Thin snow on slopes doesn’t stop vacationers

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In some parts of this state – those that depend upon predictably cold weather and plenty of precipitation for the winter economy to truly hum – snow is referred to as “white gold.”

After spending last week vacationing in just such a place, it seemed that no such gold would be forthcoming.

Most downhill skiers and snowboarders I encountered at Sugarloaf/USA seemed content as they coped with the sometimes icy conditions.

Most, save the one disgruntled skier a member of my party encountered early in the week. According to my well-placed witness, the skier in question took one run, re-entered the base lodge in a huff, and headed back to the ticket counter to demand a voucher after encountering conditions he termed “dangerous.”

For most of us, the conditions weren’t perfect … but they were just fine.

And every time we needed an attitude readjustment, all we had to do was think of the poor cross-country skiers, whose preferred trails are entirely dependent on the exceedingly sparse natural snow.

Perhaps apres-ski activities began a bit earlier than they had in past years. Perhaps we chose our downhill trails less for the challenge, and more for the comfort we’d be likely to find.

But all in all, all 14 of us (yes, 14 … in one slightly cramped condo) had a wonderful time.

We ate too much. We went to bed tired and sore. And each morning, we eagerly (more or less) crawled out of bed to do it all over again.

And then, come Thursday, the gold finally arrived.

A couple of inches fell at first, softening up the icy terrain we’d been skiing. And on Thursday night and into Friday, another eight or 10 inches coated the slopes and trails of Sugarloaf.

Skiers were excited. Ski instructors were excited. Even waiters and waitresses and bartenders were smiling as the snow continued to pile up.

I’m not a big believer in omens, though, if it’s convenient, I’m just superstitious enough to give one the benefit of the doubt.

This time, the omen seemed clear, and indisputable.

This pure, white gold that ended our Sugarloaf stay on a high note shouldn’t have been unexpected, even though the weather forecasts we saw never seemed to mention the possibility of a big storm.

We all knew, you see, that the gold was coming.

That’s all anyone seemed to be talking about all week.

In this case, however, the gold wasn’t snow-white.

It was made of metal, and was hanging around the neck of local boy and Olympic star Seth Wescott.

Wescott returned to Maine on Wednesday night, according to Associated Press accounts.

After weeks without a substantial storm, the snow arrived at Sugarloaf shortly thereafter … probably about the time Wescott’s victory party plans were being finalized.

Coincidence?

You can think so if you want.

Me? I’m just superstitious enough to think otherwise.

More news from Long Lake

A few weeks back I told you about Keith Ouellette, a Caribou police officer who caught the fish of a lifetime while spending a day on Long Lake.

When I pored over the mail that had piled up while I was away on vacation, I found word that Ouellette’s fish was, after all, one-of-a-kind.

The letter, from the National Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame, was short and to the point, and actually could have been summed up in two words: It’s official.

“A person in your circulation area has set a National Fishing Hall of Fame World fresh water sport fishing record,” the letter stated.

“The Hall records division has just completed the process of qualifying the following for the world record book,” it continued.

In case you missed it, Ouellette caught a landlocked salmon that weighed 12 pounds, 12 ounces, and measured 30 inches long. It was recognized as a record in the ice-fishing, tip-up category.

To further clarify matters, it’s important to note that Ouellette’s fish may or may not be the largest landlocked salmon ever caught on a tip-up. It’s simply the largest caught by an angler who forwarded the pertinent information to the national hall of fame.

That became clear shortly after we published news of Ouellette’s monstrous fish: It turns out that Jim Albert of Glenburn caught a 13-pound, 4-ounce landlocked salmon out of Schoodic Lake back in 2002.

Alas, he didn’t notify the hall of fame, and his potential record catch wasn’t recognized.

The National Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame is located in Hawyard, Wis., and recognizes world records in a variety of categories and line classes.

The records are published in a quarterly publication called “The Splash,” and in the group’s annual book of world records, which is released in April or May.

The record book is available to the public for $10. Write to The National Fresh Water Fishing Hall of Fame, PO Box 690, Hayward, Wis., 54843 for information, or call them at (715) 634-4440.

Penobscot Fly Fishers to meet

If you’re one of those avid fly fishermen (or women) who struggle to make it through the cold months to open-water fishing season, rest assured that there are plenty of others who share your pain.

In fact, several of them will get together on Wednesday to eat, chat and share information about the sport.

The Penobscot Fly Fishers always keep up a busy schedule of events, and they’ll hold their regular monthly meeting on Wednesday at the Coach House Restaurant in Brewer. The meeting is open to the public and people will start arriving at about 6 p.m.

I’ve had the opportunity to attend a few meetings in the past and have found the PFF members to be a welcoming and friendly lot. If you’ve been considering stopping by and introducing yourself, this is the perfect time.

This month’s guest speaker is Randy McEwen of Central Maine Navigation, who will talk about GPS devices and their uses.

For more information contact Don Corey at don@annikarodandfly.com or -843-5634.

John Holyoke can be reached at jholyoke@bangordailynews.net or by calling 990-8214 or 1-800-310-8600.