Prime Time Ski Club News for Bethel Citizen 3/10/16
For further information contact:
Terri Messer at tmesser@aol.com or 207-671-0715
The skiing at Sunday River ski area continues to offer changing conditions every day and even throughout the day. Some of our Prime Time Ski Club members, especially those who just come for the day or even those who have places on the mountain, have stayed away because of the weather report. However, our club members who ski most days irregardless of conditions are sometimes pleasantly surprised like on a few days last week when warm weather moved in and the conditions became soft and fun to ski. The next few days after the thaw proved more challenging as the temperature got colder and the snow got scratchier. In that case a few members found a trail they liked and stayed there, skiing it over and over again. After last week’s five inches of heavy snow, topped with freezing rain, some members found the best skiing on the trails at South Ridge which had been groomed just before opening. Even some of the club’s better skiers had fun on the green terrain although they are probably not willing to admit it or want others to know. The day after the snow, many members reported one of the best skiing days of the season.
Despite the dismal weather reports, Sunday River continues to make snow and opened up about 15 additional trails this past week that had not previously been opened this season, including the Oz area. You never know what the ski conditions will be like. So much depends on Sunday River’s excellent snowmaking and grooming. No matter what the forecast, it’s probably best to give skiing a try if you live on the mountain and maybe even if you have to drive here. On one day when most of our club members stopped skiing at noon because of challenging conditions, there was an impromptu game of Mexican Train that afternoon. Socializing can sometimes take the place of skiing — just a different way of having fun.
Speaking of fun, the Maine Adaptive Sports and Recreation’s 31st Annual Ski-A-Thon, SNOWDEO! 2016, will be held on Saturday, March 19, with lots of fun activities planned for participants, team members, volunteers and all other skiers and riders on the mountain. A number of our members will be volunteering that day to assist with the major fundraiser for an organization that is the largest, free year-round adaptive recreation program in Maine, offering downhill and cross country skiing, snowboarding, alpine racing and snowshoeing in the winter as well as golf, cycling, paddling, fishing, hiking and tennis during the summer. Several of our club members are among the more than 400 volunteers who donate their time and expertise to provide some 3,800 lessons throughout the year. For more information on Maine Adaptive and ski-a-thon activities, check out the website at www.maineadaptive.org.
No matter what the conditions, it’s always best to ski with another person for both safety and fun. So why not join Prime Time Ski Club members for a fun, mid-week ski if you are 50 or older. Club members meet at 10 a.m. at North Peak Lodge, upper level to the right, just beyond the bar. Some members also meet at 8:30 a.m. or so in the Mahoosuc Room at South Ridge base lodge to boot up and get to the lifts as soon as they open at 9. Check out our website at www.primetimeskiclub.com and plan to join us for some fun runs or fun social events.
