Sugarloaf – a top vacation destination in Maine
Sugarloaf is a ski area and resort located on Sugarloaf Mountain in theCarrabassettValley, westernMaine. It is the largest ski resort in the state, in terms of number of trails (146), skiable acreage (1,400), and snowmaking percentage (95%). With a continuous vertical drop of 2,820 feet (860 m), it is the second longest inNew England(after Killington’s. The Appalachian Trail crosses within a half-mile of Sugarloaf’s peak and the summit has 360-degree views ofMaine’s western mountains andNew Hampshire’sWhite Mountains.
At 4,237 feet (1291 m) Sugarloaf Mountain isMaine’s second highest peak, afterMount Katahdin. The summit of Sugarloaf offers the only lift-serviced above-treeline skiing in the Northeast. There are 54 miles (87 km) of marked trails and a total of 651 acres (2.6 km2) of developed trails. There are 1,400 acres (6 km2) of skiable area boundary to boundary. The fifteen chairlifts have the capacity to carry 21,180 skiers per hour. There are also 138 marked trails and glades.
Trails include thirty-four rated as green circle (25%), forty-four blue square (32%,), thirty-nine black diamond (28%), and twenty-one rated double black diamond (15%). There are also twenty glades (13%), and three terrain parks. Lifts include two SuperQuads, two high-capacity quads, eight doubles, one triple, and one T-bar surface lift. The Sugarloaf season runs from mid-November through early May.
The resort areas
Whiffletree, located on the eastern side of the mountain and serviced by the Whiffletree SuperQuad, a high-capacity detachable quad built by Garaventa CTEC. It services beginner to intermediate terrain, such as Whiffletree, Cruiser, and Buckboard.
King Pine Bowl, located in the eastern bowl and serviced by the King Pine Quad. King Pine Bowl can also be accessed by the Spillway East Chair via Spillway X-Cut or from Whiffletree. It services intermediate terrain such as Boomauger and Ramdown, and expert terrain such as Haul Back, Widowmaker, Flume, Misserywhip, and Ripsaw. The Cant Dog glade can also be accessed from this lift. Cant Dog is an experts glade with tight trees, cliffs, and waterfalls.
The Timberline Quad services the summit of Sugarloaf and provides access to easy runs such as Timberline andTote Road which start at the top terminal of this lift. The Snowfields can also be reach from this lift, with trails like White Nitro (New England’s steepest lift serviced trail) and High Rigger, also known as the “Backside Snowfields”
Spillway is serviced by the Spillway Chairs, and the Bateau #3 T-Bar. Off the top of Spillway Long Side (Spillway East), Spillway cross cut leads to expert trails and glades.
SuperQuad, the most popular lift on the mountain, services advanced, intermediate, and a few beginner trails. West Mountain is serviced by the West Mountain Chair, and the Bucksaw Chair. Bullwinkle’s Grill is located at the top of these two chairlifts, and right off the Tote Road Trail.
Lower Mountain, the beginner’s area, is serviced by a few lifts. Double Runner East & West (mid station down), Skidway, Sawduster, Snubber, and the Moosecalator (Carpet). Trails such as Boardwalk, The Landing, and The Birches are accessible beginner trails from these lifts.
Terrain Parks
Sugarloaf also has three different terrain parks. There is a Small (Skybound), Medium (Stomping Grounds, Haywire), and Large (Haywire, Sidewinder) jump park, and a Superpipe.