Mother Nature continues to confuse the seasons, switching between spring and mid-winter ski conditions at Sunday River Ski Area along with other ski areas in the Northeast. After a couple of nice days the beginning of last week, a cold wind moved in for Wednesday and Thursday, leaving many lifts on wind-hold and creating fast, icy conditions. After comfortable, sunny days on Friday and Saturday, making the Maine Adaptive Ski-A-Thon participants (including some of our members) very happy, another cold wind blew in for Sunday, resulting in more lifts on wind-hold and forcing the annual Eat the Heat Chili Cookoff indoors at South Ridge base lodge. Sunday River groomers have done their usual excellent job of providing us with great conditions even though they can’t help to tame the wind. Some of the skiers who enjoyed the milder temperatures and sunny skies on Saturday woke up with frozen ski bindings on Sunday if they stored their skies outside or in an outside locker. Guess that can happen when the temperature drops 40 degrees overnight. (Note to self – bring skis inside during the spring skiing season.)
Despite the continuation of wintry ski conditions (most of the time), the ski season is coming to end for many of our Prime Time Ski Club members who traditionally leave their ski houses or rentals the end of March to pursue other activities or commitments. The end-of-the-season dinner is being held tonight at The Bethel Inn although some members will stay in the area longer as they stretch out the ski season, enjoying a few final game nights of Mexican Train and Sequence, partaking of mid-week specials at local restaurants and holding impromptu pot luck dinners as members empty refrigerators and freezers.
However, Prime Time Ski Club activities don’t end when the snow melts. A Bar Harbor trip for club members is planned for June 24 – 28 with biking, hiking, shopping, eating, drinking and lots of laughs. The club’s fall meeting weekend is scheduled for Sept. 11 – 13 with golf, biking, hiking, kayaking and a lobster bake. There are also many impromptu kayaking and biking day trips as well as lake and boating outings planned for the off-season. So if you are 50 years or older and looking for Sunday River friends to ski or socialize with, consider joining the Prime Time Ski Club. With the motto, “you’ll never ski alone,” the club boasts a membership of nearly 150 skiers and non-skiing spouses or partners, ranging in age from 50 to 80 plus. Anyone looking for someone to ski with on weekdays should show up at North Peak Lodge at 10 a.m. (upper level, right hand side past the bar). Members usually break into groups of four to eight skiers, based mostly on skiing ability and speed and terrain preference. With more year-round activities planned each year, now is still a good time to join. For membership information and a schedule of activities check out our web site at www.primetimeskiclub.com. We hope you will join us
