Remember the scene in “The Wizard of Oz” when the Cowardly Lion, awakened by falling snow in a poppy field, says, “Unusual weather we’re having, ain’t it?” Well, it’s January – in Maine – and we’ve all been saying the same thing about the weather – including the month of December, because there isn’t much by way of falling snow … Certainly no accumulations of note. Which would make for unhappy skiing fans were it not for the snowmaking ability of ski resorts. Hitting the slopes and catching some air is difficult to do without the magical white stuff.

Five of Maine’s most popular ski areas – Sugarloaf/Carrabassett Valley, Saddleback/Rangeley, Sunday River/Newry, Pleasant Mountain (formerlyShawnee Peak)/Bridgton, and Camden Snow Bowl/Camden – have been busy making snow, when it’s been cold enough, to make up for Old Man Winter.

Not a downhill skiier? I hear ya. But cross country skiing and/or snowshoeing are made for us. Bring your own, or rent them! At Sugarloaf, over to the Outdoor Center, gorgeous scenery lines trails made for those who prefer an outdoor experience that’s slower-paced, more meditative if you will, than traveling down mountainsides at high speeds. (Insert shiver here.)

Saddleback has Rangeley Lakes Trails Center with a 55-kilometer groomed trail system, and ungroomed trails (what most of us are used to around these parts) specifically for the snowshoers!

Over in Sunday River’s neck of the woods, The Outdoor Center (under new ownership, no longer part of Sunday River) offers three areas – two in Bethel and one in Newry and they are all within eight miles of one another. Snowshoers can take part in guided moonlight hikes and marshmallow roasts!

Pleasant Mountain doesn’t offer snowshoe or cross-country opportunities, but there are several places out Bridgton way to check out like Pondicherry Park or Bald Peak and Sue’s Way or Five Fields Farm.

Just an hour north of us in Camden, Camden Hills State Park has super snowshoe and cross-country opportunities; Hosmer Brook and Ragged Mountain are snowshoe-only spots.

And Midcoast Conservancy’s Hidden Valley Nature Center in Jefferson offers lovely wooded trails.

Don’t you love how different sports have their own slang? Ski slang is quite entertaining: Female snowboarders are sometimes called “Betty;” speeding (on the reckless side) straight down a slope (yikes!) is called “bombing;” rocks poking out of the snow that could trip up skiers and snowboarders are called “chocolate chips;” on the grim side – “death cookies” refers to the frozen debris left by snowmaking and trail groom machines; someone who crashes into a tree (god and goddess help them) is said to “eat wood;” while someone passionate about powder days and large snowfalls is said to “love big dumps.”

Now, a “Jerry” is a person who knows zilch about skiing or snowboarding. That was me one day back in ’95 or ’96 when a friend, an avid “planker,” brought me to Sugarloaf for a brief getaway. I would have been happy to just stay in reading and sipping hot chocolate in front of the fireplace at the Grand Summit Hotel, or been up for snowshoeing instead, but no, I agreed despite my being acrophobic. I mean, what was the worst that could happen? And, wouldn’t it be great to have a sport we could share?

Anyway, we approached a small group of new skiers gathered around a ski instructor. My companion tells him that I was an experienced skier who just hadn’t skied for a long time. My jaw dropped, it felt like it touched the frozen tundra at my feet. Then, he set out to do some skiiing and I, the only adult I believe – it’s been quite a long time, and the children set out making “pizza slices” with our skis.

Afterward we were to tackle the little hills on the bunny slopes. OMG. The little kids are having no problems. I, on the other hand, kept losing my balance and falling … The jig was up. And so was my desire to learn to ski … Did I mention I have acrophobia (fear of heights) – and a really bad case it is. You’ll never catch me on a ferris wheel (no matter what friends tell you, for some reason they just cannot resist rocking from the top of the wheel).

Still at one point I remember being on a chairlift and freezing (from fear, not cold), unable to jump down onto the snow. Of course, eventually you have to, right? I was terrified. I could see myself becoming a screaming starfish – the term for someone flailing and cartwheeling down a hill while screaming. I had to get off the chairlift as the end of the line was approaching and I couldn’t see how I could stay on it and just go back to where I got on. So I disembarked ungracefully, and did tumble around a bit. Everything from that point is kind of a blur … Good times … insert eye roll here.

Whether you prefer skis, snowboards, snowshoes, or just a good pair of winter hiking boots, let your winter games begin!