An outlet of Highland Lake, among lakes that make Bridgton attractive for winter and summer recreation. IT is water, whether falling as powdery snow at a ski area or freezing as ice on a lake perfect for snowmobiling, that defines the part of western Maine around Bridgton that is known as the Lakes District. With two major lakes and a “pond” — Long Lake, Highland Lake and Moose Pond are 5,295 acres, 1,334 acres and 1,697 acres, respectively — Bridgton is a winter playground, with ice fishing , snowshoeing and ski touring as options. The Polanskys — she is a social worker and he is an orthopedic surgeon — bought a house on the lake in 1989 for $255,000, tore it down in 2006 and bought eight more acres for $330,000. In winter, she said, “We go out on the lake with snowmobiles — from the lake there’s miles of snowmobile trails that can take you anywhere, even up to Canada. Every year, Tom Gyger, a third-generation native, cuts 15 to 20 miles of cross-country trails on his 225-acre farm near Bridgton and on neighboring land protected by the Loon Echo Land Trust, which safeguards more than 3,300 acres in the area. read more