Tag: Downhill Biking

  • Mainely Skiing Weekly Email (June 6, 2025)

    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!

    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! Plus, check out our Featured Events page where we dive deeper into the events we don’t want you to miss!

    Event Name:Start Date:End Date:Occurrence:
    Rangeley Birding FestivalJune 5June 8Four Days
    National Trails Day Hike @ SaddlebackJune 7June 7One Day
    Best of Maine Voting EndsJune 12June 12One Day
    Saddleback Bike Park Opens for Pedal PowerJune 13June 13One Day
    Rangeley Lupine FestivalJune 14June 14One Day
    Black Mountain of Maine Golf Tournament @ Oakdale Country ClubJune 14June 14One Day
    Titcomb Ski Club Educational Foundation Golf Tournament @ Sugarloaf Golf CourseJune 16June 16One Day
    Mt. Abram Bike Park Opens for the SeasonJune 19June 19One Day
    Summer Après Series @ SugarloafJune 20June 20One Day
    3rd. Annual WinterKids Mountain Mayhem @ Mt. AbramJune 21June 21One Day
    Elyte Performance Fitting @ Sugarloaf Golf CourseJune 21June 21One Day
    Rangeley Oquossoc Adventure RendezvousJune 21June 22Two Days
    Arts & Crafts Show in RangeleyJuly 3July 3One Day
    Sunday River Summer Kick OffJuly 3July 5Three Days
    Scenic Lift Rides @ SaddlebackJuly 3August 31Every Thurs, Sat-Sun
    Scenic Lift Rides @ Sunday RiverJuly 3August 31Every Thurs-Sun
    Sugarloaf Mountain Bike Park Tentative Opening DayJuly 4July 4One Day
    Scenic Lift Rides @ SugarloafJuly 4August 31Every Fri-Sun
    Fireworks @ Sunday RiverJuly 5July 5One Day
    Summer Après Series @ SugarloafJuly 11July 11One Day
    44th. Annual Logging Festival in RangeleyJuly 11July 12Two Days
    Ruff Mountain @ Sunday RiverJuly 11July 12Two Days
    Pink Talking Fish @ Sunday RiverJuly 25July 26Two Days
    Tough Mountain Challenge @ Sunday RiverJuly 26July 27Two Days
    Mini Mountain Challenge @ Sunday RiverJuly 27July 27One Day
    Cheap Trick @ Rangeley Health and WellnessJuly 27July 27One Day
    Oquossoc Day 2025August 16August 16One Day
    Summer Après Series @ SugarloafAugust 22August 22One Day
    Summer Après Series @ SugarloafSeptember 26September 26One Day

    Rangeley Birding Festival:

    The Rangeley Birding Festival is a four-day event that is all about birds in and around the Rangeley area. Starting next weekend on Thursday, June 5 through Sunday, June 8. With signature events like lift rides up Saddleback’s Rangeley Express, A Paddle on the Kennebago River, and activities for all ages. Purchase tickets on their website below and see the full event schedule there.

    mainelyskiing.com

    Best Of Maine Voting Now Open:

    Voting Ends Thurs, June 12

    Downeast Magazine’s Best of Maine 2025 voting is now open. Five ski mountains are on the list this year. Camden Snow Bowl, Mt. Abram, Saddleback, Sugarloaf, and Sunday River are all up for the title of Best Ski Mountain in Maine. While I won’t tell you which mountain I voted for, here are my other votes for the categories:

    Food & Drink:
    • Bakery – Momo’s Cheesecakes
    • Bar – Bigelow Brewing Company
    • Brewery – Bigelow Brewing Company
    • Chocolatier – Wilbur’s of Maine
    • Coffee Roasters – Carrabassett Coffee Roasters
    • Hard-Cider Maker – Ricker Hill Mainiac Hard Cider
    • Ice-Cream Maker – Fielder’s Choice
    Arts & Culture:
    • Maine Pro or College Sports Mascot – Slugger / Portland Sea Dogs
    Home & Garden:
    • Architect – Barrett Made
    • Builder – Barrett Made
    Travel & Play:
    • Golf Course – Sugarloaf
    • Maine State Park – Baxter State Park
    • Ski Mountain – ???
    • Trivia Night – Sarge’s Sports Pub & Grub
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    National Trails Day Hike With MATC:

    Head on up to Saddleback on National Trails Day, this Saturday, June 7, for a hike with the Maine Appalachian Trail Club. Space is limited, so reserve your spot today! Learn more and sign up using the link below:

    saddlebackmaine.com

    Saddleback Bike Park Pedal Power Open:

    The Saddleback Bike Park will be opening their trails to pedal power only next Friday, June 13th. While the South Branch Quad isn’t slated to open until July 3, the trails are ready to rip. Check out the map and purchase tickets using the link below.

    saddlebackmaine.com

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    Rangeley Lupine Festival:

    The Lupine Festival will be happening on Saturday, June 14 from 10:00am-4:00pm at the Outdoor Heritage Museum. Located at 8 Rumford Road in Oquossoc, over 40 local Maine vendors will be there. The Museum and its store will also be open for visitors. Admission is free but access to the museum’s exhibits are $8.00 for adults and free for kids 12 and under. Learn more on their website below.

    historicrangeley.org

    BMOM Golf Tournament:

    Black Mountain of Maine’s board of directors presents the annual golf tournament at Oakdale Country Club. This 18 hole, 4 ball scramble is on June 14th with an 8:00am registration & 9:00am start. Lunch will be at 2:00pm & is included with the registration fee. The deadline to register is May 28th. Learn more below.

    skiblackmountain.org

    Photo: Black Mountain of Maine
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    Titcomb Ski Club Educational Foundation:

    The Titcomb Ski Club Educational Foundation will be hosting a golf tournament on Monday, June 16. Shotgun start at 9:00am at Sugarloaf Golf Course. For additional questions or to register, click the link below.

    forms.gle/titcomb

    New Sticker Just Dropped:

    A brand new sticker has just hit the shop with the release of the state’s new pine tree license plate. The new sticker matches our Chickadee Plate with “Skier” as the text. Pick one up today to match your new plate!

    mainelyskiing.com/stickers

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    Mt. Abram Bike Park Opens 6/19:

    Mt. Abram has been hard at work getting their mountain bike trails and lifts ready to go. Unfortunately, their lifts need some work before they can load guests. This lift work has resulted in the bike park opening much later than anticipated with the opening date set for June 19. Learn more and purchase tickets below.

    mtabram.com

    Big Moose Mountain Meeting:

    On Monday, Big Moose Mountain attended the Town of Greenville’s meeting where they received a $50,000 pledge toward the acquisition of the ski resort property, thanks to a strong showing of support. On Tuesday, the Watt Family and the Indian Hill Trading Post put up a matching $50,000 pledge toward the mission. The non-profit is looking good right now but there is still lots to go! If you have the ability to donate, the link is below.

    skibigmoose.com

    Upper Mountain – Taken 9.15.24
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    Elyte Performance Fitting:

    Head over to Sugarloaf Golf Course on Saturday, June 21 for their Elyte Performance Fitting presented by Callaway. Join us the folks from Callaway as they share the game-changing innovations in this incredible new lineup of drivers. Learn more below.

    sugarloaf.com

    Rangeley Oquossoc Adventure Rendezvous:

    This two-day, 40-mile paddling event is part of the Maine High Peaks PaddleFest and goes from June 21 to June 22. For more information and to register, click the link below.

    northernforestcanoetrail.org

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    Sunday River Summer Kick Off:

    Kick start summer at Sunday River with loads of events and fireworks on July 5. Join other skiers and riders from Sunday River for the unofficial start of the summer season at the resort. With live music, fireworks, scenic chairlift rides, and more! See the full schedule of events below.

    Thursday, July 3
    Event NameLocationTime
    Lawn GamesSouth Ridge10:00am-4:00pm
    Scenic Lift RidesChondola10:00am-4:00pm
    Sunday River OutfittersSouth Ridge10:30am-3:30pm
    Friday, July 4
    Event NameLocationTime
    Lawn GamesSouth Ridge10:00am-4:00pm
    Scenic Lift RidesChondola10:00am-4:00pm
    Kids Adventure Scavenger HuntSouth Ridge10:00am-4:00pm
    Sunday River OutfittersSouth Ridge10:30am-3:30pm
    Live Music – Northside RamblersSouth Ridge11:30am-2:30pm
    Saturday, July 5
    Event NameLocationTime
    Scenic Lift RidesChondola10:00am-4:00pm
    Lawn GamesSouth Ridge10:00am-9:00pm
    Kids Adventurre Scavenger HuntSouth Ridge10:00am-9:00pm
    Sunday River OutfittersSouth Ridge10:30am-3:30pm
    Live Music – Northside RamblersSouth Ridge2:30pm-5:30pm
    Live Music – The Middle Men BandSouth Ridge6:00pm-9:00pm
    FireworksSouth Ridge9:00pm

    sundayriver.com

    Live Music at 45 North:

    45 North at Sugarloaf will be offering live music every Monday, all summer long. See the full schedule below.

    DateTimeArtist
    June 165:00-7:00pmRobin Cottle
    June 235:00-7:00pmDon Rogers
    July 75:00-7:00pmRobin Cottle
    July 145:00-7:00pmDon Rogers
    July 215:00-7:00pmRobin Cottle
    July 285:00-7:00pmDon Rogers
    August 45:00-7:00pmRobin Cottle
    August 115:00-7:00pmDon Rogers
    August 185:00-7:00pmRobin Cottle
    August 255:00-7:00pmDon Rogers

    sugarloaf.com

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    Sugarloaf Bike Park Opening July 4:

    ‘New England’s Newest Mountain Bike Park’ will be opening in the Whiffletree Area on July 4th weekend. Lift tickets are as low as $25 for the whole day. On Friday and Saturday, the lift will spin from 10:00am – 6:00pm and 10:00am – 4:00pm on Sundays. Learn more and purchase your ticket by clicking the link below.

    sugarloaf.com

    Westside Beer Garden Music Schedule:

    The Westside Beer Garden at Mt. Abram recently shared their summer music schedule through June. See all of the dates and artists listed below.

    DateTimeArtist
    June 64:00-7:00pmChris Goodenough
    June 74:00-7:00pmLee Stearns
    June 134:00-7:00pmLucas Roy
    June 144:00-7:00pmThe Pond House Trio
    June 204:00-7:00pmJed Allen
    June 264:00-7:00pmJonah Bruce
    June 275:00-8:00pmBryon Glaus
    June 285:00-8:00pmThe Middlemen Band

    westsidebeergarden.com

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    44th Annual Logging Festival:

    The 44th Annual Logging Festival will be taking place in Rangeley Maine on July 11th and 12th. This year’s parade theme is “Forests From Around The World”. The parade will be on Saturday, July 12 and everyone is welcome to enter a float. To learn more, contact the Maine Forestry Museum’s Parade Coordinator, Linda Sikes at (207) 491-6566. See their website below.

    maineforestrymuseum.org

    Photo: Kyle Haley

    Ruff Mountain:

    Sunday River’s Annual Ruff Mountain, a weekend filled with dogs. Dock-jumping dogs, live music, great food, and plenty of fun for the whole family is waiting for you at Sunday River on July 11th and 12th. Learn more and see the full event rundown below.

    sundayriver.com

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    Summer Après Series at Sugarloaf:

    Sugarloaf will once again be hosting the Summer Après Series on the Beach. The free concerts on the beach will be performed by the the following artists on the dates below.

    • Friday, June 20 – Cowboy Angels
    • Friday, July 11 – Work Trucks
    • Friday August 22 – Seagrass
    • Friday, September 26 – Jordan Kaulback

    sugarloaf.com

    Pink Talking Fish:

    Pink Talking Fish will be at Sunday River on both Friday, July 25 and Saturday July 26. Tickets are now avalable to be purhcased through Sunday River by clicking the link below.

    sundayriver.com

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    Sunday River Tough Mountain Challenge:

    The Tough Mountain Challenge comes to South Ridge on Saturday, July 26 with the Mini Mountain Challenge for the kiddos on Sunday, July 27. See the course, learn more, and register by clicking the link below.

    mainelyskiing.com/tough-mountain-challenge

    Summer Activities:

    As the days get warmer, we’re starting to think about summer activities. There’s a lot to do in the Western Maine mountains during the “off-season”, and we want to lay it all out for you. Click over to the Summer Activities page to see the rundown, linked below!

    mainelyskiing.com/summer-activities

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    Decorate in Style:

    Bring the outside in with our various ski related prints. Complete your house or ski condo with photos of Maine Ski Mountains. We offer 20×16″ prints or framed options as well! Check out the print shop today!

    mainelyskiing.com/prints

    Photo: Casablanca Glades Print

    Featured Events Page:

    Check out the latest page on the website: Featured Events. This is a page where we share the big events happening at Maine ski areas that you don’t want to miss! Check it out below:

    mainelyskiing.com/featured-events

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    Webcams:

    Keep an eye on your favorite mountain with their webcams. With multiple cameras, you’re guaranteed to get the best view. Watching the sunset? You can go back in time if you missed the best part. Check them out. by clicking the link below!

    Last Chair:

    I wasn’t complaining about those warm temps we saw in the later part of this week. The sunshine was a welcome change from what has become the normal of clouds, rain, and cold weather.

    Weather:

    We’re looking at a little bit of a cool down compared to the recent temperatures. Although this brings it back to normal temps this time of year, the rain isn’t looking good. Take today or Sunday and get out, swing a club, explore the birds, or hit any of your favorite hiking trails.

    Day:Friday:Saturday: Sunday:
    High:71°  66°   68°  
    Low:57° 54° 50°
    Based out of Rangeley

    Gotta go, the birds are calling!

    – Keegan

  • Mainely Skiing Weekly Email (September 15, 2023)

    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!

    Maine Foliage Report:

    The Maine Foliage Report brought to you by MaineFoliage.com

    The Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (DACF) fall foliage spokesperson Gale Ross has announced the start of foliage season throughout the state. The first 2023 Maine Fall Foliage Report, issued each Wednesday throughout the foliage season, reports very little color change throughout the state.

    “I like to remind folks that the color change depends on the weather as we advance into fall. We rely on the cooler temperatures and shorter days to enhance the progression of color”

    This Week’s Foliage Outlook

    “This summer, Maine received a considerable amount of rainfall which will enhance the fall colors, unlike the past two seasons when the state’s forests were impacted by summer drought. Minimal defoliation in certain tree species may impact color in some areas due to the wetter than normal summer, but it should not have a significant impact on our foliage season,” said Gale Ross, Maine’s fall foliage spokesperson.

    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 PubJuly 9September 24Every Sunday
    Northwoods Gravel Grind AfterpartySeptember 9September 9One Day
    Xterra Trail Run World Championships @ SugarloafOctober 1October 1One Day
    Sugarloaf HomecomingOctober 6October 8Three Days
    Oktoberfest 2023 @ SaddlebackOctober 7October 7One Day
    Sunday River Fall FestivalOctober 7October 8Two Days

    XTERRA Trail Run:

    Join Sugarloaf on Sep 30 – Oct 1 for the XTERRA Trail Run World Series. Sugarloaf Mountain has been chosen as the pinnacle event for the  XTERRA Trail Run World Series.  A weekend-long trail running festival that will see top elite and amateur runners compete for $10,000 in prize money and XTERRA championship crowns in both full and half marathon distances.  Live music, great food, and family entertainment will keep the energy high throughout the weekend, with 5K and 10K trail runs, and races for kids to ensure everybody can get involved. For more information and to sign up, click the link below.

    sugarloaf.com

    Big Squaw Mountain Still Needs Your Help:

    Big Squaw Mountain, now called Big Moose Mountain in Greenville, Maine needs your help. The mountain has been working hard to reclaim the upper mountain trails and bring them back to skiable trails. This is only made possible due to their support on GoFundMe. The mountain has raised about 30% of their goal of $60,000. If you’ve skied here before the upper mountain closed in 2004, you know it was a special experience. You can help bring this back by donating to the mountain’s GoFundMe. Click the link below to see the money raised and donate.

    gofundme.com

    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.

    sundayriver.com
    sugarloaf.com

    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.

    saddlebackmaine.com

    Fall 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.

    mainelyskiing.com

    Saddleback Bike Park Open:

    The Saddleback Bike Park is back open! Let’s all do a little dance to stop the rain… I mean, it’s a suggestion. Anyway, the sun has come out once again, which allowed for the trails to dry up a bit and the crews to get back out and touch them up. The riding will be a little muddy still, but never-the-less fun!

    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.

    saddlebackmaine.com

    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 December – early January 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 and Sugarloaf’s continued investment to their mountain. 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.

    facebook.com/sugarloaf

    sugarloaf.com

    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.

    sundayriver.com

    Facebook Video

    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!

    saddlebackmaine.com

    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 Rangeley, Oquossoc, Bryan, Farmington, Farmington Falls, Jay, Wilton, and more. Drive safe, Mainely Skiers!

    Weather:

    Tropical Storm Warning! Most of Eastern, Central, and Southern Maine are in the Tropical Storm Warning. Remember to take the necessary precautions to prepare and plan for the storm.

    Other than Saturday being the day of the storm, the other days look good for some time outside. It’s time to get out because Life is Better Outside!

    Day:Friday:Saturday:Sunday:
    High:64 57 70
    Low:53 49 51
    Based out of Rangeley

    Stay safe, everyone!

    – Keegan