Hiking Spruce Mountain in Livermore Falls, Maine (Ski Area #6)

I remember taking my high school ski team to Spruce for several races in the 1980s. The kids liked the area--it's down-home and folks are friendly. As I think back, I wonder if I once raced at Spruce, too. I think so.

What's cool about this family-oriented mountain, especially for racers, is the quick tow ride up. That means the racers can get in a slew of training runs with hundreds of gates. The mountain overlooks the Androscoggin River and the hillside towns of Livermore Falls and Jay. It's a classic ski area that serves its community well. Now, as for the %&^#$* ticks...

I picked at least 8 ticks off me on the ride back. They kept appearing, so I stopped and tried to look more thoroughly. When I got home, I found another... this one was a Lone Star. I'm sure Bailey is covered, but the good thing is that when they nip into him, they die a miserable death thanks to the oral medication, Nexgard. I like that–the death thing. Whoever invented ticks needs to live with Lyme Disease for a few years.

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