Mt Abram - Skiing (1/21/23)
I know this is a hiking blog, but sometimes I do other outdoor activities. Today I went skiing. Technically, I was supposed to go skiing with Dragonfly, but she had too much homework. Thus, it was just me. Dragonfly and I are planning to go skiing at Bretton Woods next month, and so I figured it was a good idea to get my skis back out, since I haven't been in several years.
Truthfully, I wasn't sure how it would go. Things like getting on and off a lift aren't exactly the same as riding a bicycle, and they don't necessarily come back as quickly. Even the process of going down the mountain took some re-learning. I wanted to start with beginner trails, but the area I was skiing in didn't allow for that. You know what, though? I am getting ahead of myself. Let's back up.
I drove up to Mt. Abram from Westbrook, and got there almost exactly when I wanted to, half an hour early. I was able to show my receipt for my online lift ticket purchase and get the actual lift ticket, which I attached to my jacket. I brought a mix of old and new gear with me, as I wasn't sure what conditions were going to be like. As it turned out, conditions were pretty warm, probably in the mid-20s, and partly cloudy. There wasn't much wind, either. I decided to go with lighter eTip gloves and without the face-mask balaclava. I am also apparently old school, as I was the only person I saw on the mountain who was still skiing in a hat instead of a helmet. I guess I should probably make that transition eventually, but first I have to find a helmet that I like.
Mt. Abram doesn't have a great ski lodge (it looks more like a big military tent), but it's serviceable, and you're not going to find great amenities for $35 ski tickets. They appeared to have some type of lockers, but it wasn't clear how you were supposed to access them, so I stuffed my important things (phone, wallet, keys) in my jacket pockets and left everything else on a window ledge inside the lodge.
The lift line formed before the resort even opened, but I was able to get onto my first lift fairly quickly. I made sure to activate my Ski Tracks app, which logs my ski information for the day and keeps a record for me. I also turned on my music on my bluetooth hat.
When I got to the top, they were putting tape across the right side saying that Frostbite Falls was closed. I listened and heard a Mt Abram employee explain to someone that the right side of the mountain wasn't closed, just that one trail was closed. Apparently Upper and Lower Easy Rider and the other trails on that side of the mountain were open. That made my decision easy. Instead of fighting the crowds on the left side of the mountain, I could have the right side of the mountain to myself, since most everyone else thought it was taped off.
It's a good thing I did, too. My first run was rough. My lack of recent practice showed, and I definitely wondered how long it was going to take to get my full ski legs back. Thankfully, by the end of the run, I was feeling pretty good.
My first run ended with the only short line of the day, and I was back on the lift before too long. I decided to stick with Easy Rider again, and definitely felt more comfortable this time. Of course, a new hurdle emerged. People were skinning up the mountain (meaning that they were walking up the mountain in their skis, with special attachments called skins to stop them from sliding backwards). Having to dodge them definitely made everything a bit more nerve-wracking. I'll bet they were getting a lot more exercise than me, though.
When I finished that run, the line at the lift was getting significant. I did manage to get my only solo lift ride of the day, which I appreciated. I would rather sit there and listen to music when going up a lift instead of talking to a stranger, but I did try to be polite when I had lift-mates. And truthfully, I was lucky to have nice lift-mates all day.
For my third run, I stuck on Easy Rider, but my secret was getting out, and there were starting to be other skiers on the right side of the mountain. I knew it couldn't last forever. I was feeling good by this point, though, and I had a good run. I was letting myself go a little more, and I was learning the terrain, so I knew where I could open up and where I had to avoid large snow drifts.
Unfortunately, when I finished my third run, the line had gotten to absurd proportions. The entire mountain was serviced by one two-seat chair lift, and that simply wasn't going to cut it on this day. They also had a T-bar lift, but for some reason they weren't running that one. It took probably fifteen minutes waiting in line just to get back to the lift, and people kept edging in and cutting in front of me, which I wasn't thrilled about. By the time I got to the lift, the six people in front of me had started out in line behind me.
At that point, I decided that my fourth run was going to be my last one. I wasn't going to stand in that line again. I wanted to try a different trail, Snake, this time. However, when I got there, there were two snowboarders going down it. I had been playing leapfrog with them already, and I didn't really want to continue, so I decided to just stick on Easy Rider one more time. I felt like this was my best run of the day, and I even stopped for a picture.
Once run number four was finished, I headed back to the lodge. According to Ski Tracks, my top speed of the day was 24 miles per hour, and my average speed was 13 miles per hour. An Olympic skier, I am not. I skied a total of 5.3 miles, which isn't too bad for less than two hours.
Mostly, I was glad to get back out there. I look forward to skiing with Dragonfly at Bretton Woods next month, where hopefully we'll be able to make a longer day of it. Always remember, you can't take flight until you spread your wings (and strap on your skis)!
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