Welcome to the Mainely Skiing Weekly Email! This email will be sent straight to your inbox at the end of every week to highlight what’s happening with your Maine ski resort!

Opening Day at Saddleback:
Mark your calendars! Saddleback Mountain opens on December 10! Crews are working around the clock to make sure we have a solid opening and season. Lift Maintenance strung the haul rope this week, and snowmakers have been blowing that beautiful white stuff we all love whenever temps allow. Plus, various updates around the resort:
- Retail – Moved back to the original location (Open Friday – Sunday, 11:00am-4:00pm)
- 15% Off Early Season Lodging – Use code MtnHolly at checkout. *Participating properties only.
- Rental Shop – Open for pre-season tune-ups and binding checks (Open Midweek 8:00am – 4:00pm and on the weekend from 9:00am – 4:00pm)
- The PUB is open with a new menu! Check it out at saddlebackmaine.com/dining
- New Ski School Programs – FUNdamentals of Ski Racing
To view all the various improvements and updates, check out the latest Saddleback email.

Mountain Report:
Saddleback: 0 / 68 Trails Open
Sugarloaf: 20 / 162 Trails Open
Sunday River: 19 / 139 Trails Open
Pleasant Mountain: 0 / 47 Trails Open
Trail of the Day: Candyside (Sugarloaf)
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: |
---|---|---|---|
Saddleback Mountain Opening Day | December 10 | December 10 | One Day |
Ski Patrol Christmas Dinner @ Saddleback | December 10 | December 10 | One Day |
Pleasant Mountain Opening Day | December 10 | December 10 | One Day |
Holiday Tree Lighting @ Sugarloaf | December 10 | December 10 | One Day |
Sunday River Santa Sunday | December 11 | December 11 | One Day |
Jordan 8 Opening (*tentative) | December 17 | December 17 | One Day |
Winterfest Weekend @ Sunday River | December 17 | December 18 | Two Days |
Christmas Vacation Week | December 26 | December 30 | Five Days |
RLTC Joins Indy Pass:
The Rangeley Lakes Trails Center has officially been added to the Indy Pass roster. RLTC is on the Saddleback Access Road and is a perfect visit on those wind-hold days or if you’re looking for something else to do during the long vacation weeks. With roughly 30 miles of trails, they have what you’re looking for XC Trails, Fatbiking, Hiking, and more. For more information, click the link below! Congrats, RLTC – Welcome to the Indy Pass!

Jordan 8 Opening:
Get ready to ride Maine’s only High-Speed 8-Person Lift! Sunday River’s Jordan 8 lift, as part of the Sunday River 2030 plan, has a tentative opening date of December 17. They are choosing to raffle tickets to ride this to benefit the River Fund, and Maine Adaptive. Tickets will be sold for $5 dollars and won’t be included in the cost of a normal lift ticket. This raffle is choose the first 8 people, or first chair, to ride the lift. For all the special details, click here. To learn all about it along with purchasing a ticket, click the link below.

Saddleback Ski Patrol:
As we gear up for an incredible ski season, consider sponsoring a Saddleback Ski Patroller! Did you know a volunteer ski patroller spends $87 on fees and registration plus gas and lodging for two days of training before even getting on the mountain? You can help offset that cost so our patrollers can keep doing what they do best! To donate, click the link below.

Registration for Santa Sunday Is Now Open:
Signups for Sunday River’s Santa Sunday are open now! You don’t want to miss this special holiday event. The more the merrier and they’re always accepting people. Sign up by clicking the link 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. While you can catch some pretty amazing sunsets, you also are able to watch crews working. This past week, they strung the haul rope and the aXess gates are installed. Click the link below to watch them build the new Sandy Quad.

Last Chair:
With Saddleback’s opening day less than 10 days away, are you ready? The base area is looking very busy with lots of guns going, people working on the haul rope, and more! If you’re ripping it up on the slopes this winter, make sure to tag us on Twitter (@mainelyskiing) and we’ll repost!
Weather:
This past week was pretty wild. Temps fluctuated from favorable to non-favorable within a few hours. This wacky weather pattern made the jobs of snowmakers almost impossible. On one hand, the wind has died down which will allow snowmakers to make snow on the trails, rather than in the woods, however, we are forecasting some non-solid precipitation on Saturday. Make sure to check out the Mountain Lift Status as more lifts are opening daily. Click the link below for more.
Day: | Friday: | Saturday: | Sunday: |
High: | 34 | 43 | 25 |
Low: | 26 | 23 | 22 |
Fingers crossed for solid, frozen, precipitation!
– Keegan
