If you are an outdoor enthusiast, this “Winter Wonderland” is a welcoming change from the rain and icy conditions we often get in Mid-coast Maine.

At the beginning of January it looked like we were in for our usual status quo conditions, with little snow and rather balmy temperatures. Things were not looking good for the winter sports scene.

It was with these less then optimal circumstances that, on the first weekend in January, we were scheduled to attend a ski meeting at Loon Mountain.

When we hit First Tracks at 7:30 a.m., we were greeted with perfect corduroy as the sun rose over the mountain and spilled onto the trails. The temperature was in the single numbers, but that did not deter us from enjoying this crystal clear morning on Loon’s beautifully manicured trails. The secret was in the snow-making equipment.

Loon, along with our beloved Maine ski resorts, Sugarloaf and Sunday River, are all operated by Boyne Resorts (who also have eight other ski resorts throughout the U.S.). Boyne Resorts are known as the “kings of snow-making.” They are innovators in the industry for their tower snow-guns and low energy semi-automated snow-making hydrants that utilize the most advanced energy-efficient snow-making technology on the market.

The new gear has allowed these resorts to make more snow than ever before, while simultaneously reducing their associated energy use by 20 percent. These new snow-guns now make up 90 percent of the snowmaking fleet. What this means for those of us enjoying these ski/ride areas is the best snow coverage in lean times.

With 2,100 feet vertical drop, 61 trails and eight tree skiing areas, Loon has something for everyone. I hadn’t skied here in a number of years but remembered why I had enjoyed the area so much in the past … there are no wide open boulevards. When they planned the trails they consciously used the contours of the mountain to dictate the layout of the trails, thus making the experience unlike some of the other mountains. Loon’s newest area, South Peak, opened in 2007 and currently boasts seven trails, two lifts and nearly 70 acres to ski and ride.

Loon has grabbed a coveted Top 10 spot in the 2012 SKI Magazine reader poll, and the resort was also voted the most accessible mountain in the East. Loon’s terrrain parks recently grabbed top honors from FreeskierMagazine.com, claiming No. 1 for Parks in the East. In 2012, Transworld Snowboarding’s reader poll ranked Loon’s parks third in the east.

If you go and are planning to spend a few days, there are several other attractions at the resort — winter zipline, cross-country skiing, snow tubing, ice skating, snowshoeing and an Adventure Center.

It only takes a little over three hours to get to Loon from our Mid-coast home and you get to drive the Kancamagus Highway, one of the most beautiful highways in New England. If you have never skied Loon, you owe it to yourself to give it a try.

For more information on Loon Mountain, go to www.loonmtn.com. We have a lot more winter left so get out there and enjoy it!