The hubbub of the holidays is finally over. Time to get on with the real business of winter: Skiing!

And so I says to you: Let the games begin! The Maine Peak to Peak Challenge is on! This first-ever of its kind event in Maine is sponsored and organized by the Ski Maine Association.

That's right, just a short week or so to go before a team of madcap skiers (yes, I'm in there) takes to the road to attempt to ski at least one run at every one of Maine's 17 downhill ski areas over the Martin Luther King Weekend, January 18-21.

Why do such an outlandish thing, you say?

Why not, I say!

Can it be done? Of course. Will it be done? Absolutely. Will it be fun? Unquestionably!

DA PLAN 2 SKI 'EM ALL

The logistics of the event are daunting but do-able: Starting Friday afternoon 1/18 at Spruce Mountain in Jay the Ski Maine team will travel and ski its way west then north then south for nearly a 1,000 miles (carpooling, of course, to be green) to a wild finish on the coast at the Camden Snow Bowl on Monday 1/21.

The Ski Maine - Maine Peak to Peak Challenge Team will ski at least one run at all Maine's 17 downhill ski areas from January 18-21, 2008. Is that nuts or what?!
Carey Kish photo

All told the team will sample 85 of 560 ski trails on Maine's 17 downhill ski mountains. Here's a look at our itinerary:

Friday, January 18th:
* Spruce Mountain, Jay... Maine Peak to Peak Challenge kick-off!
* Lost Valley, Auburn
* Shawnee Peak, Bridgton
* Mount Abram, Locke Mills

Saturday, January 19th:
* Sunday River, Bethel
* Black Mountain, Rumford
* Titcomb Mountain, Farmington
* Saddleback, Rangeley
* Sugarloaf, Carrabassett Valley

Sunday, January 20th:
* Baker Mountain. Moscow
* Eaton Mountain, Skowhegan
* Hermon Mountain, Hermon
* Mt. Jefferson, Lee
* Big Rock, Mars Hill
* Quoggy Jo, Presque Isle

Monday, January 21st:
* Lonesome Pine Trails, Fort Kent
* Camden Snow Bowl, Camden... Last run!!!

Somewhere along the way we'll get to eat and sleep, I figure, but who knows?! Especially when you're having a complete hoot of a good time, skiing, traveling and yucking it up but good with people as off-kilter as you are!

The Ski Maine - Maine Peak to Peak Challenge Team at an important planning meeting recently at Gritty's in Portland. I'm telling ya, the best adventures seem always to be planned on the back of a bar napkin!
Gritty's photo

DA TEAM

And who would do such a thing? The following crazies:

* Carey Kish (dat be me), Portland downhill skier & Team Captain
* Janet Thurston, Raymond snowboarder
* Anne O'Brien, Cape Elizabeth downhill skier
* Craig Hansen, Gray telemark skier
* Greg Sweetser, Cumberland downhill skier & Ski Maine bigwig
* Heather Atwell, Keene, NH downhill skier
* Bruce Mason, Auburn downhill skier
* Joanne Mason, Auburn downhill skier

Fun and games aside for a moment (is that possible?), there is a message behind all this skiing madness. Says Greg Sweetser, Executive Director of the Ski Maine Association (who, by the way, has come through big time to pull this thing together from idea to reality - thanks Greg!):

"Most skiers are not aware of the varied terrain, trails and character found at the 17 Ski Maine areas in the state. There are 560 trails, 83 lifts, and acres of glades covering our Peaks. Ski Maine wants to challenge skiers and snowboarders to visit as many as they can during the 2007/2008 season. There is so much skiing in Maine that it will take a person all winter to enjoy each of our areas."

SKI MORE MAINE AREAS, MAYBE WIN BIG!

Beyond the January 18-21 statewide event, however, the season-long Maine Peak to Peak Challenge is open to all skiers and riders. It awards skiers based on the number of areas they visit. The more mountains logged by skiers and riders throughout the winter, the bigger the possible prize:

* Ski/Ride all of Maine's 17 member areas and skiers can enter to win a Ski Maine VIP pass and Solo Pack for the 2008/2009 season. The VIP Pass allows the winner to ski any Maine mountain at any time.

* Ski/Ride any 12 Ski Maine member areas and participants will be entered to win a Ski Maine Double Pack for the 2008/2009 season: 2 tickets to each member area.

* Ski/Ride any 6 Ski Maine member areas and participants will be entered to win the Ski Maine Solo Pack for the 2008/2009 season: 1 ticket to each member area.

Participants can track their visits with the Ski Maine Peak to Peak Challenge card, available from Ski Maine online. What a great way to enrich your Maine skiing experience and maybe win some big prizes!

SKI AND DO GOOD

Skiers can also do some extra good by becoming a member of or making a contribution to the Ski Museum of Maine.

"Maine's ski and snowboard industry is built on a rich skiing heritage, now protected and displayed for posterity by the Ski Museum of Maine. The Maine Peak to Peak Challenge, sponsored by the Ski Maine Association, will help further the mission of the museum through supporting pledges gathered throughout the winter," said Sweetser.

So, there you have. The Maine Peak to Peak Challenge for 2008. Woo-hoo!

The team heads to the Loaf this weekend for a "training" session (a few ski runs, followed by some rubbing of the mahogany in The Bag quite likely). Then next week we're off in earnest.

Hope you'll follow along and challenge yourself to skiing more of Maine's outstanding ski areas, too! What do you say???

By the way, after you hit the slopes be sure to post a trip report for the chance to win free lift tickets for more skiing! What a deal!