Snow revives cross-country ski areas

GORHAM – Cross-country skiing enthusiasts are reveling in the aftermath of the Christmas nor’easter that dropped nearly 2 feet of snow over the Maine coast.

Bobbi Buisman of Portland was among those who headed to Smiling Hill Farm over the weekend.

“It looks wonderful,” she said. “When I heard snow, I came right out here.”

The storm’s timing was expected to give ski outlets a banner weekend. Operators of cross-country ski businesses were particularly grateful for the Christmas storm following last year’s dismal season.

“To have this kind of snowfall over the holidays is perfect,” said Chris Frado, president and executive director of the Cross Country Ski Areas Association in New Hampshire. “It’s every ski area’s dream.”

Unlike downhill resorts, cross-country ski areas can’t rely on snowmaking equipment to get through a mild winter. That’s because cross-country trails can cover large areas.

Many cross-country ski areas are run by farmers, who are used to weathering the whims of Mother Nature.

“I’ve been a farmer all my life, and I realize you got to live with the weather,” said Roger Knight, whose family runs Smiling Hill Farm. “Historically, for the last few years, we haven’t gotten the snow. We’ve got to build up our following again.”

Wende Gray, managing director at the Maine Nordic Ski Council, said the number of hits on the trade association’s Web page have surged. The number jumped 1,276 to 3,683 in the day following the storm.

“We’ve had some places call in and say they’ve already seen more people today than they did in the entire last year,” Gray said Saturday.

At Harris Farm in Dayton, owner Bill Harris saw more than 300 customers by mid-afternoon Saturday, with few signs of business letting up.

“This is just super, it makes it all worthwhile,” Harris said. “It’s really nice to see snow like this so early in the year.”

The snow has given a strong start to the season, but Knight and Harris said they will need consistent snowfall to keep the momentum going.

“I think it’ll take many weekends like this to make up for last year,” Knight said.

One of his customers, Tom Bennett of Gorham, also hoped for continued snow.

“It looks good,” he said. “If we get a couple more dumps, we can go all the way through March.”