Saturday’s skate at Torsey Pond

Hi all:

Last winter I skated only once (a travesty!) and this winter I’m determined to skate at least 10x more than that (if conditions allow). Yesterday I got out on the ice for my first skate of the season and it felt awesome although it was a bit of a challenge finding good/safe ice. The temps were pretty warm and rising in Southern Maine, but as we drove toward New Gloucester (car was reading 35º) we heard on public radio that it was 26º in Augusta so up to the Augusta area we hustled. On Friday, I read all kinds of skating reports and came across Torsey Pond in Readfield so that was our new destination. We first stopped at Cochnewagon Pond in Monmouth, but by using the homemade ice skewer that my step-dad made for me, we quickly determined that the ice was not thick enough for our skating pleasure, but mostly it wasn’t safe enough. Just 20 minutes north at Torsey Pond, the ice was plenty thick and we saw two skaters already on the ice, leading the way. Skating about 20 feet from the pond’s edge we found fabulous ice that was safe and slick. Maybe a little too slick for Fannie with her aging hips, but Alfredo had a blast scampering over the frozen water. The skate was about 6+ miles — overcast, serene, and gorgeous. We skated on black ice by the Kents Hill Alpine Training Center, right past an ice fisherman with his son, and saw two more skaters who came up behind us with huge smiles on their faces. After coming off the ice, we headed toward Mount Vernon keeping an eye open for more good ice. Sadly, nothing skateable came up. But we did stop for a delicious lunch at Scapes Cafe (highly recommend). And then it was back to Portland. The skating season is fickle and you gotta grab it when it’s good.

Happy adventuring,