Yesterday was one of those too-good-to-be-true days, and the Ski Bum celebrated by joining ski buddy Jonathan Keck for a trip to the Loaf. I met Jonathan about 10 years ago through the Maine Outdoor Adventure Club, and we ski at least a few days together each year.

Almost as soon as we arrived, I bumped into Tom Hanson in the guest services area of the base lodge. Tom's the treasurer of the Ski Museum of Maine; he was renewing his New England Pass for 2008-2009.

Taking advantage of this happy coincidence, I asked him to join Jonathan and me on the mountain.

Jonathan Keck and Tom Hanson pause and pose along Upper Narrow Gauge yesterday at Sugarloaf.
SCOTT ANDREWS PHOTO

Jonathan Keck and the Ski Bum on Sugarloaf's Timberline Trail yesterday.
TOM HANSON PHOTO

Only three lifts were running: SuperQuad, Timberline and Spillway, so we pretty much stayed on the western half of the mountain.

We had lunch on the deck at Bullwinkles, and Tom met a bunch of people he knew through his many connections, which include the Penobscot Valley Ski Club, the Sugarloaf Mountain Ski Club and the museum.

Lunch on the deck at Bullwinkle's was popular yesterday.
SCOTT ANDREWS PHOTO

Tom Hanson of Orrington is active on Maine's ski scene in many ways. He's a prime mover of the Penobscot Valley Ski Club, a dedicated volunteer with the Sugarloaf Mountain Ski Club and treasurer of the Ski Museum of Maine.
SCOTT ANDREWS PHOTO

I'm currently working on a project about ski clubs for the museum -- I'm a director and research and write articles for its newsletter -- and Penobscot Valley is one of the prime focal points. It happened that Tom had a pair of hefty scrapbooks full of PVSC materials dating back many years plus a photo CD that I needed to borrow. And he had them right there at the mountain in his condo!

Another happy coincidence.

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