Conditions Report
Report for Tuesday, March 4th, 2025
The 2024-25 ski and ride season in the Northeast has been one of the best in recent memory. Last week’s trip to the lake district of northwestern Maine and Saddleback Mountain Resort—#2 in the East and #4 in North America in Ski Magazine’s 2025 reader’s poll—was no exception. My two daughters and I visited Rangeley, Maine, and Saddleback for the first time last year, and I’ve been planning a return trip ever since. I’ve loved Maine for decades, and the northwest part of the state reminds me of my family’s home in Muskoka, Ontario.
A funny thing happens with kids. They grow up fast. My eldest daughter, Emeline, is nearly twenty and has a busy life of her own now and sadly couldn’t join us this time. My friend Veronique had asked me about the Quebec school break, so I invited her to join Dylan and me and was stoked to have Veronique and her daughter, Abby, who is nine, on our Maine mountain adventure, 2025 edition. Veronique is a ripping snowboarder. A born adventurer, she’s traveled the globe, but this would be her first snowboard trip stateside. I was excited to show her my mountain playground, and I knew that Maine would make an impression on her, just as it has on me. We are also planning a trip to Jay Peak and really want to check out Burke Mountain next season—a new addition to the Indy Pass for Vermont adventures.
The drive from southern Quebec to western Maine is an adventure of a different kind. Once you pass Sherbrooke and head west towards the Maine border, you share the road with more logging trucks and wildlife than other cars. Veronique took the driver’s seat for the last leg of our journey so I could rest tense fingers and snap some photos. Just before we pulled off toward Rangeley, a small herd of deer—maybe four or five in the group—raced across the highway. Just another winter day in Maine. I had my eyes peeled for moose. I didn’t catch a glimpse of one this trip, but maybe next. There are approximately 30,000 in Maine, the highest population next to Alaska.
I booked us two nights at the Rangeley Inn & Tavern. The beautiful, historic inn offers a discount to Indy Pass holders. Centrally located in town and about a ten-minute drive from Saddleback, they provide comfy rooms with all the necessities, a cozy fireplace surrounded by reading material and overstuffed chairs, and delicious local coffee brewed throughout the day. For supper, we ventured out to Parkside & Main but enjoyed eggs Benny and blueberry waffles for breakfast in their dining room. Just as good as at home—better—and you can’t go to Maine and not have blueberry waffles.
After a yummy dinner, we had an early night in preparation for a full day of shredding Tuesday. First chair is not always an option—or even the best one—when you’re on a snowboard holiday with kids. After checking the forecast, we planned our arrival at the resort for 9:30 a.m. and to be on the mountain once the sun was out and the temperatures started to rise, softening the snow. We got our passes in the lodge—which is beautiful, expansive, and modern, with a stunning central fireplace—and were on the Rangeley quad lift by about 10:00 a.m. We took Hudson Highway for our first run of the day. The long, leisurely green run, when linked to two other trails, forms, I believe, one of the longest ski runs in the northeastern United States—a good place to get warmed up while the snow softened at the higher elevations.
One cruise on the Hudson Highway, and it was time to seek more challenging terrain. I got a lay of the land last year and knew that the little girls could handle the intermediate terrain at Saddleback no problem. Saddleback was founded by skiers and made for skiers. The trails are cut perfectly. Conditions-wise, we couldn’t have asked for better snow: packed powder base, good groomers, nice and soft on top, freshies on the side hits, and by midday, gentle snow falling. I led our little crew toward an intermediate trail, Grey Ghost. The girls loved this run, and we lapped it a few times before deciding to head to the summit.
To access the summit chair, you head skier’s right off the quad. The operator at the summit gave us a smile and nod: “Girl power!” as we came off the lift. There were very few people up there, and we stood out with two groms in tow. If there was a high point—pun intended—of our Saddleback adventure, it was standing in the clouds at 4,100 feet, with my youngest daughter and our friends, in near complete silence, with breathtaking views of the lake and surrounding mountain ranges below. For intermediate skiers and riders, there are two options to make your way down. First, we took Tri Color to Mickey Finn to Upper Green Weaver.
The girls loved every moment and were eager to go back up. Dylan said to me, “Let’s do the ‘Americana’ trail next. I’ve been singing Offspring songs, and that’s the name of their record.” Kid after my heart. The name of the trail is actually ‘America,’ but that didn’t stop her from singing all the way down. Veronique took a video of the girls snowboarding in the mist. Paradise. Throughout the day, we had promised the girls some freedom to head off on their own. This is one of the few resorts where I feel comfortable doing this. The lower mountain, with its own lift system, is uniquely situated below the base lodge. Kids and beginners can have fun here and not worry about being buzzed by uphill traffic and faster skiers and riders. The slope is gentle, but there are tree runs and park features: the perfect place for any young warrior woman to get away from mom.
The girls headed to the lower mountain chair, and Veronique and I made our way back to the summit. The same lift operator that gave us a “girl power” nod when the four of us came off the lift laughed and threw up a shaka when she saw it was just Veronique and me (mom code: when you know, you know). By this point in the day, we were the only ones up here. Before strapping in, I found myself standing there, looking up at the sky, basking in the quiet, with views all around. This is Maine for me, whether I’m standing on a mountain or a sandy beach: Zen and peace. I offered a mantra to the snow gods before taking our next run: “Om namah shivaya.” I was grateful for the moment and good friends. Pura Vida. We got a few runs in from the summit before it was time to meet back up with the girls.
We couldn’t have asked for a better weather window for our mini spring break getaway to Saddleback. We headed back to the Rangeley Inn just before the last chair, blissfully tired from one of the best days of snowboarding all season. It rained throughout most of the region the following day, but once again, winter returned in a day, and it looks like the season will last well into April and beyond. Current conditions at Saddleback are spring-like. The skies are blue, and the surface snow is machine-groomed. Another inch of snow has fallen in the past 48 hours, and the season’s snowfall total is 173 inches.
While the temperatures have warmed in recent days, don’t even think of hanging up your gear for 2024-25. According to the long-term forecast, the end of March in the northeast will bring heavy snowfall for days. Keep the stoke!
See you on the slopes!
Trail Map
NOAA Forecast
Current Snow Conditions
