NEW GLOUCESTER, Maine — Since the holidays, Southern and Central Maine had been in a snow drought.
“My wife got me a season pass—nice Christmas gift I got. First time out,” said David Brink of Cumberland, who was carrying his Nordic skis.
Tuesday’s nor’easter blanketed Maine with some great ski and snowshoe conditions.
“My first thought was cheering when it was snowing and crying when it was raining. Then the snow turned into this strange sugar stuff but we’re still getting out there skiing and that’s the important thing,” Chris Leighton of Freeport said.
“The phone never stops ringing from the time the first snowflake hits. It’s great people are excited people really want to be here,” Pineland Farm’s Outdoor Recreation Director Matt Sabasteanski said.
Sabasteanski said year-round, tens of thousands of people take advantage of Pineland Farms' 5,000 acres. But during the winter season, most people here want snow.
“Being near the coast we struggle with the weather here," Sabasteanski said. "We take what we get. It’s always a gamble but we’re always here and always ready as soon as the snow comes, we’re on it and out enjoying it.”
David Brink was excited to get out and enjoy the trials.
“Looking forward to it, it’s a beautiful day. I’m going to spend the whole day outside today,” Brink said.
And he wasn’t the only one.
“You can get such a peaceful experience we have 30 kilometers of trail and you can get lost out there, feel like you’re alone but there are people all over the place,” Sabasteanski said.
Chris Leighton was among them.
“One way to survive the pandemic or a Maine winter is to get outside, so this is a great thing for everybody.”