Prime Time Ski Club News for Bethel Citizen 1/19/17
By Terri Messer
For further information contact:
Terri Messer at tmesser@aol.com or 207-671-0715
Since we are well into the ski season at Sunday River, I figured it was time to start the Prime Time Ski Club column again — better late than never! New this year is a byline with the column. I have been writing the column for the past three years anonymously. However, club members and others have been curious about who was responsible for the column and some have even tracked me down through the clubs’s website where all past columns are posted along with my name and email address. I am pleased to have the opportunity to write this column as I am one of the many who would not be skiing if it were not for the camaraderie of the ski club and I want to share what our club has to offer with others.
The Prime Time Ski Club is for those 50 years or older and its main purpose is to make sure than “you never have to ski alone.” The club boasts a membership of more than 140 skiers and non-skiing spouses or partners who range in age from 50 to 80-plus and offers a variety of activities in addition to skiing, such as pot luck dinners and game nights. Anyone looking for someone to ski with should meet at North Peak Lodge around 10 a.m. week days except holidays. Club members have a new meeting place within Peak Lodge this year — the overflow seating area on the level below the bar, the same level as the lower entrance to the lodge. Introduce yourself to any PrimeTime Ski Club member and you’ll soon find yourself meeting a lot of new friends. After a brief time for announcements, the group usually breaks into small groups of from four to eight skiers, based primarily on skiing ability and terrain preference. Some members also meet at the Mahoosuc Room in the South Ridge Lodge around 8:30 a.m. to “boot-up” and be the first on the lifts at 9. The club’s previous meeting place next to the bar has been become The Mountain Room, a 20-seat bar with an appetizer menu, operated by Chef Harding Lee Smith, owner of The Rooms Restaurants in Portland.
The most important news this week is about Sunday River’s “Go50 Week,” January 23 – 27, which celebrates the young at heart with free activities, special ski and stay packages and $25 ski demos for those 50 and over. There’s a “Meet ’N Ski” with Prime Time members each day at 10 a.m. at Peak Lodge where you can not only find someone to ski with but also enjoy a guided tour of the mountain and maybe learn a little history about Sunday River from ski club members who ski as many as 100 days a season. The week kicks off Monday morning with a Cinnamon Bun Social at 10 at Peak Lodge and a Go50 Welcome Party at 4 p.m. at The Foggy Goggle. Tuesday there’s Game Night at 4 p.m. at the Barker Lodge Bar and Wednesday there is a Sock Hop with DJ at 5:30 p.m. at the Grand Summit Hotel Ballroom for $25 which includes buffet appetizers, salad and soup. (Reservations required: call 207-824-5388 by Jan. 23.) On Thursday there is a Go50 Send-Off Celebration at the new Bluebird Restaurant, located in the former Sunday River Inn building. Check out the Sunday River website under “Events” for more information.
In the meantime get to the mountain and enjoy some of the best skiing we’ve seen in a long time. No matter what your level of skiing or comfort zone, you will find a Prime Time Ski Club member to ski with. Check out our website at www.primetimeskiclub.com or just show up at Peak Lodge around 10 a.m. weekdays. We’d love to meet you and ski with you!
