Random

Up the Mountain

luluOctober 23, 2018October 23, 2018 13 Comments

Folks are often surprised to learn that right on Maine’s midcoast is a Snow Bowl where from December thru spring there is skiing on Ragged Mountain.

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA The runs aren’t real long, but neither are the lines so a diehard skier can get his fill in a day.

There’s no snow this time of year, but on October Sundays one can take the chairlifts up the mountain.

Except for the fact that it got colder and colder as we went up the mountain and our hands turned to ice, it was a glorious experience. Ordinarily, leaves have gone by but thanks to a warm, dry summer they are at their best late into October.

I could only marvel at the beauty as we went higher and higher.

At the top of the mountain, one can see forever.

What is astonishing is the view of Penobscot Bay and the many islands that dot it. How many places can you think of where it is possible to ski while looking out onto the water?

Ragged Mountain is not just for skiing. Throughout the year, people can enjoy hiking and biking trails.

It’s not just humans that enjoy being on the mountain! Here, there is ample opportunity for everyone to find something to enjoy.

i so appreciate your visit and the comments you leave behind

Ski Adventure, Winter

Making Fun Happen!

luluJanuary 3, 2015January 3, 2015 19 Comments

Have you had those times when even the best laid plans go awry? That sure summed up our annual after Christmas trip to Maine where with one daughter and her family we look forward to enjoying a taste of winter and snow and skiing.

The morning we were leaving, daughter wakes up sick, no doubt having picked up the bug that plagued her house during the holiday visit of her sister whose husband and three toddler boys each took a turn being ill. Daughter is left behind with chills and fever…..bummer…..as the rest of us head to Rockport where for the first time there is no snow for our winter visit. To make matters worse the Camden Snow Bowl wasn’t going to open on schedule resulting in “What, no snow! We can’t ski, what are we gonna do, Lulu?”

What’s a Lulu to do when confronted with such disappointed concern? Well, I whipped out my phone sitting right on the tarmac before takeoff and started calling places at Sugarloaf Mountain, about 2 1/2 hours from Rockport, where there was lots of snow and good skiing.

As you might guess, places to stay at the last minute were limited, but after several unsuccessful calls, one was recommended as a possibility. Luckily, it had two rooms for two nights later in the week and wasn’t too far from the mountain. Six of us crowded into small spaces reminiscent of summer camp cabins, but, hey, that was part of the adventure and fodder for shared memories!

Not wanting to miss all the fun, daughter felt better after a couple of days and flew up to join us for the Sugarloaf adventure.

Now, you may not know this but Sugarloaf is the largest ski resort east of the Rockies, and the kids were surprised to find that it was the real deal. They were delighted to have their choice of long runs with varying degrees of difficulty, quite different from the Camden Snow Bowl where skiing is relaxed and easy.

As for me, I didn’t ski but bonded with the daughter shopping for new hats that would keep our ears warm in the subzero temps! All in all the Sugarloaf adventure was great fun and proves that things can work out well at the last moment, even with some preliminary stress!

Here’s hoping that your holidays went well and that your New Year is off to a good start. I look forward to what we share in 2015.

i so appreciate your visit and the comments you leave behind

Maine

…and Snow it did!

luluDecember 29, 2012December 29, 2012 18 Comments

Now you wouldn’t think the midcoast of Maine would be a place for winter skiing, but 10 minutes from our house is the Camden Snow Bowl which this time of year is humming. A few inches of new snow and more to come makes it a very fun place to be.

Kids here learn to ski young, and they’ll go up and down the slopes until the parents or grandparents yell uncle! Don’t you wish you had that energy?

This ski area is not to be confused with fancy ski resorts. Most days, skiiers are taken up the mountain on a T-bar though when the snow is good and the crowds are really big, the chair lift does operate.

The lines for the ride up the mountain can be pretty long, but no one seems to mind. There’s probably as much time spent waiting as there is skiing as the runs here are pretty short. No problem, that just means more times to go up and down!