Getting a taste of Maine Spring Skiing in January at Lost Valley
By Carl Natale
I really didn’t think I would get a chance to try out spring skiing in January, but that’s what I got when I visited Lost Valley this week. Temperatures were in the 40s when I got there on a Tuesday afternoon.
Showing up just after they open on at 2 p.m. during the week has advantages. Like very few people competing for attention at the ticket window and equipment rental. Gives the employees a chance to offer just a bit more personal service.
When picking up skis, the equipment guy had the time to ask me good questions about my skiing ability.
- How many times have I skied?
- How confident am I?
- Was I able to do more than snow plow when I skied?
In case you haven’t figured out, I’m a beginner. So I have no idea what I should be using. Trusting someone who has the time to understand that is key.
Plus it helps to ski at a time when the slopes aren’t full of people. That feels a bit safer to me and means less time waiting for a seat on the ski lift. But I got a bit more company when the school-age skiers arrived. There was the ski-team practice, after-school programs and kids looking to have fun. It was still comfortable. The lifts didn’t develop any lines worth noting.
Sharing the bottom of the mountain with more skiers did mean I had to be more watchful. Someone zipping down a slope and making a bee line for the lifts was a regular occurrence . So I was careful.
Night skiing on a warm day is a bit of a challenge itself. Sure you can skimp on layers in the afternoon. It doesn’t take much to build up heat. But when the sun starts going down, you can feel the temperature drop.
Although I wouldn’t describe the evening temps as frigid, I needed to zip my jacket back up, put on better gloves and switch to a wind-block hat. Just a few simple changes helped me stay comfortable.
All in all, it was a good trip. There was enough lighting to make me feel comfortable on all the trails I skied. The crowd didn’t intimidate me.
Lost Valley is easy to get to from the Lewiston/Auburn area, has a decent amount of snow and is reasonably priced. You don’t have to invest a lot of traveling to get a ski fix during the week.
About Lost Valley
- 15 Trails: 6 green; 4 blue; 5 black
- Vertical Drop: 240′
- Location: 200 Lost Valley Rd.; Auburn, ME, 04210
- Contact: (207) 784-1561; LostValleySki.com; Facebook Page
- Trailmap
- What Lost Valley lacks in elevation, it makes up for in programs for the whole family - including a weekly teen night. The snowmakers promise total coverage with snow.
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