Mission accomplished!

(Kyle and me this Feb. at Quoggy Jo in Presque Isle- 215' vertical and our seventh Maine mtn. this season.)

Beneath sunny skies, Kyle and I celebrated his birthday on Saturday by completing our Ski Maine Peak to Peak Challenge with a day of spring skiing, first at Black Mountain in Rumford and then ending the day at Mt. Abram in Rumford. I wrote earlier this month about our quest to ski every mountain Maine (17 in total from Fort Kent to South Berwick) but even then with only two to go, I wasn't completely convinced we'd do it, especially after we missed a weekend to go to Virgina following the death of my grandfather. But, WE DID IT!!!

As silly as it sounds, I am really proud of Kyle and me for committing to this and carrying it out. We didn't win a gold medal or bring about world peace, but in small ways, this was a big accomplishment for us. Not only did it get us in great shape (despite what my scale is saying) but it helped deepen our appreciation for Maine's ski scene and for each other. I'm so lucky to have a spouse who shares my love of skiing, and for ridiculous road trips. What fun we had together touring and turning across the state!

Later this week, we'll submit our sheet that has signatures from each of the mountains we skied at, in hopes of winning a Ski Maine VIP pass that will allow us to ski anywhere in the state whenever we want during the 2009-2010 season. We're eager to learn who -if anyone- else completed the challenge and have already started trying to figure out where to buy a pass/passes next year if we don't win (sigh). And just for fun, Kyle and I came up with our superlatives for the ski areas we visited this season (listed below in the order we checked them off). Hopefully they'll inspire your own ski Maine adventures.

•Sunday River Ski Area in Newry- Best On Slopeside Snacking (At the Pejamajo Cafe located at the lift by the Barker Lodge, an on-snow snack shack where you can ski up to the ordering window and be noshing on a nutella and banana crepe five minutes later without ever taking off your skis or gloves.)

•Sugarloaf in Carrabassett Valley- Sam's Favorite Ski Area (Once a Sugarloafer, always a Sugarloafer and despite all our great experiences skiing across the state, Sugarloaf always has been and always will be my favorite for so many reasons. Yummiest base eateries like The Bag and D'Ellie's certainly don't hurt.)

•Saddleback Ski Area in Rangeley- Most Likely to Succeed (Many positive changes are scheduled at Kyle's home hill and we really enjoyed riding the new Kennebago Quad which is tucked in the treeline and takes you to top.)

•Shawnee Peak in Bridgton- Best Hooky Hill (So many bests could be listed here- Best Sliders, Best Race Series, Best Powder Day, Best Powder Night, Best Powder Poaching- but Shawnee's proximity to Portland made it our favorite place to sneak off to on Monday night after those sweet Sunday storms.)

•Hermon Mountain in Hermon- Smartest Lodge Design (The floor of the baselodge here employs radiant heat, which is a genius idea and a nice treat for frozen feet apres ski.)

•Big Rock in Mars Hill- Kyle's Favorite Ski Area and a top three for me (Given Kyle works in the energy industry, it's no surprise we dug turning with the turbines and more so, we were impressed by the quality of terrain, and the quantity.)

•Quoggy Jo in Presque Isle- Best Small Mountain Spirit (The woman at the ticket/lunch/first aid/info counter was so excited about the mountain that it made us excited to be there. In fact, everyone we encountered there - a total of six people- were so proud of little Quoggy Jo, the second smallest mountain in Maine. And we were touched by the old TV set up in the lodge so everyone could gather round and watch the local high school team play in the state hoops tourney.)

•Lonesome Pines in Fort Kent- Best Face Shots (Where in Maine will you find chest deep powder? Likely nowhere, but deep in the glades at the tippy-top of Maine, Kyle found some face shots. Snorkel anyone? Also, this mountain could qualify for Least Appropriate Moniker, there are no pines this far north, and we were thrilled to find the place packed.)

•Mt Jefferson in Lee- Best Donuts (One of the founding families of this hill still runs it, and the matriarch of that family is well into her 70s and still makes fresh donuts every day. She and everyone else there were terribly sweet and the snow was among the best we've found all season.)

•Powderhouse Hill in South Berwick- Best Biceps (The rope tow at this tiny town hill - the smallest in the state with 175 vertical feet- totally rips. It's powered by a motor run off a 1938 Ford truck and it can shred even the most durable work gloves in just an afternoon, leaving local skiers and riders with arms so toned, Michelle Obama would be jealous.)

•Baker Mountain in Moscow- Most Dedicated Volunteers (We were treated like royalty at the lodge - Kyle was given a cool logo patch for us making the trip- and we truly enjoyed talking to the volunteers about how meaningful the hill was to them and the community. Their $1 grilled cheeses were also the Best Bargain we found all season.)

•Titcomb Mountain in Farmington- Biggest Regret (I am almost embarrassed to admit this, but in the five years Kyle and I lived in Farmington, we never once skied at Titcomb though it was just a few miles from our house. We always figured it was just too small for us. The entire time we were there, we lamented what we'd overlooked, and talked about how lucky we'd be to have a hill like this in our backyard.)

•Spruce Mountain in Jay- Friendliest Local Police Department (No- not for us! But while we were there, the cops were called to deal with a testy teen, and the officer who showed up was a dear friend - and my maid of honor's husband. It was so great to catch up. Spruce also has the fastest, quietest rope tow and the best local ski shop which just happens to be a leading online distributor of race skis.

•Lost Valley in Auburn- Sam's Most Blissful Ski Moment Ever (Eating chocolate Dippin' Dots while skiing in the sun. Two of my favorite things - ice cream and spring skiing.)

•Black Mountain in Rumford- Most Underutilized (The Maine Winter Sports Center has invested heavily here, making Black a hidden gem with a stunning new lodge, a very comfortable triple to the top and some very fun trails. Maybe it's because we hit it on the second to last day of the season, but we were sad to not see more skiers and riders on these slopes. It's worth the drive and a nice alternative for families to the pricier big mountains.)

•Mt. Abram in Greenwood- Best Apres Springtime Ski Scene (On the deck with live music, $1 Heinekens and the best ski buddies made a perfect celebratory end to our Peak to Peak Challenge completion on Kyle's birthday.)