Industry News
Thanks to natural snow and cold temperatures, Maine’s Sugarloaf, the largest ski area East of the Rocky Mountains, started snowmaking ahead of its 75th winter season, targeting a November 21 Opening Day. The falling snow and cold temperatures created ideal conditions for snowmaking. The resort started snowmaking earlier this week across key terrain from the top of the SuperQuad, getting the mountain ready for early-season skiing and riding. Sugarloaf conducted overnight operations on Sluice Headwall, Upper Gauge, Lower Comp Hill, Sluice, Spillway, Boardwalk, the Upper Tote Road early-season park, and the SuperQuad load area.
At peak output, the team had 178 snowguns online, moving 5,900 gallons per minute (GPM) of water while using only 12,000 cubic feet per minute (CFM) of air from two compressors. This sets the stage for Sugarloaf to have a strong opening for the 2025-26 ski season. “We’re in a great position heading into mid-November,” Brent Larson, Vice President of Mountain Operations, said in a press release. “The temperatures have lined up perfectly, the team is dialed in, and we’ve already seen great production across several key trails.
New this season at Sugarloaf is an upgrade to the SuperQuad with a full haul rope replacement. Snowmaking crews also completed a three-year project to upgrade the mountain’s main water line from 14 inches to 20 inches, dramatically increasing capacity. Additional improvements include redeployed pipe on Spillway XCut and Gin Pole, new tower guns on West Mountain and Spurline, and a fourth booster pump to increase speed and efficiency. “Our goal continues to be to offer all snowmaking trails for Christmas week,” Larson added.
Mountain Stats:
- Elevation: Summit at 4,237 feet (1,291 meters)
- Vertical Drop: 2,820 feet (860 meters)
- Developed, Skiable Terrain: 1,360 acres
- Number of Trails: 176 trails and glades
- Longest Run: 3.5 miles (Tote Road)
- Lifts: 15 Total lifts
- 3 High Speed Detachable Quads
- 3 Fixed Grip Quads
- 5 Double Lifts
- 1 Triple Lift
- 3 Surface Lifts
- Annual Snowfall: Average of 200 inches
- Snowmaking: Covers 95% of groomed trails
Two seasons ago, Sugarloaf expanded by adding West Mountain, which included an additional 120 skiable acres, 12 new trails, the high-speed quad Bucksaw Express lift, and new terrain that is geared for beginners and families.
Despite the low precipitation in October in Maine, the mountain plans on continuing its snowmaking operations as long as conditions allow, building toward the anticipated Opening Day. Sugarloaf gets its water from the Carrabassett River and is vital to snowmaking operations. “The river held up well, and the rain this weekend will actually help water levels, so our plan is to start back up Monday afternoon and, hopefully, run continuously through the week,” Larson said.
