The proverb, “A year of snow, a year of plenty,” has a basis in the agricultural truth that a deep snow cover protects plants and trees from the cold and can thereby boost the following growing season. For those who like to snowshoe, ski, snowmobile, ice fish, or enjoy the snow in other ways, the benefits come much sooner.
Plain and simple, this is the best (purest, deepest, softest, whitest, longest lasting) snow I can remember in Waldo County. In the Eskimo language, it is muruaneq, soft deep snow. Or in the Inuit, maxtla, “snow that hides the whole village, or simply tlapa, powder snow.
According to NOAA maps, Maine is currently covered by 6 to 30 inches of snow, with the average depth being about 20 inches. That’s enough snow to fill Sebago Lake (deepest and 2nd largest lake in Maine) 14 times.
The snow water equivalent of our current snowpack averages about 3 inches statewide, which is — in itself — enough to fill Sebago Lake twice. Melt all that snow and you have 1.8 trillion gallons of water. Bottle and sell those gallons for a dollar apiece and you could run the state budget for 200 years. That’s a lot of snow.
But you can’t sell the snow, of course. And t least some of us wouldn’t want to. For those who cross country ski, snowshoe, or snowmobile, waking up after a snow storm is the equivalent of waking up to find our houses magically, overnight have been transported to the shore of a massive and breathtakingly beautiful lake. Recreational opportunities that did not exist a day ago now beckon at our doorsteps. What previously seemed private is a vast public commons. Where travel was previously limited is a vast network of pathways. For all it’s uses, including just for the view, the “lake” becomes the center of our day.
I am fortunate to be able to access the Little River Community Trail (and nearby network of ski and snowshoe trails) from my back door. Currently, most of the trails are tracked and gorgeous. The skiing doesn’t get better than this.
If a person’s wealth were based on the miles of cross country ski trails leading from their backyard, some of us would be feeling wealthy indeed. Better yet, in this case at least, it’s easy to share the wealth. Hoping to cross tracks with you soon!