The end of the ski season is a tough time for a lot of us. We face a painful period of withdrawal from something we love and, at my age, saying goodbye to ski buddies for another year, with the inevitable prospect that we may not see some of them again next season.

But we skiers, as you know, aren’t just winter sports enthusiasts. I remember when I was in the ski-area business and bemoaned the fact that so many skiers quit before season’s end, and a friend reminded me that they were probably getting their boats ready, or playing a round or two on early-opening golf courses. If they lived where there was no snow left on the ground, it was tough for them to get fired up about skiing.

If your parka’s a little worn, or you feel as if you ought to be replacing some of your gear for next season, spring’s a great time to check out the deals in the shops, as many of them offer deep discounts to clear their shelves for new styles and models. I usually go for an end-of-season ski tuning, as I know that come next November I’ll have plenty of other things to think about as I gear up for the season.

One of the great things about the off-season (though a skiing friend of mine once said, “We skiers are among the few people in Maine who think summer’s too long”), is the plethora of recreational opportunities available to us lucky Mainers.

It almost goes without saying that hiking, including a jog on the downhill parts of your hikes, is the optimum conditioner for the muscles you’ll want tuned up for next ski season.

I like to start in May and June on the dozens of mountains on the coastal plain that are 1,000 feet or less. They tend to dry out a little earlier than the western mountains, and provide a great warm-up for more vigorous climbs later in the season.

The variety of trails in Camden Hills State Park, the 40 miles of trails comprising the Georges Highland Path that includes Ragged and Bald mountains in Knox County, Great Pond Mountain in Orland, and the variety of trails on Mount Desert Island provide plenty of hiking options combined with unmatched vistas.

Acadia, as busy as it gets in the summer, seems to be reserved just for us Mainers before July. And I’ve never encountered too many other hikers at any time on the western “quiet side” of the island.

Of course, the 10-mile loop of the Cutler Bold Coast needs to be included in your summer hiking plans at some point, so why not do it early before you assault the likes of Katahdin, Old Speck or Bigelow.

My June-October plans always include at least one shot up Tumbledown, and its neighboring Little Jackson (with its spectacular view down into Tumbledown Pond) and Blueberry mountains. Be sure to take your fly rod along to Tumbledown and when you hike Snow Mountain off Route 27 near the Canadian border. Snow Mountain Pond has been known to yield (rarely, to me) some brown beauties.

Horns Pond on Bigelow is stocked regularly, which makes a hike in there more than worth the trip.

Columbus Day has always marked for me my final major hike of the season, and it’s always Bigelow, for more reasons than I have space here to mention. The Warden’s Trail from Stratton Brook Pond is the trail of choice, but about every third year, for variety (and a slightly easier ascent), I’ll head up Safford Brook Trail from the shore of Flagstaff Lake.

My other favorites are Mosquito Mountain on the shore of Moxie Pond and its neighbor to the south, Moxie Mountain, which requires a bushwhack. Moxie Bald to the east is a great climb, and Borestone and Whitecap both reward the hiker with good exercise and great views.

I’ve left out far more than I’ve included, but trust me, there are enough options to last a lifetime. I know, I haven’t even mentioned Baxter, the Spencers, the Mahoosucs or the special hikes in Evans Notch. Check the Appalachian Mountain Club’s “Maine Mountain Guide” or its website, www.outdoors.org.

This has all been about the lower body, and it’s important, too, to use the summer to keep the stuff above the waist trim.

As a convert from a lobster boat to a kayak, I can promise you that a 10-mile paddle in fresh or salt water will help keep arms, shoulders and your entire upper body in some semblance of shape. And the sheer beauty of a quiet paddle in John’s Bay and out around Pemaquid, or the excitement of running with the tide between Lubec and Campobello Island will give you memories to last all next winter.

Finally, although it doesn’t really qualify as conditioning, I can tell you — and my fellow bikers don’t need to be told — the feeling of the wind in your face and the sensation of leaning into a curve on the road between Kingfield and Coburn Gore, or up through Grafton Notch, or the winding and scenic Cabot Trail on Cape Breton Island are as close as you’ll get to the sensation of skiing without being on skis.

Here’s to a great summer. See you on the trail. Or the water. Or the road.

John Christie is a former ski racer and ski area manager and owner, a ski historian and member of the Maine Ski Hall of Fame. He and his son, Josh, write ski columns on alternating weeks. John can be reached at:

jchristie@fairpoint.net

 

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