://www.abc-of-snowboarding.com/snowboardinginjuries.asp.

A helmet is the number one piece of safety equipment for snowboarders, according to Jeremy Petrocelli of Backwoods Snowboards & Skateboards in Auburn.

vocabulary and can stimulate a child’s imagination. During the winter break, encourage kids to read a book or the daily newspaper for pleasure, assuring them there won’t be any quizzes or tests after each chapter. Get the ball rolling with a few books given as presents during Christmas or Chanukah. Or take a trip to the

local library and let kids choose their own books.

• Soak up some snow. Parents who work from home can liven up the day during winter break by heading outside with the kids to build a snowman or have a snowball fight. Moms and Dads will enjoy the break from work while kids get some fun in the snow.

Before Avaya went to her first public skate, Nicole, a physical therapist by profession, had Keith tape up Avaya’s blades so she could practice walking around the house in her skates. “I placed toys on the floor and had her walk around them in a figure eight pattern. I asked her to try going slowly then faster. She did really well and I told Keith I thought she

was ready.”

“She started skating two weeks ago,” said Keith. “And she’s only fallen twice. I couldn’t believe how well she did.”

Avaya smiled and said, “I was chasing daddy with the bucket!”

“And running into me on purpose I think,” laughed Keith.

The Desjardins plan to continue attending public skating and

registering Avaya for a local “Learn-to-Skate” program later this winter.

Both Lewiston and Auburn offer Learn-to-Skate programs. Auburn Parks and Recreation’s program runs out of the Ingersoll Arena and is a 10-week program designed for ages four to adult and taught by a team of volunteer “seasoned” skaters and certified instructors from a variety of skating facilities throughout the state of Maine. Beginners skate on Fridays at 4 p.m. and more advanced learners skate at 5:30 p.m. The program introduces skating basics including edging, stopping, and balance. The advanced program builds on the basic skills and incorporates more figure skating techniques including low level spins and jumps. Skaters may wear figure or hockey skates for these programs.

The Lewiston Auburn Youth Hockey League, based out of the Colisee in Lewiston, also offers a basic skating skills program, referred to as Instructional Atoms. The program is intended for young skaters who eventually want to play hockey. According to Michael Dozois, Atoms director for LAYHL, the program requires skaters to be in full hockey gear and is modeled after the USA Hockey’s American Development Model.

For more information on Learn-to-Skate programs and registration in Lewiston-Auburn, contact Auburn Parks and Recreation at 207-784-0191 or e-mail Michael Dozois at [email protected] skating!

Editor’s note: Gary Rousseau is the husband of feature writer Donna Rousseau.


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Skatingfrom page 2

Keep kids occupied during winter breakWinter break can be the perfect respite for school-aged children. Although not quite half way through the school year, the timing of winter break does come when kids might be preoccupied with the holiday season and all that comes with it.

Kids may be distracted about parties and presents, but parents maybe preoccupied with finding ways to keep their kids occupied during winter break — a typically two-week hiatus from school that begins shortly before Christmas and ends with kids’ return to school shortly after New Year’s Day. Parents facing the dilemma of finding something for kids to do during winter break should consider the following tips.

• Take a vacation. Vacation is the easy way out. Winter break might mark the only time until summer that parents can spend quality

time with their kids completely away from the distractions of everyday life. Vacation can mean a trip to warmer climates or simply packing up the car to go spend time with the grandparents. If there’s any vacation time to spare, consider hitting the road.

• Teach kids some practical lessons. Kids likely won’t miss the classroom during winter break, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t enjoyable ways for kids to learn while they’re away from school. Teach kids practical lessons, like how to cook a favorite meal or how to fix things around the house. This gives parents a chance to spend some quality time with their kids while encouraging kids to learn beyond the classroom. And who knows, such lessons at home may uncover a child’s hidden talent.

• Encourage kids to read for pleasure. Reading improves

packages with bindings designed to enhance the performance of the skis.

My favorite skis are still race skis and one of the favorites is the Volkl GS with Speedwalls. $999 may sound high, but that includes the Marker rMotion 12.0 D binding which retails for over $200. That’s about mid range for top race skis, but with the new skis, most skiers don’t need race skis.

Here are some very good skis at some surprisingly affordable prices, skis that I skied last winter and found to have a lot of performance for the money.

The Nomad series from Atomic starts with the low intermediate Smoke at $399 with binding. Step up to the Smoke Ti and get more performance for $599. Elan’s Waveflex come in at $550 and Fischer’s Motive series has prices as low as $500. For those looking for a moderately priced ski with race ski performance try Atomic’s Doubledeck. The V73 has the kind of stability and edge hold I expect from a GS model, $699 with binding.

These are only a few examples, but you get the idea. The top 15 ski companies have something like 300 models total so there is a ski out there to fit your style and your budget. The early season will have plenty of demo opportunities so get out there and give some of these new skis a try.

The other key (and most critical) piece of equipment is the ski boot. There are several things to consider in order to determine if new boots are needed. Some are obvious: broken buckles, cracks in the plastic, and extremely worn heel and toe inserts. Less obvious from the outside, but equally important, is a packed out liner which affects fit. All liners pack out as boots are used and the result is a looser fit. It is possible to solve some of these problems with a boot fitting session.

Many boots, for example, have replaceable heel and toe inserts. These parts of the boot provide the boot binding inter face critical to proper functioning of the binding both in retention and release. Packed out liners can sometimes be fixed with inserts such as the Custom Airfit System or padding around the ankle. Broken buckles can also be replaced on some models, but if the plastic shell is broken down it’s time for new boots. The boot fitter at your ski shop can help you with this.

If the boots are so far gone that new is the only solution, take

heart. There are a lot of very good boots at moderate and even low prices. Part of the reason is the new shorter skis. It doesn’t take as much boot to control the new skis and that means you can drop down a model or two without sacrificing performance. The key is flex. Stiffer race boots can run from $600 to $900. But even today’s race skis don’t require the stiff boots we used to push around 200 to 210 cm models. Race boots range in flex from 120 up to 150.

A good example is Tecnica. Their stiffest race model, the Inferno R 150, goes for $899. Drop down

to the Inferno 110 and save $200. The Inferno Heat in a 100 flex is $499 and few of us need anything stiffer than that. One boot line with excellent values is Dalbello. The Venom 80, a four buckle overlap with most of the expected features is just $349. As with skis, the technology has trickled down and there are very good boots available for under $400, and even under $300. And that softer boot is more

comfortable and easier to get on and off.

The key in any boot is f it. A good boot fitter is critical when purchasing any boot. If you know the folks in your ski shop and they know how you ski, you can get top performance and stay within your budget. And ski equipment has never offered more for the money.

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Equipmentfrom page 5


R.S. Osgood & SonsRt. 2, East Dixfield

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113 River Road, Livermore, Maine 04253897-4200 or 1-800-515-0221 www.donsstoveshop.com

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GIVEtheGIFTofWINTER FUN!2010-2011WINTERACTIVITIES PASS

DISCOUNTS TO MAINE’S ALPINE SKI AREAS, SKI & BOARDSHOPS, TUBING PARKS, SHIPYARD & SEADOG RESTAURANTS

and MUG CLUBS and to NORDIC CENTERS.

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fordetailsandtopurchase,visit��

small grant “to help defray some of the expenses incurred in snowmobile trail preparation, including pre-season work and winter grooming.” The current trend is to create a trail system that is, as Young described above, “multi-use.”

According to Meyers, “One of the things that is so great is that with 14,000 miles of trails there is endless opportunity and diversity.” From “riding the coast or through the mountains, to the agricultural land in Aroostook, the experience is really varied.” Although Young enjoys what he calls “the loop around town,” which takes you from the State Park at Lower Range Pond to the high school, across Tripp Lake and up toward Megquire Hill, then over Black Cat Mountain, down to Middle Range Pond, over Shaker Hill and back to the State Park, a 1.5 hour trip that covers about 25 miles of “over the hill and through the woods” terrain, he admitted that his favorite thing to do is drive the Poland club’s Tucker Snowcat Groomer at 5 mph.

For a complete list of Maine clubs, visit the MSA website: www.mesnow.com. The websites for the Lewiston and Poland clubs are: www.hillsidefamilyriders.com; and, www.polandsnowtravelers.com.

Maine Trailsfrom page 3

New in Maine skiingSmall ski areas spend thousands

o f d o l l a r s p e r f o r m i n g n o r m a l maintenance on lifts, groomers, and other equipment and brushing out trails. Big resorts can spend a million dollars, and that’s not counting adding lif ts and increasing snowmaking capacity. A lot of it we never see, but we can feel the results under our skis. This has been a busy summer around Maine’s ski areas and here are some of the highlights.

The only new lift this year is at Shawnee Peak. The top to bottom triple on the face of the mountain has been replaced with another triple,

one with bigger chairs for a more comfortable ride. The ride will also be faster with a first-in-Maine that makes it possible to run 25% faster than the old lift. Loading the lift will be made almost foolproof on the new Emmegi Conveyor. When the gate opens, skiers will slide onto the moving conveyor belt which will automatically load them onto the faster moving chair. These are quite common in Europe but rare here in the states. The device is expected to decrease the times when the chair is stopped or slowed by 50%, reducing time to the top and standing in line. Another important improvement is

the addition of snowmaking to Sunset Boulevard, the intermediate run from the top that opened last year.

The lift being replaced won’t be retired. In a couple of years it will be installed at Camden Snowbowl as par t of a $6.5 million dollar Ragged Mountain Recreation Area Redevelopment. This town-owned ski area is working on fund raising and refining designs for improvements which will include a new base lodge. This year, look for a new terrain park glade and new regular glades, beefed up alpine racing programs under new director Chris Christie, and a new racing venue on a steeper hill.

Lost Valley has cleared a lot of trees, widening areas at the top for improved snow making, clearing on Bull Moose, and spruced up the base lodge with new carpet and renovated restrooms.

The big news out of Mt. Abram is 55 HKD tower guns to increase production and efficiency by 66%. This will mean more skiing earlier in the season and

faster recovery following bad weather events. The area’s boundar y-to-boundary policy is being enhanced with more trimming and clearing in the wooded sections of the mountain. A new and improved terrain park will be in a new location and, in the lounge, the new Mt. Abram Ale from Gritty’s will be introduced.

After several years of nonstop upgrades, Saddleback is working on a series of on-mountain improvements that involve more labor than capital. The landing areas will be improved at the top of both the upper and lower quad chairs to give exiting skiers more space, especially important as many skiers stop to take pictures in both areas. More chutes are being cleared in Casablanca Glade. At the base, 12 new condo units are under construction in the South Branch II area, all ski in, ski out with great views of Saddleback Lake.

Sugarloaf ’s total terrain takes a huge leap with the expansion of glade skiing to Burnt Mountain. This year,

270 additional acres will be open, part of an eventual expansion of 655 acres. Skiers have been looking east to Burnt Mountain for years wondering when they would get a chance to ski it. During those same years, a number of local skiers have been poaching in those trees. Access will be off the top of King Pine Quad, with no new lifts planned at present. The expansion is the first phase of a comprehensive 10-year vision which will include many capital improvements, snow making, lifts, lodging, and more.

$3.5 million is the number at Sunday River with snow making improvements and upgrades on lifts the biggest on-mountain investment. More is being spent on lodging upgrades with new Boyne bed mattresses at Snowcap Inn and improvements at the Jordan Grand Hotel. Skiers looking to sun themselves on the deck at the Peak Lodge will find a new, heated concrete patio for added comfort while viewing adjacent peaks.

Winter in Maine 2010

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Transcript of Winter in Maine 2010