I’m not sure why, but I just couldn’t allow this winter to pass without one more trip into the outdoors. It’s not that I haven’t been on hikes this winter, because I definitely went out and had fun on snowshoes in epic-depth snow, or sometimes while wearing crampons across ice-bound trails.

Through the whole snow- filled winter, though, I never once got on my skis. So, I figured I had better change that last weekend, on the last weekend in March. I guessed I hadn’t had enough.

Finding a location was easy; Baxter State Park would be the destination. Randy Galen, a frequent hiking partner from Veazie, agreed to join me, and off we went to ski into the park to get in the last of winter.

About 9:30 Sunday morning, we left his truck at the parking area and entered the park at the southern ski-in winter entrance. Our destination was as far as Abol Campground, about four miles in to the base of Katahdin. The trail follows the Appalachian Trail for about a hundred yards then takes a sharp right on the Abol Stream Trail.

As soon as we turned, the mountain rose above the landscape like a blinding white ghost. For the next mile or so, it was in the view to our left across the wetlands surrounding Abol Stream. The sky was the most brilliant blue possible, with a pretty stiff breeze blowing from the northwest. The air was chilly, but the sun was warm as we skied over fairly level trail.

There was at least two feet of snow covering the ground and we skied fast and easy. Soon after turning on the Abol Pond Trail, I heard a noise behind me and turned around to see two deer come out into the trail. They saw me and quickly turned back into the firs. I barely got a look at them.

A park ranger, Jodi Browning, appeared on a snowmobile and asked me about our plans for the day. We talked a while, then she went past on her way to Kidney Pond. Randy skied ahead while I got pictures of the mountain. I caught up with him, then we turned to the side trail to Abol Pond and a snack break. We had only come about a mile, but so far it had been flat. Shortly we would be heading up a long hill toward the base of the mountain.

Soon after a short uphill section, we were on the park Perimeter Road. It was warming up by then, so we shed our jackets and skied in light fleece and polypropylene. For the next mile and a half, the road ascends about 400 feet in elevation. After that, it’s still mainly uphill over the second mile and a half, although it levels off a little bit.

The view of the mountain is blocked by the hill we were climbing until we got to the top, where it came back into view. It was much closer now, and as we neared Stump Pond with only a half-mile to go, we knew visually that we had covered some ground to get there. Once we arrived at Abol Campground the picnic shelter provided a great lunch spot and we stopped for a good 40 minutes.

The last three miles had taken under two hours with no stops except to catch our breath climbing the hill. We remarked about how we hadn’t seen another person except the ranger all morning.

After sandwiches and jokes about not needing bug dope and fly fishing the frozen waters of Stump Pond on the way out, we turned and mounted up again on our skis and started off on our way back. The woods were absolutely quiet, except for the wind in the trees.

The hill presented a new problem on the way out. Just after leaving Abol Campground the road goes downhill back to Stump Pond, then levels off until the big hill, which we now had to go down. Fun.

It was fun, too. Nobody fell and got hurt, partly because the snow had warmed up by then and was a little slower than in the morning. Good thing, we said, that it wasn’t any faster. We stopped for a short break at the junction with the Abol Stream Trail, where we saw Jodi, the park ranger, again.

All in all, we had a pretty great day with a bright blue sky, good skiing, warm temps, and winter views. The trail out is mostly downhill from there or flat, so we made good time leaving. On the way out the mountain stood over my right shoulder and was always in my peripheral view, out of the corner of my eye.

It’s a magnificent feature of geography that draws you to look at it. It’s always different, and especially in winter, even if it is spring. I never get tired of seeing it. I’m also secretly hoping that it’s the last time I’ll have to ski in the park this year. But I’ll bet it’s not.

If you decide to go: April 1 to May 15, the park is open for day use only. There is no camping during that period. Also, conditions on the trails and roads into the park during spring thaw can change daily. If you have questions on trail conditions and use, call Baxter State Park Headquarters in Millinocket at 207-723-5140.

sourball@gwi.net