By Marty Basch

On the road to Saddleback is the hardy 55-km Rangeley Lakes Trails Center with its  yurt base lodge. Many of the trails are sandwiched between Saddleback Lake and the ski area with opportunities to see into Canada and perhaps spot a moose a bit closer.

The 12-kilometer Outer Limits Loop is a popular excursion which sees some use during the annual Rangeley Lakes Loppet scheduled for March 5.

"A Nordic ski adventure awaits you," says the Center's Carol Sullivan.

Leave the yurt  for  the Larry Hall Trail for about three kilometers while meandering uphill for lake and mountain vistas. Another plus is sliding down Upper Pipeline for a 1.5 km descent before getting into a good snowplow for a right on the Bridge Trail and some more time in the woods with a bridge crossing. Once the trail leave the stream for  an easy stretch, look out for the glacial erratic, Junction Rock. It's a landmark for a left on Lower Pumphouse Road. After a relaxing 2.5 km, you level out by the lake and can see the pump house used for Saddleback's snowmaking system. Rest at the picnic tables that hopefully have been graciously dug out before following signs to return to that yurt on Lower Pipeline and Tote Road which has some dipsy-doos by a couple of bridges but is largely flat.

Reputed to be Maine's most painted and photographed covered bridge, skiers can schuss to the Artist's Covered Bridge built in 1872  from the 35-kilometers of trails at the Sunday River Outdoor Center in Newry.

"Our most popular route is to the Artist's Covered Bridge much in part because of its scenery, ease, and length," says Sunday River's Darcy Morse.

The bridge is reached via a 3.5-km ski along flat terrain that gives way to rolling hills that a skier with snowplow skills can handle. Along the way are views of Sunday River's eight peaks and a good ol' outhouse that's maintained. From the center, skiers leave the Inn Loop for American Harrow's rollers. Then the combination of Brown Jug, Boom Chain and Mother's Cut-off returns skiers to American Harrow and then Wanigan lead to the easy glide on the Covered Bridge Trail. Go over the river and through the woods but also cross a road (take off the skis before the final push through a field, by a farmhouse and the bridge.  There are options to get back including the hills and bridge of Wanigan and the herringbone up the Rollway or take a longer way around Gulch to the Inn Loops. 

Long a favorite of downhillers, the Carrabassett Valley is a growing choice for free-heelers from the expanding Maine Huts system to the 90-kilometer of groomed lanes at the Sugarloaf Outdoor Center.

Billing itself as Maine's largest Nordic Center, the Outdoor Center also has many "Oh My Gosh" corners like that view of Sugarloaf you get driving up Route 26.

But it's on skis.

The 10-kilometer Burnt Mountain Loop provides quite the workout with some fine scenery.

"This is a 'must-do' trail for the serious skier," says Center manager Scott Dolan.

From the lodge follow Trail 1 east to its intersection with trail 50. Ski the west trail section of Trail 50, climbing steadily past Trails 29 and 22, where the trail flattens briefly to provide outstanding views of the Bigelow Mountain Range.  The climb continues to the trail's highest point, 700 feet above Pretty Bog, and the hiking trailhead for the east trail to Burnt Mountain.  Enjoy the ride as the Burnt Mountain Trail starts its curvy descent immediately.  It allows one flat section before a very steep 100-meter-drop and sweeping turn.  The remainder of the trail is a more gradual descent, followed by a 300-meter-long climb up to the "Yard," where Trail 50 rejoins Trail 1.