Welcome to the Mainely Skiing Summer Email! This email will be sent straight to your inbox whenever we release new emails. In this email, we will highlight all the summer activities in or around the Rangeley Area!
Fresh Off The Truck:
Yesterday, Saddleback received their delivery from Michigan of their new SMI Snowguns. The shipment included two automated Super Puma snow guns, 27 Grizzly Low-E stick guns, and more PoleCats. They claim, “The Super Puma automatic fan guns are the first in our snowmaking lineup. Big throw = more snow”. The countdown to winter is on!
Know Be”fore” You Go:
Time to tee off, Mainely Skiers! All golf courses are open and looking good. Your location tells you a lot about where you’re next round will be played, but I can assure you that where ever you go, you’ll have a great time out on the course. When outside, remember to bring sunscreen, bug spray, water, and tick repellent. It’s also a good idea to wear pants to protect yourself against ticks. Do tick checks often and always.
Upcoming Events:
Make sure to add these events to your calendar to keep yourself up to date with the local happenings. Of course, you can always visit our events page, which is constantly getting updated so you can know about the event before anyone else! Click here
| Event Name: | Start Date: | End Date: | Occurrence: |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brunch In The Pub | July 9 | September 24 | Every Sunday |
| BiKaRu Race in Rangeley | August 13 | August 13 | One Day |
| Northwoods Gravel Grind Afterparty | September 9 | September 9 | One Day |
| Xterra Trail Run World Championships @ Sugarloaf | October 1 | October 1 | One Day |
| Sugarloaf Homecoming | October 6 | October 8 | Three Days |
| Oktoberfest 2023 @ Saddleback | October 7 | October 7 | One Day |
| Sunday River Fall Festival | October 7 | October 8 | Two Days |
Oktoberfest 5k Signups:
It’s that time again to start thinking about the fall. After waiting, for what seems like forever, we finally have warm weather. If you’re looking to cool down a little and think about the fall, the Saddleback 5k signups are now open.
Registration & Timeline:
- Registration Location: The registration area is located in front of the MAIN BASE LODGE. There is plenty of free parking.
- Bib/T-shirt Packet pick-up will be on race day beginning at 8:30 am
- The race begins at 10:00 AM.
- Registration Fee $40
- The requested T-shirt size cannot be guaranteed after September 20
- The top 3 male/female finishers will receive prizes.
- No dogs allowed
- The lift will not spin for rides to the top during the 5k.
For more information and to sign up for the race, click the link below.
Scenic Lift Rides:
Scenic Lift Rides are now open at Sugarloaf and Sunday River! Take a ride up the Chondola at Sunday River or the SuperQuad at Sugarloaf. Click the respective links to learn more about catching the chair.
The Chondola is dog, kid, and grandparent-friendly, so you’ll want to pack up your whole family for this scenic adventure. Lift rides are available from 10AM-4PM on Saturdays and Sundays from early July to mid-October. You can buy tickets online in advance, but will need to pick up your tickets upon arrival. You can also purchase tickets on-site at the various lodges and base areas. Lift tickets will be issued until 3:30PM or until capacity is reached. If you plan to ride the lift back to the bottom, please load before 4PM. For more information, visit the links below.
Summer Activities:
Check out the latest on the Summer Activities page on our website. This page gives access to all the incredible activities you can do in the mountains of Maine. From mountain biking, to hiking, swimming, and golfing, there is something for everyone. Check it out on the home page or by clicking the link below.
Saddleback Bike Park Now Open:
The Saddleback Bike Park is now open! Featuring their lift-serviced downhill.
They will be spinning their South Branch Quad Thursday through Sunday from 9:00 am to 3:47 pm. (We know it’s a weird time). This is to maximize your time outside and ride the newest summer project for yourself. During the winter months, when the mountain is spinning all six of their lifts, closing at 3:40 pm isn’t that big of a deal – there are other ways to ski until 4:00 pm. With this, however, the lift is moving slightly slower to allow the use of foot traffic.
The MTB crew is only getting started, and there are already plans to grow. In the meantime, check out their progress and purchase a pass to see for yourself by clicking the link below.
Sugarloaf Making Progress:
The newest major lift progress at Sugarloaf since the SuperQuad all the way back in 1994, the new Bucksaw Express will take skiers and riders to the top of West Mountain by the on-mountain Bullwinkles Grill. The lift will stretch 6,574 feet long and feature a 1,433-foot vertical rise. It will also be the future home to over 200 new homes including 52 single-family house lots.
The expansion will shorten the existing West Mountain Double Chair to the mid-station to relieve congestion at the top unload area. Set to debut in late January – early February with 12 trails: Bucksaw, Feller Buncher, Chipper, Hatchet, Whistle Punk, Beaver Tail, Knot Bumper, Gandy Dancer, Cutter, West Mtn. Crosscut, Twitcher, and Yarder. Although the difficulty ratings haven’t come out yet, I expect it to be around greens and blues with some blacks mixed in to keep things interesting.
Sugarloaf posted a video to Facebook showcasing the project their continued investment to snowmaking. They’re adding 246 high-efficiency HKD snow guns and over 88,000′ of new snowmaking pipe. Check out the full video below along with the 2030 plan.
The Barker 6 Mix:
Sunday River is making quick work on their newest project, a new, high-speed, detachable 6 person lift – Barker 6. This new lift is manufactured by the world’s leading lift manufacturer, Doppelmayr and is set to be complete by the 2023-24 ski season. This lift will be pretty much identical to the Jordan 8 by featuring heated, ergonomic seats, individual head & foot rests, weather-proof Sunday River Red bubble covers, automatically lowering and locking restraining bar, 13 towers with 63 chairs, and a ride time of just under 5 minutes. This new lift will be a game changer for the Barker area and for Sunday River as a whole.
As well as the Barker 6, Sunday River is installing their second triple chair on Merrill Hill. The new triple chair will provide more opportunities for ski-in, ski-out homes on Merrill Hill. This lift is the second Doppelmayr lift getting installed at the River. While this lift wasn’t in the public eye as much as Barker 6 until this week, the two lifts should be complete when the snow flies. Check out the progress from a photo Sunday River posted this week over on Merrill Hill. See more by clicking the links below.
Saddleback Webcams:
Have you visited the Saddleback Webcams? With three cameras scattered across the mountain, you’re guaranteed to get the best sunset. You could go back in time if you missed the best part. Click the link below to see last night’s sunset!
Last Chair:
With all the rain we’ve gotten recently, please make sure to drive carefully when coming up to the Rangeley area. Some roads are flooded or washed out entirely in parts of Farmington, Farmington Falls, Jay, Wilton, and more. Drive safe, Mainely Skiers!
Weather:
It’s looking like another electrified weekend – and sadly, I don’t mean that being exciting. We’re looking another weekend of rain and possible T-Storms happening all weekend. Here’s to hoping Sunday stays rain-free and we can do some activities outside. Unfortunately, this summer is shaping up to be the summer that wasn’t.
Life is better outside
– Keegan
Mainely Skiing 
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