Sugarloaf
 

Just got a picture on facebook of the Loaf. 24 inches at the base and 30+ at the top. More on the way Friday.

Best seafood restaurant in Maine will be there now
 

Bob’s Clam Hut, a Maine institution since 1956, renowned for having the best fried clams in New England, is opening a second location at iconic Maine ski resort Sugarloaf.

For the first time in its nearly 57 year history, Bob’s will be serving customers in a location other than the classic clam shack in Kittery, Maine. Sugarloaf, the largest ski area east of the Rockies, will play host to second Bob’s
location starting December 22nd. Hungry skiers will be able to enjoy some of Bob’s signature dishes – lobster stew, fried haddock, lobster rolls, Bob’s original tartar sauce and of course fried clams – mountain side.

http://www.bobsclamhut.com/blogs/blog

To bad we can not get to the mountain by sled. At least once a year we take a ride down to the Kingfield area by sled. That area has some of the most amazing views. Long day though being about 250-285 miles depending on how many trails have changed due to logging operations.
When my two boys were younger we used to go to Sugarloaf once a year to snowboard. Best bang for your buck IMHO. Like Maine snowmobiling, it is further then many want to drive and that is what makes it so good for those of us who do.

The 'loaf
 

I have a 50 years sticker and last year complement the sticker with a 60. The 'loaf is THE mountain east of the Rockies. If you like Cannon you will love the 'loaf!

If you can have one of the locals show you around the mountain. They have a unique route that takes advantage of the sun's position in the sky. They also know where to avoid the crowds thru the day. Be prepared to be on the lift before they open, a unique experience of the locals as one of the perks. The locals will also take you to the back of the 'snow fields'.

After the day is done, you can get your kicks at the infamous 'WidowMakers'. Or follow the locals to 'The Rack'. The 'Shipyard' is a must for the beer fanatics.

'Skiing is not a matter of life & death; It is much more important than that'.

If you get me going, I can tell you all about THE mountain in the west.

Saddleback
 

Saddleback, which doesn't look like much more than 40 miles or so southwest of Sugarloaf as the crow flies, is reporting 30"-32". I've always wanted to give this place a try but as you get closer to Sugarloaf it just kind of draws you in. If you were to ski today it looks like you'd be paying $29 at Saddleback and $79 at Sugarloaf. That might draw me in to Saddleback next time I'm up there. Anyone ever hut the slopes there? Fun mountain?

Saddleback
 

Saddleback is a fun mountain, great for families. It is one of the few family owned ski area in the US. In the past decade, they have expanded rapidly with slope side condominiums, new lifts, glades etc. Although not as big and challenging as the 'loaf, it has great 'cruiser' terrain as well as beginning and intermediate slopes. This year it was voted #1 resort in the East by Ski Magazine and rightly so.

The last I knew, sled heads can rent a condo and ride into the parking lot, and ski/ride out the back door to the slopes.

Saddleback is right next to what most consider the snowmobile capital of the east, Rangely. I'm sure BR will chime in on that comment. Easy to get to by sled. Sugarloaf can be reached but not as easy. BR, you need to get yourself to the metropolis of Stratton just north of the loaf for some ..ummm... entertainment at the Stratton house of Pizza on Friday nights. There is a cover charge but well worth it.

I could care leass about groomed terrain / cruisers which is why the section of the mountain they call the Kennebago Steeps looks intriguing. Looks like all black/double black diamond trails/glades. Is this section not as challening as they make it sound?

Rough and Tough
 

You need to tell me where Kennebago Steeps is. Is it like Granite Gorge, Mad River Glen and Suicide Six? Natural ungroomed trails?

Kennebago steeps
 

i haven't been to saddleback in a while, its the new quad with 12 trails. This will definitely steer me from the 'loaf on my next trip to the Moosehead region.

Saddleback for sale
 

If you've got the time and the money Saddleback can be yours!


By Deirdre Fleming dfleming@mainetoday.com
Staff Writer

RANGELEY – The family that owns the Saddleback ski area has decided to sell after owning it for 10 years and investing $40 million in improvements.

MOUNTAIN STATISTICS
ELEVATION: 4,120 Feet
TRAILS: Beginner, 23; Intermediate, 20; Expert, 25
LIFT TICKETS: Adults $45-$59; Youths $39-49
BEST DEAL:Maine Days, All day on select Sundays for $29
WHAT ELSE: Four lifts, Iincluding one T-Bar, and a mid-station yurt cafe.

GROWTH SINCE 2003:
• From 45 to 121 condo units
• Addition of housing lots from none to 27, including seven with homes
• Two new chairlifts
• New expert terrain, including a 44-acre glade, one of the largest in the East
• Snowmaking that now covers 86 percent of the mountain
• A $13 million renovation of the base lodge

The Berry family listed the property with a Portland broker a month ago. It will consider whether to take on a partner or sell Saddleback outright.

Another option is to turn the ski area into a nonprofit, an idea the family likes and hopes would continue the resort's job-creation role in Franklin County.

Saddleback's work force has increased from 66 to 250 since the family bought it in 2003, said Faith Berry, one of seven Berry children, and the family wants to ensure that the ski area will continue to create jobs in a part of Maine with limited employment opportunities.

The asking price is $12 million for 400 acres of property that includes the ski trails and lifts, the base lodge and most of the surrounding 121 units.

The Berry family will keep 7,600 of the 8,000 acres it bought 10 years ago and hopes to remain involved with the ski area in some capacity.

"Saddleback is one of the most special places in the world," said Berry. "It's beautiful and exquisite and the townspeople are wonderful. We want to try to make sure (the sale) is done right. We want it done in a way that is sensitive to the beauty and the environment."

She said, "Our hope for a buyer is someone willing to be supportive of the local area, to be involved."

Sugarloaf and Sunday River, Maine's best-known ski areas, have more trails, more lifts and more skiers.

Saddleback, with an elevation of 4,120 feet, is one of Maine's biggest mountains. The ski area offers 2,000 vertical feet of skiing and some of the toughest expert terrain in the East.

"Saddleback is one of the premier mountains in the East, just in terms of raw material, said Andy Shepard, CEO of the nonprofit Maine Winter Sports Center, which operates Nordic and alpine ski areas around Maine.

"It's a big mountain, a beautiful mountain in a spectacular setting," he said. "If someone out there is passionate about alpine skiing and has the capital to invest, there are few places that could offer the rewards of a Saddleback."

Saddleback's remote location, three hours northwest of Portland, "is its greatest asset and its greatest drawback," said Joe Malone of Malone Commercial Brokers in Portland, which has listed the property.

With Rangeley Lake nearby, "Saddleback's biggest attraction is that it is a four-season place," he said. "Of course, Saddleback is critical to (Rangeley's) four-season tourism."

Malone said any buyer or partner will have to love Saddleback the way the Berry family does.

This week, the staff was at work in every part of the ski area, getting ready for the season's opening on Saturday.

On Thursday, as snow guns blew manmade snow and groomers smoothed it out, staff members learned that the ski area was up for sale.

While opening day will be business as usual, it was a difficult time for the staff, said General Manager Chris Farmer, although there was a hint of optimism.

Berry said her family has invested $40 million in Saddleback for two new chairlifts, a $13 million renovation of the base lodge, improved snowmaking that now covers 86 percent of the terrain, and development that has nearly tripled the number of condos.

It also has introduced programs that enable youths to ski inexpensively, and has made those programs a priority.

One of the family's proudest offerings is Saddleback's "peak pass," a $149 season pass for any honor roll student in any Maine high school.

It's a deal that goes to the heart of the family's mission: to offer affordable skiing while providing jobs.

Virtually every facet of Saddleback has grown in the time the Berrys have owned it.

Its annual skier visits have increased from 15,000 to 97,000, said Farmer, who expects 130,000 visits this season.

In 2003, there were 45 condos on the mountain; today there are 121.

JoAnne Taylor, Saddleback's event director, said that when she arrived shortly after 2003, no weddings were being held. Now, Saddleback hosts an average of 16 weddings each summer in the spacious base lodge.

And for expert skiers, the terrain has expanded from a few trails to an entire section of the mountain, including the 44-acre tree-skiing area called Casablanca.

"When I got here, expert skiers would drive up, get out and ask if the 'Bronco Buster' trail was open," said Taylor. "And if it wasn't open, they'd get in their car and leave. Now, there are so many expert trails, you could spend a whole day here skiing them all."

Saddleback received the Governor's Award for Business Excellence in Maine this year. Readers of Snow magazine chose it as their favorite mountain in the Northeast.

What remains is for Saddleback to be developed a step further, Berry said, with a hotel and more condominiums.

Greg Sweetser, executive director of the Ski Maine trade association, who worked at Saddleback in the 1980s, said the prospects for a new owner or partner are exciting.

"The lodging base has been key to their growth," he said. "First, it creates a large core of skiers who own condominiums and become Saddleback's greatest advocates. Then, those units become available to rent and introduce new people to the mountain. The Berrys had a good strategy."

Eric Cianchette, a developer in Portland, is interested in looking at Saddleback, said Malone, and a few other Maine groups have expressed interest.

But among some potential ski developers in Maine, there is no interest.

Former Saddleback CEO Warren Cook tried to put a deal together when he was running Saddleback three years ago, but he isn't interested now, he said Friday from Chamonix, France.

And the western Maine mountains' newest ski operation, Kingfield-based Maine Huts and Trails, won't partner with the Berry family.

"It's quite a ways out of our mission path," said Larry Warren, founder and board chairman of Maine Huts and Trails.

Shepard, with the Maine Winter Sports Center, said a commitment with Saddleback wouldn't work for his nonprofit organization.

He said Saddleback is poised to go to another level, and an owner with capital could take it there.

Staff Writer Deirdre Fleming can be contacted at 791-6452 or at:

dfleming@pressherald.com

Twitter: Flemingpph

Dr Faith Berry
 

She is a veteranarian at the Manchester Animal Hospital in Hooksett NH. This hospital is a first class vet clinic with another excellent Dr from Laconia, Roy Ball.