Industry News
Sugarloaf Mountain, Maine, officially opened for the 2025-26 winter season on November 21, kicking off its historic 75th anniversary with two lifts, eight trails, and a terrain park available for early-season skiing and riding.
The morning began with an Opening Day Celebration, where the first 75 skiers and riders in line received limited-edition 75th anniversary buffs—a tribute to the generations of Sugarloafers who have shaped the mountain’s legacy.
The honor of First Chair of the Season went to a family group from Lac-Mégantic, Quebec, led by longtime friends and Sugarloafers Daniel Chouinard and Jean-François Brisson. The two have been skiing at Sugarloaf together since 2008 and brought their children—Daniel’s three kids and Jean-François’s two—on the overnight adventure. The group camped out at the base of the Double Runner lift to secure their spot in Sugarloaf history. Daniel and the children are pictured below at first chair, enjoying the morning excitement, while Jean-François returned their camping gear to the car before joining everyone on the hill.
“We’re proud to kick off our 75th season with such tremendous energy on the hill. The dedication of this First Chair crew is a perfect example of the spirit and grit that make Sugarloafers—and this mountain—so special. Their enthusiasm sets the tone for a winter full of celebration and unforgettable moments.”
— Karl Strand, General Manager & President, Sugarloaf Mountain
Sugarloaf opened with 2,000 vertical feet of top-to-bottom skiing and riding on Sluice from the Headwall, Spillway, Upper Narrow Gauge from Spillway Crosscut to Gin Pole, and Lower Winter’s Way to Boardwalk.
The Tote Road Terrain Park also opened for the season, offering hiking access to 12 features—11 rails and one snow feature—which is currently the most early-season features on the East Coast. The Sugarloaf snowmaking team continues to push aggressively toward expanding terrain ahead of Thanksgiving weekend, with the plan to continue snowmaking on King’s Landing, Bridle Chain to Lower Timberline, Bullwinkle’s area, Spurline to Peavy Cross-Cut, Skidder, and maybe Hayburner.
Sugarloaf, in the Carrabassett Valley, is roughly a 1.5 to 2.5-hour drive from the major city of Portland and rises to 4,237 feet with a substantial 2,820-foot vertical drop, offering one of the most expansive ski experiences in the East. Its 1,360 acres of developed, skiable terrain include 176 trails and glades, highlighted by the 3.5-mile Tote Road, the mountain’s longest continuous run. In peak season, the resort operates 15 lifts—among them three high-speed detachable quads, three fixed-grip quads, a triple, five doubles, and three surface lifts—ensuring broad access across the mountain. With an average of 200 inches of natural snowfall each season and snowmaking on 95% of groomed terrain, Sugarloaf maintains reliable conditions throughout winter.
