It's become quite a tradition for this skier, it has. New Year's at the Loaf!

You too, you say? Awesome.

Sometimes it's great skiing, sometimes not so good. But always there's a ton of fun people about and lots going on, so it's always a hoot.

Winter may not have put on much of a face down this way at the coast as of yet, but up in the rarified air of Carrabassett Valley and The Mountain, it's plenty cold and white, i.e. there's skiing to be done on that thar snow!

So it's time to load up the essential goods: ski gear, warm clothes, dancing shoes, beer glove, party hat, teef. And my fleece blankie and a couple good books for the occasional down time.

Yep, Sugarloaf and New Years. A great combo. I'll ski to that!

Of course I promise to wipe down my skis after each day of skiing so they don't rust ever again! (That's the plan anyway...).

And you my skimeister friends? Where's you a'goin fer the big weekend? Maybe see you in The Bag for a cold one to ring in '07?

Whatever you do, wherever you go for the weekend, please, please, please do it safely. See you in 2007...

Photo courtesy Sugarloaf/USA
Cruising down the corduroy on Tote Road.

Photo courtesy Sugarloaf/USA
It's a white, white world from the upper part of the mountain.

Photo courtesy Sugarloaf/USA
Looking like winter for sure on Sluice.

Merry Christmas to all my Trail Head friends! Hope yours was enjoyable and relaxing and filled with good family, friends and food.

I made a quick jaunt down the highways and byways to New Jersey for the holiday. And despite the short visit, it was good fun.

Besides all the socializing with family, unwrapping of gifts, football, endless platters of food, beer and wine and all that stuff, one of the highlights was a refreshing walk through the countryside midday on Christmas.

Six of us struck off for a six-mile hike on the nearby Patriot's Path, a lovely walk through fields and farmlands and woods along the Raritan River through Long Valley.

This is exactly the New Jersey I used to know and and still love (I've been in Maine nearly forever, but I'm still a native NJer), not the much-maligned Jersey that most people hear about.

For several delightful hours we strolled along old paths and up the abandoned rail bed, never far from the placid Raritan River (one of the best trout fisheries in the state).

Through the bare branches of the oaks and poplars we could see the long mountain ridges rising up into the gray December skies; mountains that once impeded the forces of George Washington's army during the Revolutionary War.

Horses in the fields were cloaked in colorful blankets. A dark-furred marten scurried along the river bank, while a great blue heron posed statuesque on a gravel spit. Sparrows flitted about the trees. A sheep peaked at us warily from behind a barn. Wreathes with red bows lined a white fence. And a handful of overlooked balsam firs stood on their posts at a farmstand.

All the while the cool, damp air and brisk pace infused our bodies with spirit and energy, enough to carry back to the house and the dinner table and a continuation of the holiday-ing.

I'm back home in Maine now and trust that you are too. A bit weary and bloated but ready nonetheless to take on the coming winter. Well, I think there's a winter coming anyway.

At week's end I'll be shuffling off to Sugarloaf for the New Year's festivities. And you? What are your New Year's plans? Skiing, hiking, couch-potato-ing? And how was your Christmas holiday?

Starting out on the Patriot's Path.

Trout pool on the Raritan River.

On an old RR bed trail that stretches from NJ to PA.

Through the woods on the Patriot's Path.

Following the lovely Raritan River.

The delightful farmland and mountains of northern NJ.

Passing a colorful silo.

Christmas presents to myself (stuff you can only get in the NY-NJ-PA area): Pork roll and Yuengling beer!

As I remember the old fable, all the king's horses and all the king's men couldn't put Humpty back together again after he'd tumbled off the wall.

Poor Humpty.

But not me and my poor skis, I tell you.

Leave the skis atop the car to rust horribly as well as tear out an edge and what can you do to make 'em right again?

Not much you say?

Wrong answer Chucky.

You take your skis to the awesome ski pros at Arlberg in Scarborough and they perform miracles.

That's right.

I picked up my precious Salomon's on Saturday and was told in no uncertain terms by the crew there that I owed Cyrus ("Cyrus the Virus" they call him) a six-pack of beer for the incredible job he did repairing my abused boards.

And how true!

The edges are razor sharp again and you can't even tell where the edge was busted out. And the bottoms are smooth and shiny like a baby's.

Thanks fellas. I'll be down soon with that beer.

By the way, I never did get out on the slopes this weekend. But I heard from a mostly reliable source blasting down the access road away from the River that conditions were only so-so.

Did you give skiing a try this weekend?

It's getting on to be Christmas here pretty quick. Ten shopping days left in fact.

What's that, you say? Haven't bought a thing yet other than a six-pack of beer, and that was for you?

Better get a move on it then.

You don't want to be stuck last minute giving that special hiker in your life things like Spam and TP, now do you?

Oh I'm sorry dear friends. Didn't mean to offend those that have given me such thoughtful and useful, if a bit on the cheap side, Christmas gifts!

Nothing like the smell of Spam sizzling in the fry pan over the Whisperlite stove now, is there?

A four-pack of 2-ply would have been a bit more thoughtful given that you just know what freeze-dried food does to my system...

Just in case you're stumped for gift ideas, Backpacker's Gear Store has a whole host of 'em to sift through, from packs and sleeping bags to clothing and cookware.

After you're done browsing and making your gift list, try buying your stuff locally if you can, like at Kittery Trading Post, L.L. Bean, Eastern Mountain Sports or other outdoor shop near you.

Need an inexpensive gift idea that'll be wicked appreciated?

Try a subscription to my two favorite outdoor mags: Backpacker and National Geographic Adventure. Both are tremendous for an entire year of good reading, trip planning and all-around daydreaming.

So here's to the holidays, friends and loved ones, new gear under the tree, and snow in the mountains!

Cheers!

That's right. I just don't have it anymore. No edge.

And I need help.

But you all knew that already.

Then what the heck am I talking about?

My skis. My beautiful, beat-up Salomon X-Screams.

After five fun winters of heavy duty ski abuse, er, I mean use, it looks like they may be close to retirement.

Took 'em to the boys at Arlberg yesterday and...

A hush filled the store as the clerk looked them over. Then he began to shake his head.

You'll remember I'd just left them on the roof rack for more than a week.

I knew the rust was going to be a problem, but I didn't anticipate anything more.

Then...

"You see this?" the guy says.

Uh, no. What?

Crap. I'd blown out an edge in the center of the ski. My turning edge. Bad spot.

More heads shaking (a crowd had gathered by now examining my poorly maintained skis).

I apologized for my blatant abuse. First for the rust, then the edge.

How could I do this to a pair of skis? What kind of a cretin am I? I deserve to be tied to a lift tower naked in January and have skiers jeer at me as they ride overhead.

But no such punishment was meted out to me.

Instead the Arlbergers treated me with great kindness, promising to grind the edges and repair the blown edge.

But I'd be on borrowed time, they assured me.

Ching, chings echoed in my head. It would be new skis for me, sooner than I'd hoped.

So, that's where you all come in.

I don't buy downhill skis very often (clearly!) and I could use your advice.

I'm looking for an all-mountain ski, stiff, good for carving quick turns on the steeps. Something for an advanced skier who likes to go just about everywhere (but I still suck on the bumps).

Got any ideas? What's your favorite ski and why? What do recommend for me and my next pair of downhill boards?

Leave your rusting downhill skis on the roof rack of your car long enough and... voila!

Snow!

Could be that the continued presence of my skis up there projected some major energy to the snow gods, who responded in kind with a pleasant dumping of the fluffy white stuff.

Ironically, I'm currently reading The Celestine Prophecy and this could be a sign of the Fifth Insight at work... just kidding, of course!.

Rusty boards and prophecies aside, we've got snow baby!

3-5" around the city, and 5-8" in the mountains as I understand it.

Woo-hoo! Hmmm, wonder what we should do this weekend?

Hump day. Early December. Wintery outside.

Perfect conditions to warm yourself up at tonight's meeting of the Maine Outdoor Adventure Club in Portland.

Rub elbows with a hundred or so other outdoorsy types. Get in on the winter trip planning. Have a few laughs.

And get to hear all about the tremendous effort underway to build a 180-mile trail and hut system extending from Moosehead Lake to Bethel, for x-c skiers, hikers and hopefully mountain bikers (right Dave?!).

Yep, Dave Herring, Executive Director of Maine Huts & Trails will be tonight's featured speaker. And he'll brief us on all the details about this world class project that will draw outdoor enthusiasts from near and far.

Hope to see you there...

Believe it or not, the Katahdin Lake land acquisition project is close to becoming a reality.

Since the start of the campaign nearly a year ago the Trust for Public Lands has raised an impressive $11.2 million.

But that's still $1.8 mil short of the total $14 million needed to seal the deal, however. (A private foundation has pledged to match the final million raised).

Let's recap the tremendous importance of this project for all of us who cherish the Maine outdoors, all petty bickering over politics and traditional uses and so forth aside:

When (not if) this thing gets inked, 4,000 acres of land surrounding pristine Katahdin Lake will be added to Baxter State Park, fulfilling Percival Baxter's long-held dream. Another adjoining 2,000 acres will be owned and managed by the Maine Bureau of Public Lands.

It's hard to argue with this one. So let's not. Especially with a December 15th deadline looming.

It could very well be up to you and me (lots of you's and me's actually) to make the difference heading into the home stretch.

So empty out your change jars. Shuffle through pockets for spare bills. Take out your checkbook and write a check. Shake down friends and family and co-workers.

The Trust for Public Lands can and will gladly accept any and all donations, regardless of size, right online even.

Do what you can, then we can each proudly claim a stake in the ownership of Katahdin Lake.

If you've been missing our blogger friend Colleen Stone of "From Away" fame, not to worry.

You can check out "Dispatches from Jersey" for a few laughs on her transition to the Garden State.

First, a shocking revelation from our wayward ex-Maineah: "I do love Jersey City."

And this, apparently, before she has sampled any pork roll! That's going to put her over the edge. She ain't never coming back.

Then there's the adventures on the PATH train to the mall:

"Not having a car (Paul has it in Maine for the next couple weeks) is a liberating and debilitating experience. Liberating because I don't have to worry about finding parking. Debilitating because lugging 30 pounds of stuff from Target back home from the PATH stop sort of sucks. Note to self: Bring expedition pack next time. And I thought I wouldn't be using that again soon. First, Mt. Washington. Next, the mall! I think the Newport Mall is something like a 4,000-footer. If I don't take the escalator, maybe I can say I bagged a peak here."

Peak bagging by Colleen in N.J. Who da thunk it?

I went home for lunch today and found a pleasant surprise on my porch steps.

Seems a raccoon had been nosing about and left its prints in the morning's fresh layer of snow.

The prints were perfect, but by the time I rummaged through the house for my camera the sun had swung around the corner of the house and begun to melt them.

Oh well. They're still cool.

I just love visits from my woodsy friends out back!

They must smell the empties...

Tell tale signs of my raccoon neighbors on the porch steps.

Want to know what happens when you leave your skis on the roof rack for a whole week of rain and mist and cold?

Uh, duh.

They rust!

Note to the guys at Arlberg in Scarborough: I'll be down later this week for a full tune up.

Got to get 'em in shape for all this good snow...

Guess the boards will be needing a tune up, eh?