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!
Mountain Report:
| Mountain Name | Trails Open | Percent Open |
|---|---|---|
| Saddleback | 0 / 68 | 0% |
| Sugarloaf | 8 / 176 | 5% |
| Sunday River | 5 / 139 | 4% |
| Pleasant Mountain | 0 / 47 | 0% |
Trail of the Day: Lollapalooza (Sunday River)
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: |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sugarloaf Opening Day | November 17 | November 17 | One Day |
| Yarmouth Ski Club Ski Swap | November 18 | November 18 | One Day |
| Bridal Show & Tasting @ Sugarloaf | November 19 | November 19 | One Day |
| Lonesome Pines Trails Ski Swap | November 19 | November 19 | One Day |
| Volunteer Work Day & Brunch @ Big Moose | November 19 | November 19 | One Day |
| Thanksgiving Dinner @ Sunday River | November 23 | November 23 | One Day |
| Saddleback Pub Opens | November 24 | November 24 | One Day |
| Saddleback Opening Day | December 2 | December 2 | One Day |
| Live Auction at Black Mountain of Maine | December 2 | December 2 | One Day |
| Demo Day @ Sunday River | December 9 | December 9 | One Day |
| Sunday River Santa Sunday | December 10 | December 10 | One Day |
| Sugarloaf Tree Lighting Festival | December 16 | December 16 | One Day |
| Winterfest Weekend @ Sunday River | December 16 | December 17 | Two Days |
| Christmas Vacation Week | December 25 | December 29 | Five Days |
| Indie Demo Day @ Sunday River | January 6 | January 6 | One Day |
| 2nd Annual Vertical Challenge @ Saddleback | January 7 | January 7 | One Day |
| Rangeley Fat Bike Loppet @ RLTC | January 28 | Januaray 28 | One Day |
| IFSA Junior Freeride @ Saddleback | January 28 | January 28 | One Day |
| Fire on the Mountain @ Sugarloaf | February 2 | February 4 | Three Days |
| February Fest @ Saddleback | February 23 | February 23 | One Day |
Sunday River / Sugarloaf Is Open:
On Tuesday, Sunday River sent the first chair of the 2023-24 ski season up the hill on their Jordan 8 lift, and this morning, Sugarloaf did the same with their SuperQuad lift. Welcome to the start of the ski season. We hope it’s a long and snowy one! Check out the current lift status by clicking the link below!
Saddleback Started Snowmaking:
On Saturday night, Saddleback’s team of snowmakers took to the hill to show us the first signs of winter. Once there is enough snow to open the trails, they will. Keep doing those snow dances! Click the link to read their report.
Yarmouth Ski Club Ski Sale:
Join the Yarmouth Ski Club for their annual Ski Sale happening this Saturday, November 18. Open from 9:00am – 12:00pm, come check out their extensive supply of skis, boots, poles, boards, and more at William H. Rowe School, 52 School St., Yarmouth. For more information, click the link below.
Opening Days:
That first chair is always one of the most exciting moments in the early season. It’s time to start waxing those skis, dusting off gear and making sure your pass is ready. mainelyskiing.com/season-passes 😉 you’ll thank me later. Below is a table of the opening days as we know right now. Plus, for a more frequently updated list, click the link below.
| Mountain Name | Opening Date |
|---|---|
| Saddleback Mountain | December 2 |
| Sugarloaf | November 17 |
| Pleasant Mountain | December 16 |
| Black Mountain of Maine | December 26 |
| Big Rock | Not Announced |
| Camden Snow Bowl | December 26 |
| Mt. Abram | December 16 |
| Big Moose Mountain | December 26 |
| Lost Valley | December 15 |
| Hermon Mountain | December 30 |
| Titcomb Mountain | Not Announced |
Sunday Work Day & Brunch:
Get those work gloves on. Big Moose Mountain is planning a volunteer work day and brunch this Sunday, November 19. Projects include:
- Lower lodge cleaning
- Ski Sale Set Up for 11/25
- Trail Clearing
- Tracking the passenger snowcat
- Lift Maintenance
To sign up, click the link below.
facebook.com/friendsofthemountain
Mainely Skiing Gear Guide:
It’s been a long time in the making, but I’m extremely excited to share our gear guide page with you. Complete with beginner, intermediate, and expert pages filled with the appropriate gear for each level. Check it out by clicking the link below.
Saddleback $49 Lift Tickets:
Buy Now And Save!
This week, Saddleback announced $49 lift tickets available for the full season. Act fast, as there are only so many tickets being sold at that price before going to the next pricing tier. Click the link to purchase now.
Sugarloaf $41 Lift Tickets:
Buy Now And Save!
This week, Sugarloaf announced $41 early season lift tickets. You need to purchase now as the prices go up after a set number of people purchase. For more information and to purchase your ticket, click the link below!
Sugarloaf Marathon Registration Open:
The Sugarloaf Marathon and 15K registration is now open. Thankfully, you have time to prepare for the race, as the deadline to sign up is April 15. For more information on the races, click the link below.
Resort Status Page:
Our Resort Status page is now live. Complete with the various ski areas we cover, you’ll have all the important information relevant to us skiers. Check out the page below.
Sugarloaf Bridal Show & Tasting:
If you’re looking to get married at Sugarloaf, you need to go to their Bridal Show & Tasting. The event occurs on Sunday, November 19, from 1-4pm in the King Pine Room. There will be many different vendors and flavorful dishes being served. For all the details, head over to the website below.
Thanksgiving Dinner At Sunday River:
Join Sunday River around the table for a lovely Thanksgiving meal. The folks from Camp will be cooking a tasteful turkey with all the sides you could imagine. Happening from 1-8pm, you can’t miss this!
Season Pass Sales:
Season passes have been on sale throughout the summer but to take advantage of the savings, you better purchase now! Check out the table to see all season passes:
| Mountain Name | Adult Price | Next Deadline |
|---|---|---|
| Saddleback Maine | $949 | 12/31 |
| Sugarloaf (New England Gold) | $1,619 | 11/30 |
| Sunday River (New England Gold) | $1,619 | 11/30 |
| Pleasant Mountain | $959 | 11/30 |
| Black Mountain of Maine | $475 | 11/30 |
| Big Rock | $500 | 11/27 |
| Camden Snow Bowl | $550 | N / A |
| Mt. Abram | $599 | N / A |
| Lost Valley | $645 | N / A |
| Hermon Mountain | $530 | N / A |
| Titcomb Mountain | $265 | N / A |
Sunday River Early Season Update:
It might only be fall but the folks from Sunday River are already in the winter mindset. This week, the mountain announced a new early-season operating guide. The plan is to start the season off with top-to-bottom skiing and riding off their Jordan 8 lift. They hope to have “multiple trail choices” serviced from the Jordan 8. For more information and to stay in the know, click 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 December – early January with 12 trails:
| Difficulty | Trail Name | Difficulty | Trail Name |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Hatchet | | Bucksaw |
| Feller-Buncher |  | Cutter |
| Chipper | | Whistle Punk |
| Upper Beaver Tail | | Lower Beaver Tail |
| Knot Bumper | | Yarder |
| Twitcher | | West Mountain Crosscut |
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.
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 completed 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:
We saw the start to the 2023-24 ski season this week as Sunday River opened this Tuesday and Sugarloaf sent their first chair up the SuperQuad this morning at 8:30. Here we go! Think cold temps and snow.
Weather:
While we might be skiing, the temps suggest otherwise. On the bright side, the warm temps will allow the tired snowmakers to get some much needed rest, before returning to the hills next week.
Welcome to Ski Season!
– Keegan
Mainely Skiing 