As we approached the end of February, the weather weenies on TV kept telling us how cold it was. It was winter in Maine and temperatures were into the teens and 20s during the day and a bit colder at night. It might have been a few degrees below normal, but for skiers it was ideal.

The high sun was actually melting snow in the driveway, but we were being told it was cold. We got more of the same this week as February turned to March. Where do these people come from? The last two weeks in February were near perfect for skiing. It was cold enough to maintain packed powder surfaces and warm enough to ski in comfort.

When I talked with Greg Sweetser at Ski Maine this past week, he told me Maine’s ski areas had a great vacation week. It was too early to have actual numbers, but it was obvious Maine skiers didn’t pay much attention to all the wind-chill baloney.

Now we can expect March to be even better. The sun is high so we have good light from the time the lifts open until closing. Weeks of snowmaking combined with abundant natural snow have raised base depths to a point where we don’t have to consider what’s beneath the it. It’s the absolute best month to ski. And if temperatures are bit below normal, all the better. It will be that many more packed powder ski days before we have to think about spring conditions.

Ski racing events

This past week’s snow was welcome at most ski areas, but this time of year it can also be a headache. Sugarloaf was in the first of two weeks of big racing, and snow makes it tough. Last week it was the Eastern Junior championships and next week the J2 Junior National championships will take place. Last week it was racers age 15-19, all hoping to take the next step to the U.S. Team. This week 140 racers from the U.S., Canada and Europe will fight for the titles with the top two in each event winning an invitation to the U.S. Nationals. Sugarloaf is the only mountain in New England that can host all four events, with the Narrow Gauge homolugated for World Cup Downhill. These young skiers won’t be starting as high as the World Cuppers did in 1971’s Tall Timber Classic, but they will hit the toughest part of the run, including the Headwall.

February has been a big month at the Loaf starting with the Sugarloaf/USA Charity Summit. This event raised $105,000 for the Maine Cancer Foundation and the Martha B. Webber Cancer Awareness Fund. Sugarloaf skiers are to be congratulated for this event where all the money stays in Maine.

One of our favorite events takes place next weekend at Mt. Cranmore. The Hannes Schneider Meister Cup Race, which runs March 11-13, is a full weekend celebration of the origins of skiing in the Mt. Washington Valley. Sponsored by the New England Ski Museum, the event includes races for a variety of teams. The Carroll Reed Cup is for the top team from the snowsports industry. The 10th Mountain Trophy goes to the fastest team of veterans or active duty military skiers. There will also be junior teams and others put together from various businesses and organizations. One highlight is the fashion show of vintage ski wear and equipment and some will actually race on vintage gear. It’s a lot of fun to participate in or just watch. Call 1-800-639-4181 for information.

Miller time?

March is also the month when the World Cup titles will be decided. Last weekend’s technical events saw Bode Miller’s overall lead cut to just 31 points, but the schedule does favor Miller over his Austrian opponent Benjamin Raich. After this weekend’s DH and SG, only the finals remain, a DH, SG, GS and SL. Raich doesn’t ski downhill so Miller has two more races and could build an insurmountable lead before the final races. If Bode can finish the final GS and slalom races, he can probably win the overall title, but that has been his problem. While Raich was getting medals in GS and SL, Miller was skiing out of the course. By mid afternoon today, the stage will be set.

Dave Irons is a freelance writer who lives in Maine.