Welcome to the Mainely Skiing Fall Email! This email will be sent straight to your inbox whenever we release new emails. In this email, we will highlight all the fall activities in or around the Rangeley Area!
Maine Foliage Report:
The Maine Foliage Report brought to you by MaineFoliage.com
Augusta, MAINE – The fourth 2022 Fall Foliage Report from the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (DACF) reports moderate to high color change (50-70 percent) throughout most of Maine. As of October 5, 2022, Maine Forest Rangers in northern and western Maine report peak color conditions (75-100 percent) with low leaf drop.
Northern Maine (zones six and seven) is on track to reach peak conditions this week. Fall colors in all other areas of the state will occur from north to south through mid-October. Coastal Maine typically reaches peak color during mid-to-late October.
This Week’s Foliage Outlook
“The peak conditions projected for this upcoming long holiday weekend set us up for one of the best weekends to plan your fall foliage leaf-peeping trip to your favorite destinations. The canopies across Maine are showing off their most vibrant colors! The leaves are still clinging to the trees with low leaf drop throughout Maine, which makes for perfect timing for our leaf enthusiasts,” said Gale Ross, Maine’s fall foliage spokesperson.
Calendar Adds:
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 Oktoberfest | October 8 | October 8 | One Day |
| Sugarloaf Homecoming Weekend | October 8 | October 9 | Two Days |
| Fall Festival @ Sunday River | October 8 | October 9 | Two Days |
| Sugarloaf Uphill Climb | October 9 | October 9 | One Day |
| Sunday River Scenic Lift Rides | July 3 | October 10 | Every Day |
| Her Festival | October 20 | October 20 | One Day |
| Family Fall Festival | October 22 | October 22 | One Day |
| Rangeley Craft Fair | November 12 | November 12 | One Day |
Sugarloaf Uphill Climb:
Registration is now open for the Uphill Climb which returns Sunday, October 9th. Important Info:
- Starting at the SuperQuad, racers will run/hike/trudge about 2400 vertical feet to the summit.
- There will be two water stops along the course, offering water only.
- This race will occur rain or shine, so please plan accordingly and bring plenty of extra layers for the summit.
- No racers will be allowed on-course who have not registered, received a bib, or signed a liability release.
Sign up and get ready for a great run! For more information and how to register, click the link below.
Competition Hill Construction:
Crews started groundwork on Sugarloaf’s newest lift, Competition Hill, A new Doppelmayr T-Bar in collaboration with Sugarloaf and CVA to create a world-class training environment. This new lift, paired with fully automated snowmaking equipment will help give racers the confidence to go big! Sugarloaf hopes this new lift will help take pressure off main lifts on busy days. Watch the project take form by clicking the link below.
Saddleback Oktoberfest:
The second annual Oktoberfest at Saddleback is happening on October 8, 2022. With a free pass holder BBQ, beer, and other Oktoberfest activities, you don’t want to miss it! Plus, the Rangeley Quad will be spinning from 11-3pm for all those scenic views. Tickets are $10 and aren’t included in the festival ticket but are worth every penny! Passholders are free. For more information and to get tickets, head over to their website. Click the link below.
Sugarloaf Pump House:
Throughout the off-season, crews at Sugarloaf have been busy building a booster pump house above Bullwinkle’s. During a press release, the mountain said “The new pump house, combined with the addition of 107 new high-efficiency HKD snowguns will increase the number of guns the resort can run simultaneously under optimal conditions from roughly 130 to nearly 230. This will allow the resort to cover and open more terrain earlier in the season.” All of this is working for a better western mountain experience with the upcoming West Mountain High-Speed Lift and Timberline replacement/upgrade in the following years.
Fall Festival:
Don’t miss the Fall Festival happening this weekend at Sunday River! With events like the North American Wife Carrying Championship, 38th Annual Blue Mountain Arts & Crafts Fair, New England Cornhole Championship, and of course, scenic lift rides, why would you pass this up! For more information, visit the link below.
Scenic Lift Rides:
Before summer started, we talked about various mountains offering lift rides throughout the off-season. Both Sugarloaf and Sunday River have picked it up again with rides up/down the mountain. The Chondola will be taking people from the base of the mountain to North Peak and the SuperQuad will be spinning to allow the use of the SuperQuad area of Sugarloaf. 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.
Saddleback Webcams:
Have you visited the Saddleback Webcams? With three cameras scattered across the mountain, you’re guaranteed to get the best sunset. You can 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 received delivery of the towers and the bottom terminal has started to take form. Click the link below to watch them build the new Sandy Quad.
Weather:
While this week brought some warmth to us Mainers, a fast-moving cool-front will bring drastic drops to the temps this weekend. This weekend’s lows are flirting with freezing temps which shows it won’t be much longer until we’re back on the snow!
| Day: | Friday: | Saturday: | Sunday: |
| High: | 66  | 46  | 50 |
| Low: | 33 | 33 | 30 |
Happy National Flower Day!
– Keegan
Mainely Skiing 