Winter will be cold; summer will be hot. This we know. It's the transitional "shoulder seasons" that provide greater uncertainty. We could have significant snow on the ground on in early December, but we do not this year.



It's cold enough. It's cold enough that you could skate on Adder Pond (also known as Hopkins Pond) on the east end of Proctor's land.



I've skated on Adder, with hockey sticks and a bonfire blazing. That is the start of a great winter: smooth pond ice before inevitable snow and sleet. 





I know families so driven to skate on remote ponds before snow that they hiked the mile up to Proctor's Mud Pond.



"Mud Pond" may sound sort of basic, and it is just a common mountainside beaver pond, but it is also a pristine, magical place. You might even stay at Greg's Adirondack hut! 



But you want to skate with good light or a full moon, to navigate the pond's many snags.





Today, we're skaing at "The Ted," where Proctor is hosting a first annual Thanksgiving Tournament.



On the topic of frozen H2O, no advtertisement could accomplish what we get out of early season snow-making at Proctor Ski Area, which is prominently visible to thousands of people passing though Andover each day.



Snow making has been expanded again this year! This spectacle is the product of the work of dozens of hill workers and hundreds of financial supporters of Proctor Ski Area.