If you've been hanging back avoiding the ski slopes recently because of the unseasonable weather, you've been missing out.

The skiing, at Sugarloaf where I've been anyway, and other Maine areas as I've been told by friends, have some pretty fine conditions.

Certainly there aren't as many open trails as there should be at this time of year, and coverage is pretty thin in places, but beyond that I've found the skiing to be just fine.

Last Saturday the predicted sunny skies and warm temps brought out a Reggae Weekend-size crowd. Lines were long at the Super Quad, Whiffletree, King Pine and Spillway throughout the day.

But the lines were primarily due to the high summit winds that kept Spillway East from operating at all, and Timberline as well.

King Pine had its intermittent moments in the morning. But we managed to get some excellent runs in on Haulback, where skier's right was a paradise with 6-8 inches of soft snow the entire run down.

Sensing an impending mechanical failure or outright lift closure, however, we bolted down the pebbly Stub's Glade, raking our ski bottoms but good. Hey, what's another $35 for a tune-up.

We spent the rest of the early afternoon riding the No. 3 T-Bar and making as many runs as we could off that. All good.

After a brief beer break at Bullwinkle's and a quick late lunch at the base in King Pine Room, we finished up with a few more post-full belly runs down Tote Road. And then retired to The Bag for $2.50 microbrews and more red-faced, knee-slapping laughter with friends than I think any of us had experienced in quite awhile. I just love that!

Saturday night was pizza and PBRs at the ever-entertaining Stratton Plaza Hotel, always a cultural feast of locals and music. But no Canadian ballet on this night (that was Friday night and I heard tell from others that it was a lot of fun!). Chateau Phil again provided some comfy accomodations thankfully within stumbing distance from the Plaza.

On Sunday, Sugarloaf was a different mountain. The crowds had evaporated and lines were non-existent. The winds had died so we immediately made for the upper mountain and made many fun runs off Timberline, with outstanding views of Mount Washington and Mount Katahdin, both backlit with a beautiful orange alpine glow.

Tote and Sluice were fun too. But no doubt the best runs of the day were on the steeps of Upper Gondy which had a surprising styrofoam surface that held a terrrific edge. Skier's right down to the old mid-station was killer, then the far left edge underneath to the cross cut. Awesome!

Satisfied but hungry, we settled in for Superbowls of mountain chili and an ale at The Bag before making for the highway home.

Good skiing. Damn good. Throw a little more snow at us and it's going to be an OK season for sure. And we've yet to hit February.

Top of Haulback at King Pine Bowl. Skier's right was awesome!

High winds on Saturday closed many lifts and made for long lines at the Super Quad. Oh well, it was a quality, not quantity day!

High winds kept most of the upper mountain off limits on Saturday.

Bullwinkle?

Well disquised lunch time beverages.

Riding the old No. 3 T-bar up next to Narrow Gauge.

Sun and crowds at the base lodge.

The ever-entertaining Plaza Hotel in Stratton.

No lines at Spillway on Sunday.

4,000' Mount Abraham from the top of Timberline chair.

Sunday's best run: Upper Gondy.

Late afternoon light high on Spillway chair.