Skiing at Sugarloaf 1/29/15

Two days after our first big snow storm on January 27^th, I took advantage of the ebbing weather patterns to parley myself an outstanding day of skiing.  When central Maine’s Carrabassett Valley strikes that rare combination of fresh snow, mild winds and bright sunshine, its time to ski the ‘Loaf.







Sugarloaf Maine is the BIGGEST U.S. SKI MOUNTAIN east of the Mississippi River (Killington is second).  Among eastern resorts it offers the third most continuously vertical drop, behind only Whiteface (NY) and Sugar Bush (VT), and it offers the only above-treeline skiing in the east that is actively serviced by lifts.

And it is seriously challenging; 43% of its trails are black diamonds or double diamonds.  Although it lacks Whiteface/Lake Placid’s Olympic pedigree, it is so big and challenging that in the early ‘70’s several World Cup championship events were canceled in Europe and held here. Among eastern ski mountains, Sugarloaf definitely kicks butt. 

My 4WD Pathfinder made short work of the many still-snow covered roads during the 2hr 15min journey from Freeport, and I arrived without drama in time to catch an early chair up the mountain.  For anyone harboring the misguided notion that Maine is a land of flat, featureless forests, guess again.

The ‘Loaf’s north facing slopes perfectly catch the light dry snow blown in by the nor’easters of the Canadian Maritimes.  This makes for good off-piste skiing and buttery smooth groomed surfaces perfect for carving.  Unfortunately it also means skiing in shadows while the morning sun is still rising, but the forgiving surface allowed me to attack trails like Tote Road, Cinder Hoe, Binder, and Hay Burner with gusto.

After thoroughly abusing the west-side trails during my morning runs, I took an early lunch at Bullwinkle’s mountain side grill before heading over to the east side of the mountain.  Here trails like Buckboard, Whiffle Tree, Spring Board, and Pole Line are warmed to perfection by the bright afternoon sun, and the friendly slopes make for relaxing skiing that was much appreciated by my hammered knees.  Also appreciated were trails mostly empty of other skiers, even on an epic day like this.

Sugarloaf is a mountain that dictates its own terms; it is notorious for high winds that shut down lifts, and fierce snow squalls that block out the sun and make skiing treacherous.  It’s often brutal weather can frustrate your best laid plans.  But – when the winds are light, the snow is fresh and the sun is shining brightly in bluebird skies, Sugarloaf beckons.  And when it beckons, you go.  
See Yah!!

The First Big Storm

As you can imagine, the recent nor’easter that clobbered the northeast and mid-atlantic states hit Maine particularly hard.  Here in Freeport we got at least 2 feet of snow, but many towns further north got more.  Fortunately, only a few areas in Maine reported power outages, and none for us here in town.

The howling blizzard made for an interesting show from inside our cozy home; it was kind of like being on the inside a snow globe!!

Just sitting inside like a spectator got the better of me, so I pulled on a parka, clicked into the bindings of my snowshoes and trekked into town.  The fierce winds of the storm kept most people indoors, so it was kind of eerie to see our normally busy little village of Freeport with empty streets, save for a few other hearty souls on snowshoes or cross country skis.

Nearly every business was closed, including the McDonalds.  Yep, that historic, stately looking building is our McDonalds. 

Still, there is that one merchant whose doors are never locked and whose lights never go out – L.L. Bean.  All 4 of Bean’s stores were open – I don’t think they had any customers, but they were open for business! 

Finally I reached the north end of town where a friendly place hove into view – the Broad Arrow Tavern.  The Broad Arrow Tavern is part of the very nice Harraseeket Inn, and the tavern was warm and inviting – 

and obviously I wasn’t the only one who thought so!!  Their fully stock bar featured only Maine’s finest beers on tap, and they had a very satisfying Gritty’s IPA with my name on it!

It was an all day effort to dig out on Wednesday.  Our oversized driveway is almost the size of a small parking lot and it collects a lot of snow, which certainly gives our front yard a different look, but we were none the worse for the wear.  At the rate we are going our yard will still be covered when Alex and Joel arrive for 4^th of July week! :-)  Thank God we live in South-coast where the snowfall is moderate; northern Maine gets much more snow than we do!  
See Yah!!

Pictures from Doug's Birthday!!

Your indulgences please for the late postings of these few pictures from my 60^th birthday party. This was a very special time for me – having been away for so much of the last two years, spending my 60^th with family and friends was certainly the best gift of all!!  Thank you everyone for coming, and making it so special!!

The Freeport House

During our nearly 3 years of adventure since my retirement in Feb-2012 I have often reflected on the many things in my life I have to be thankful for; family, friends, and unimaginable travel experiences in Europe, including a life in Italy for a year.  This past Thanksgiving seemed the appropriate time to share where this year’s travels landed us; Maine.

We lived in Portland for 6 months before we found and purchased a permanent home in the town of Freeport. After looking at an estimated 150 homes online, in drive-bys, and in showings, we chose our home in Freeport because it is at the end of a quiet street (surrounded by a woods on 3 sides), is walking distance to the middle of a small, fun town, and is a less than 20 minute drive to Portland. 

After removing the chimney on the left and replacing this original black roof with brown architectural shingles, we turned our attention inside. 

The kitchen had been updated a few years ago and included a new stove and micro, so no changes for now.  The previous owner had also expanded the kitchen into an open floor plan with the dining room, providing great views out of large casement windows at either end. 

Off the kitchen is the family room and like the kitchen/ dining room it provides open views of the woods at either end. 




The sliding glass doors out the back open onto a stone patio (this picture was taken with the previous owner's furniture still in the room.)

It was the bedroom where the bulk of our renovations took place.  The room on the left was a very small sitting room, the room on the right an even smaller 1^st floor bedroom. 

Taking down the wall the wall that separated them was the first step to building a master bedroom with bath and walk-in closet.

Once the demolition was complete, including the removal of an unnecessary closet and the chimney that was hidden in it, the room began to take shape.

The large “egress” windows allow a flood of natural light, and bring the wilderness outside our door practically into our bedroom.  

The new bedroom layout is amply sized yet left us enough room to build a walk in closet and full bath. 

Our renovations were completed in time for our first snowfall, which served only to affirm the warm and inviting choices we made.  This winter we will paint the two upstairs bedrooms and complete converting one of them into a reading & TV room, turning the 2^nd floor into a suite where our guests can sleep or just spend some quiet time.  With the onset of winter we look forward to Maine’s offering of snow sports, including cross country skiing, snowshoeing, and downhill skiing at Sugarloaf and Sunday River.  Stay tuned!  

  - Doug

Summer Guests

Now that September has drawn to a close we mark 8 months since Angie and I moved to Maine.  We took possession of our Portland apartment Feb-2, staying there through the end of July before buying and moving into our Freeport home in August (more on that at a future time).   It seems appropriate now to post about those who came and shared our summer with us.

Mike stayed with us at the end of May.  It gave him both a chance to be with us, and a break from work to explore the city of Portland on his own.  During his visit we caught the ferry to Peaks Island.  Peaks is one of the many inhabited islands that lie off the “South Coast”,  and 20 minutes out of Portland harbor we were pulling into a charming little island that is perfect for biking around.  Our exploring led us out onto the traditional rocky coast that surrounds the island.

Alex and Joel came to visit in June and brought with them warm inviting weather.  Maine’s summers are a joy of cool ambient temperatures augmented by brilliant sunshine beaming through bluebird skies – perfect boating weather.  This summer the Ray has plied the island dotted waters of Casco Bay from north to south.  

No visit in Portland is complete without a sampling of what its many restaurants have to offer.  Dinner at David’s is just one example of the many things that makes the city great.

Teresa and Beverly arrived in time to share Independence day with us, enjoying fireworks from the Promenade that overlooks Casco Bay off Portland’s East End.  

The next day we rode the ferry across the bay to Peaks Island.  We saddled up our bikes for a couple of laps around the island, and of course the girls added to the many Cairns (rock monuments) that line the rocky coastline of Peaks.

A tradition we started for all our guests is to serve them a home cooked meal of the best seafood Maine has to offer:  Lobstah – it’s what’s for suppah!!  

There is so much that is happening in our lives right now – traveling, hiking and boating this magnificent state; meeting and making new friends; renovating our new home.  Going forward I’ll try to do a better job of keeping you posted on events as they happen.

See Yah!

Return to Sunday River

On Feb-12 Tuesday morning I was up bright and early for the 1 hour 45 minute drive to the ski mountains of Sunday River, Maine.  It was to be my first (of many I hope!) ski excursion in Maine since our move here on Feb-2.

I had skied Sunday River 18 years ago, in 1996.  I was in my third year of skiing then, after having taken up the sport at the age of 38.  It was the year that, after a rash of yard sale quality equipment, personalized ski lessons, and many head first crashes, my skill set had improved to an advanced level; only a few weeks before I had ventured west for the first time and easily skied Steamboat Colorado.  As I stepped onto the slopes of Sunday River all those years ago, little did I realize that I would go on to ski all over the Rockies of Colorado, all over the Wasatch range of Utah, every mountain at Lake Tahoe, and both the Swiss and Italian Alps. 

As I drove the easy commute from Portland, I reflected on how my skiing has evolved over the years, as has my life.  Back then I was dedicated to expanding my IT career in the financial services industry, a brutal commitment of time and energy that took a heavy toll on me and my family. One of the things that helped me maintain my sanity was my pursuit of outdoor adventure whenever I could, whether skiing, boating, scuba diving, or hiking.  With the toils of corporate life now behind me, I have been free to pursue my commitment to adventure in ways I never could before, many examples of which are highlighted in detail in my blog                                                                                                                                                                                                    about our past year in Italy.

It was -10F below zero when I clicked into my ski bindings and caught the Chondola Express Quad up to North Peak, and I was happy to have brought my artic rated Spyder ski jacket, used only for just these conditions.  Thankfully, the bluebird skies were clear and the sun’s brilliant rays quickly softened Sunday River’s well groomed trails, and it’s calm airs warmed to a balmy +20F.

Sunday River has 8 distinct peaks, and I skipped around the mountains a good bit, enjoying Risky Business on Spruce Peak, Ecstasy (it’s next to Agony) on Barker Mountain, Airglow (one of my favorite black trails) on Aurora Peak, and venturing as far as Jordan Peak for Excalibur and Rouge Angel.  

It was great to see that after 18 years Sunday River has still remained true to its core values; good snow making and excellent trail grooming, and a broad variety of terrain to keep things interesting. 

My return to Sunday River could not have been better; yes, the brilliant sunshine figured largely into having such a good day, but the fun trails, diversity of terrain, and easy drive will draw me back.  Like, tomorrow.