Noting that the Patriot's Day Nor'easter came down as snow in the mountains, I headed up to Sugarloaf/USA yesterday for one of the best days of season.

My schuss buddy was Gene Ehlers, whom I know from the Maine Outdoor Adventure Club plus Maine Handicapped Skiing. Just before arriving, I caught Sugarloaf communications manager Bill Swain on his cell phone, and we hooked up with him for a couple of hours.

After a warmup run down Tote Road, Bill suggested trying the snowfields, which were totally open thanks to Monday's bonus storm. It had been a couple of years since I'd skied the snowfields and Gene hadn't ever been over there.

The Timberline quad, which accesses the Sugarloaf snowfields, was a very popular lift yesterday
SCOTT ANDREWS PHOTO

Gene Ehlers and Bill Swain pose at the top of the Sugarloaf's Timberline lift yesterday just before walking up to the East ("backside") Snowfields
SCOTT ANDREWS PHOTO

So we hiked up a few hundred feet past the radio towers and took a run down High Rigger, the double-diamond perimeter route. It's truly a unique Sugarloaf experience: accessing above-treeline terrain via a chairlift. And there were lots of people joining us for such superb spring conditions.

Looking northeast from about halfway down High Rigger, the double-diamond perimeter route on Sugarloaf's "backside" snowfields
SCOTT ANDREWS PHOTO

Bill Swain in action on the Sugarloaf snowfields yesterday
SCOTT ANDREWS PHOTO

Bill and Gene pose near the top of the Timberline Trail, a superb intermediate run down Sugarloaf's west summit ridge
SCOTT ANDREWS PHOTO

Down in the base lodge, I ran into a couple of friends from the Ski Museum of Maine, Tom Hansen and Greg Sweetser.

Greg, who's also executive director of the Ski Maine Association, noted the day's good turnout bodes well for the 2007-2008 season. It's generally accepted in the ski industry that momentum carries over from one year to the next.

And there's still a bit to go. Sugarloaf schussing will continue through April 29, while sister resort Sunday River, recently extended its season, also to the 29th.

And get this: Sunday the 29th will also be Sunday River's FREE DAY.

Over in New Hampshire, the bullwheels have all stopped turning -- except for Wildcat Mountain, which will also continue through next Sunday.

I think I'll keep my personal momentum going too.

Yesterday I headed up to Wildcat Mountain in Pinkham Notch, New Hampshire, to take a few runs with a ski buddy who lives over there. And met a few other friends, old and new.

A few thousand others were there too, celebrating the recent dump of snow. Many of us couldn't believe we were having a packed powder day on April 14!

Theatrical maven Greg Titherington, formerly from Portland, taught at Wildcat for several years. We've been skiing together since the mid-1990s.

Greg Titherington, formerly of Portland, pauses before plunging down the Lynx Lair on Wildcat Mountain yesterday
SCOTT ANDREWS PHOTO

Greg poses near the high-speed summit quad, where lift lines never exceeded four minutes yesterday
SCOTT ANDREWS PHOTO

Greg introduced me to Rich and Sandra Russo, husband-wife stalwarts of the Wildcat Ski School, who are also active in the Granite State's thespian scene.

Rich and Sandra Russo, stalwarts of the Wildcat Mountain ski school, pose near the 4,062-foot summit
SCOTT ANDREWS PHOTO

I introduced Greg to Krissy Fraser, who works at nearby Attitash. Krissy's mountain was recently purchased by Peak Resorts, a Missouri-based ski area holding company. Although the new owners only closed the deal on April 4, they've already announced that a total commitment to state-of-the-art snowmaking would be their hallmark for the upcoming years.

Krissy Fraser, who works at nearby Attitash, was up at the Cat yesterday
SCOTT ANDREWS PHOTO

Meantime we were all enjoying the new natural on Wildcat, where the closing date has been moved back to Sunday, April 22, latest in New Hampshire for this year. And after that, Wildcat will take the gondola cabins out of storage and hook them onto the high-speed chairlift line and start summer operations.

New for this summer will be a 2,000-foot ZipRider, a first-in-the-East.

Coming to the Cat this June: a 2,000-foot twin ZipRider
COURTESY WILDCAT MOUNTAIN

"Awesome" is an overused adjective that should appear only infrequently in urbane and sophisticated blogs, but it's the only apt description of yesterday's skiing at Sugarloaf/USA. Imagine! A packed powder paradise on April 7!

Riding the Timberline Quad at Sugarloaf/USA yesterday
SCOTT ANDREWS PHOTO

I went up to the 'Loaf yesterday with Gene Ehlers, of Cape Elizabeth, and his son Ethan. I met Gene through the Maine Outdoor Adventure Club plus Maine Handicapped Skiing, where we both serve as volunteer instructors.

Ethan, a season pass holder, pronounced conditions to be "fantastic."

Gene Ehlers and his son Ethan pose along the Spillway Crosscut at Sugarloaf/USA yesterday
SCOTT ANDREWS PHOTO

It was also an awesome and fantastic day for Jean Luce, a legendary lady who served as a race official and organizer for the Sugarloaf Ski Club for many decades. Yesterday the club dedicated its brand-new competition center to her.

Jean Luce, the legendary lady for whom the Jean Luce Competition Facility is named, poses on the deck yesterday
SCOTT ANDREWS PHOTO

The Jean Luce Competition Facility, built by the club in partnership and Sugarloaf/USA, Carrabassett Valley Academy and the town of Carrabassett Valley, houses the race officials and the timing computers. I'm sure Jean wished she'd had something this nice and comfy back when she was officiating on the hill.

Ski Bunny Nancy Ricker announces race info from her comfy perch in the Jean Luce Competition Facility yesterday
SCOTT ANDREWS PHOTO

Reflected glory: Ethan and Gene Ehlers pose with Jean Luce yesterday at Sugarloaf/USA
SCOTT ANDREWS PHOTO

Jean's also on the board of the Ski Museum of Maine and was inducted into its Hall of Fame in 2004.

SMOM had quite a turnout for the event. President John Christie, whose history of Sugarloaf will be in bookstores this fall, headed the distinguished board of directors.

Among many other notables present for yesterday's dedication were Betsy Bass, daughter of Sugarloaf pioneer Robert "Bunny" Bass, and Jano Wilkinson, a Carrabassett Valley food writer/maven who's better known as "Mrs. Crusher."

I chatted a bit with notable Nancy Marshall, who's been involved with the mountain and the ski club from way back.

Betsy Bass, John Christie and Jano Wilkinson at yesterday's dedication
SCOTT ANDREWS PHOTO

Nancy Marshall, a volunteer with the Sugarloaf Ski Club, helps out at the BBQ refreshment table
SCOTT ANDREWS PHOTO