In the Lewiston/Auburn area, snow has been a scarcity so far this winter. When snow has fallen, two or three days of elevated temperatures has quickly melted skiers’ hopes.

Now, with the meat of the high school ski season just a week or two away, some coaches are looking skyward and praying.

“We’ve had one chance to compete so far,” said Maranacook coach Steve DeAngelis. “At Sugarloaf, we had the season-opener, but we look at that more like a glorified practice. For a lot of the skiers there, it was their first time on snow this season. It’d be nice if the snow would stay around.”

Training without snow has been a challenge for DeAngelis and his team, too.

“It’s hard to train when all you can do is go around and around and around on a soccer field,” said DeAngelis. “Last week, for some practices, we didn’t ski. We ran instead. I know that made the kids a bit upset, but skiing in circles isn’t enough to train.”

At Telstar, where skiers are closer to traditional Maine ski country, athletes have been on the snow a bit more frequently, but still have had little competition.

“I think our snow is as good as anyone’s right now,” said Telstar coach Gary Wight. “We had a small meet, but that was more for fun, with Mountain Valley and Dirigo over at the Bethel Inn. It’s still so early to tell how things are shaping up.”

The Maranacook girls’ nordic team won its opener at Sugarloaf, while the boys finished in second. Telstar, too, is looking strong in Class A.

Off and skiing

Mt. Blue’s alpine team has a simple philosophy about the lack of snow provided by Mother Nature this season: They made their own.

“We were out to Titcomb Mountain four or five days last week,” said Mt. Blue alpine coach Rick Hardy. “If the weather didn’t cooperate, we went out and made the snow. It would melt right back down into the pond, and the next day, we’d have to make it again.”

The only thing concerning Hardy at this point, then, is that his skiers, among the favorites in Class A, will get a bit stir crazy.

“You train so hard in an extended preseason, the urge sets in,” said Hardy. “I know the kids want to get out there and race, to see how they are coming with their training. This week will probably be a good week to find out.”

Mt. Blue opens its season with a meet Tuesday at Mt. Abram.

“By that point, I think almost everyone has had a chance to be on skis a few times and you can see where other schools stand at that point,” said Hardy.

Still early, but

Many schools have been struggling for slope time in recent weeks, but one major race did go off without a hitch at Sugarloaf: A 5-kilometer freestyle event with some of the better Class A and B teams in the state.

In the girls’ race, Class B Maranacook edged Class A Mt. Blue by two points, with Cape Elizabeth coming in third.

Edward Little girls’ team, paced by Laura Gardner in seventh place, finished in fourth, while Oxford Hills placed ninth and Leavitt showed in 10th.