Fog Over Snow in Maine

On a recent cross country ski outing in Maine I came across this picturesque scene just before sunset. The mist (or fog) was forming over the field I was about to ski over.

6th Annual Ski Marathon and Tour

The Maine Huts and Trails will conduct the 6th Annual Ski Marathon and Tour on Sunday, March 16, 2014. The race/tour will go through the hills of Western Maine and feature 3 distances - 60K, 40K, and 20K. Awards and prizes will be presented to the top three male and female participants for each of the three races. Food and refreshments will be provided over the course of the event and a free post-race lunch will be served at the Sugarloaf Outdoor Center, where each race concludes.

www.mainehuts.org/ski-marathon or call (207) 265-2400.

Carter's X-C Ski Center in Oxford, Maine

Read a story on Carter's X-C Ski Center located in Oxford, Maine. See "A delightful day on an Oxford trail", Maine Sunday Telegram, January 26, 2014. Carter's X-C Ski Center is located on Route 26 (on the left as you drive north). It has 40 kilometers of ski trails for the beginning and intermediate level. There are five trails for skiing and one for snowshoeing.

5th Annual Ski Marathon & Tour by Maine Huts & Trails (March 17, 2013)

Maine Huts and Trails’ 5th Annual Ski Marathon and Tour will be taking place on Sunday, March 17th. A point-to-point race/tour through the hills of Western Maine, the event will feature 3 different distances, a 60K, 40K and 20K, and are limited to 175 participants in total. Awards and prizes will be presented to the top three male and female participants for each of the three races. Food and refreshments will be provided over the course of the event and a free post-race lunch will be served at the Sugarloaf Outdoor Center, where each of the three races conclude.

The 60K begins at Grand Falls Hut, the 40K begins at the Flagstaff Hut trailhead and the 20K begins at the Gravel Pit on Long Falls Dam Road. All three races conclude at the Sugarloaf Outdoor Center. Race day check-in for participants not spending Saturday night at the huts will be held from 7:00 – 8:15 AM at the Sugarloaf Outdoor Center as well.

www.mainehuts.org/ski-marathon/

Pineland Farms in Maine Making Snow for Cross Country Skiers

Pineland Farms in New Gloucester, Maine is not waiting for mother nature to put snow on the ground for cross country skiers.  The Nordic ski area is making its own snow.  See "Making snow for cross country skiers", WLBZ Bangor, December 18, 2011.

Nordic Skiing in Maine - Info, Skiing Destinations, Ski Reports

With all the snow that we have had this year we are presented with a great opportunity for some outdoor exercise and winter fun.  Cross-country (Nordic) skiing is an inexpensive way to get outdoors and have some exercise.  There are many places in Maine to cross-country ski.  Farms across the state turn their hay fields, pastures, and adjacent woods into cross country ski areas.  Many of the state parks allow cross-country skiing. The state has numerous snowmobile trails that also tolerate cross-country skiers (don't get run over though, and assume the snowmobile has the right of way).  And, of course, there is your own back yard where you can plow through the snow and break your own trail over fields and through the woods.  Learn more about cross-country skiing in Maine at the link below:

http://www.travel-maine.info/nordic_skiing.htm

Nordic Ski Events for Maine

The Ski Maine Association lists Nordic ski events for Maine on its events page.  Find out more at the links below:

http://www.skimaine.com/events.php#nordic

http://www.travel-maine.info/nordic_skiing.htm

Listing of Maine Nordic Ski Areas

Are you interested in Nordic Skiing in Maine?  The Maine Officer of Tourism has a listing on their website of the Nordic Ski Areas found in Maine.  The listing currently has the names, addresses, phone numbers, and in most cases the webpages of these cross-country ski areas in Maine.  Click here to view the Maine Officer of Tourism's Nordic Ski Area listing.  Click here to learn more about cross-country skiing in Maine.

Cross Country Skiing and Snowshoeing in Maine

The Maine Office of Tourism has a webpage that provides information on cross-country skiing and snowshoeing in Maine.  Below in quotes is an excerpt of the page:

"On a crisp, sparkling winter day, one of the most magical ways to take in Maine’s landscape is to venture out on cross-country skis or snowshoes. There are nearly two dozen commercial cross-country touring centers that offer beautiful well-groomed trails totaling more than 700 kilometers for skiers and snowshoers alike. Tour through our pine-scented forests, feel the sun’s warmth reflecting off the snow and listen for the chickadees in the clean crisp air. Maine’s cross country ski centers and winter guide services offer gear and access to miles of trails, where you can discover the majesty of a snow-blanketed forest, the wonder of a bright-white expanse of meadow, and the awesome beauty of the crashing blue Atlantic surf. After an exhilarating day on the trail, retreat to one of our cozy inns, warm yourself by the fire, and rest up for another day on the trails."

Click here to visit the webpage.

Bethel, Maine: Snowshoeing and Nordic Skiing

Advertised as Maine's most beautiful mountain village, Bethel, Maine has a lot to offer during the winter months. Some of the prime outdoor winter activities in Bethel, Maine are snowshoeing and Nordic skiing. There are many organizations, resorts and cross-country ski areas where you are afforded the opportunity to get outdoors and have some exercise in the Bethel, Maine area. Mt. Abram Resort, Sunday River Inn & Cross Country Ski Center, Carter's XC Ski Centers & Ski Shop, Appalachian Mountain Club, Maine Handicapped Skiing, Black Mountain of Maine, and the Western Maine Mountain Clinic all offer opportunities for winter outdoor activities. Click here to learn more about snowshoeing and Nordic skiing in Maine.

Nordic Skiing at Pineland Farms, Maine

Nordic skiing is big in Maine and there are many locations to go for this outdoor sport.  One of the best found in Maine is located at Pineland Farms in New Gloucester, Maine.  Click here to learn more about the Pineland Recreational area.  Click here to visit Pineland Farms webpage on Nordic Skiing.

Cross-Country Skiing in Maine (Mar 3, 2008)

The snow continues to accumulate here in Maine. Two recent articles about cross-country skiing in Maine are listed here. One - "MAINE LINING: Camp to Camp cross-country skiing in Maine", Westborough News - WickedLocal.com, Feb 24, 2008 talks about the Applachian Mountain Club's series of camps along a cross-country trail. The second, by a Maine blogger - "XC Skiing in Maine: Still plenty of Snow", Hezzy's Sidewalk Talk, Mar 2, 2008 - provides a description of cross-country skiing at several Maine destinations. Click here for more information about nordic skiing in Maine.

Poplar Stream Falls Hut Opens in Carrabassett Valley, Maine to Cross-Country Skiers

The Irregular has posted a story (Feb 27, 2008) about the opening of the first portion of the Maine Huts and Trail system - "Poplar Stream Falls Hut opens". Maine Huts and Trails was founded by Mainers who wish to preserve beautiful areas of the wilderness for conservation and recreation. The trail system is expected, once complete years from now, to provide a recreational resource, protect recreational areas in Maine, and provide a stream of dollars for the state from vacationers and outdoor sportsmen.

Frye Mountain, Maine Ski Trek (Mar 8, 2008)

The Belfast Bay Watershed Coalition will lead a cross-country ski trip on Frye Mountain. Click here to read more about the Ski Trek on Frye Mountain.

Maine Outdoor Adventure Club Ski the Ellis River Trail

The exploits of the Maine Outdoor Adventure Club are highlighted in a blog by the "Ski Bum" in the MaineToday.com website in a posting - "Famous-Famous XC".

Camp to Camp Skiing in Maine

Read an account on cross country skiing in Maine near Moosehead Lake while traveling from rustic camp to rustic camp separated by 7-10 miles. Here is a description of an wonderful nordic experience presented by the Applachian Mountain Club (AMC) and the West Branch Pond Camps. Read "MAINE LINING: Campt to Camp cross-country skiing in Maine", WickedLocal.com, Feb 24, 2008. Click here for information on the AMC's Camp to Camp Skiing Packages.

Maine Huts and Trails Now Open

Cross country skiers have a new avenue for enjoyment with the opening of Maine Huts and Trails. Read the MaineToday.com posting by "Ski Bum" of February 22, 2008 entitled "Maine Huts and Trains open for business". The Mission Statement for Maine Huts & Trails is posted below:

Maine Huts and Trails was founded by Mainers who share a vision for preserving our state's naturally beautiful remote areas. To that end we will build and operate a 180-mile recreational corridor from the Mahoosucs to Moosehead. The corridor will include a network of huts, trails and waterway corridors. This unique resource will preserve some of Western Maine's best backcountry for the purposes of conservation and environmentally sensitive economic development, and ensure public access for generations to come.

Click here for more information on Nordic skiing in Maine.

Nordic Skiing Areas in Maine

The Travel-Maine.Info website has published a new page. It is the Maine Nordic Skiing web page and provides a listing of the areas in Maine that offer Nordic or cross-country skiing packages.

Nordic Skiing in Maine (Feb 4, 2008)

With the copious amounts of snow Nordic skiers in Maine are out there enjoying themselves. Read an update of cross-country skiing in Maine by a Maine blog. "Week of 2/4 Update", Maine Coast Nordic Blog, Feb 4, 2008.

Maine Musher's Bowl - Biathlon

A biathlon was held in Bridgton, Maine as part of the week-long Musher's Bowl Winter Carnival (Jan 18-27, 2008). The 3-kilometer children's race and 5-kilometer adult race was preceded by an instructional clinic. The clinic was taught by instructors from the Maine Winter Sports Center. The events took place at the Five Fields Farm Cross-Country Center. Read more about this event in the Sun Journal news article of January 21, 2008 entitled "Taking a shot at biathlon". Click here for info more on skiing in Maine.