NY Times Article: Sunday River Ski Area

[Papa Bear]

There's a nice article in today's New York Times about Sunday River Ski Area in Bethel Maine: Article

It points out that it is the second largest ski area in the Northeast (after Killington), which I didn't know.

 

[Amicus]

What a different perspective. To me, Sunday River is the big New England ski area (which doesn't make it the best), not some sleeping giant waiting to be discovered. But then, I've never skied Killington and am one of those eastern Mass./central NH "others" the Times reporter describes for his Big Apple audience.

Still, he does a pretty job job covering the Rivah's charms (but there are lift lines there sometimes). I prefer Sugarloaf, but that really is a long haul for us.

 

[onestep]

My boss calls Sunday River the "Walmart of ski area's"... who am I to argue!

 

[DrewKnight]

My experiences at the River haven't been very good over the years, including the only significant injury of my skiing career, on White Heat, which should have been called "Ice Sheet". There was no snow anywhere, just blue ice. I skidded out, lost an edge, sat down, and skittered along on a death-slide for several hundred feet until I punched feet-first into a newly-installed catch net on a lift tower (I was apparently the first one to test them out). Strained my MDL and was sore and stiff for months.

On the very same run, my wife fell and slid, breaking several ribs. The ski patroller who brought her down had to the temerity to be both rude and mean when she was able to move off the toboggan under her own power by the time they got to the clinic. I suppose HE wasn't happy about having to ski down White Heat under those conditions, either. Maybe he should have swept it in the AM and closed it, I dunno. Anyway, a couple visits over the years, I have never been impressed. The Walmart of ski areas works very well, OneStep.

I'm with you, Amicus... If I am going to drive to ski, I will bite the bullet and take the long ride to Sugarloaf -- our absolute favorite place to ski in New England (so far, anyway -- haven't made it to Jay yet). The variety of terrain, challenge, and even the village are hard to beat.

 

[mookie]

I cant stand "The River" and i always seem to get convinced to go back!
i think the lift service stinks and it seems that most of my days are spent traversing or trying to get to the top. its far to spread out and not easy to get around. i have not been to sugarloaf yet. but jay peak is a great mountain, provided there is plenty of snow!!

 

[Quietman]

Go to Jay! We spent most of our time there in the woods and had a blast. The terrain is amazing! Too bad that like Sugarloaf, it's a haul.

My parents have a cabin on a lake about 10 miles from SR. We spend most of our time at Mt. Abram which is a nice Family area 2 miles from the cabin. Took the kids to SR for a day, spent a ton$ and the kids said it was ok. Plan on heading over to Wildcat for a day this year but with 2 for 1 on Thursdays and carload special ($75 for 7) on Friday, we'll be at Mt Abram for those days. Got to keep supporting the smaller areas!

 

[Amicus]

i have not been to sugarbush yet.

I'm sure others here have skied Sugarbush a lot more than I have, but on the basis of four days there, we liked it and the area a lot - plenty of night-time options in that Waitsfield/Mad River area (which I also know from summer visits) without the glitz I've observed hiking around and driving by Killington. It is really two ski areas - the quieter Mt. Ellen (one of the NE 4Ks) was once a separate area just to the north. It is connected to the main area by a long, strange horizontal chairlift.

 

[mookie]

I'm sure others here have skied Sugarbush a lot more than I have, but on the basis of four days there, we liked it and the area a lot - plenty of night-time options in that Waitsfield/Mad River area (which I also know from summer visits) without the glitz I've observed hiking around and driving by Killington. It is really two ski areas - the quieter Mt. Ellen (one of the NE 4Ks) was once a separate area just to the north. It is connected to the main area by a long, strange horizontal chairlift.

oops,
i goofed, i meant sugarloaf not bush.
i always got those 2 confused (and still do!!)
i have not been to sugarbush either but its on my list!! its just tough to get away from stowe when its close and i have a pass!!!
thanks for the info!!

 

[spencer]

oops,
i goofed, i meant sugarloaf not bush.

So did my mother-in-law!
She very generously tried to get me a lift-ticket as a Christmas present for a day at my "home" mountain, Sugarloaf, but instead ended up with one for Sugarbush.

While I really enjoyed the one time I skied Sugarbush, it's a looong haul from BGR. Anyone want to trade a 'bush voucher for a 'loaf one or something else? I don't know when I'll make it over to the west coast [of New England].

 

[TDawg]

....White Heat, which should have been called "Ice Sheet". There was no snow anywhere, just blue ice. I skidded out, lost an edge, sat down, and skittered along on a death-slide for several hundred feet until I punched feet-first into a newly-installed catch net on a lift tower (I was apparently the first one to test them out). Strained my MDL and was sore and stiff for months.

On the very same run, my wife fell and slid, breaking several ribs. The ski patroller who brought her down had to the temerity to be both rude and mean when she was able to move off the toboggan under her own power by the time they got to the clinic. I suppose HE wasn't happy about having to ski down White Heat under those conditions, either. Maybe he should have swept it in the AM and closed it, I dunno. Anyway, a couple visits over the years, I have never been impressed. The Walmart of ski areas works very well, OneStep.

I'm with you, Amicus... If I am going to drive to ski, I will bite the bullet and take the long ride to Sugarloaf -- our absolute favorite place to ski in New England (so far, anyway -- haven't made it to Jay yet). The variety of terrain, challenge, and even the village are hard to beat.

I guess I have to ask....if there was no snow and blue ice, why did you go down it seeing that the lift goes up the trail and the blue ice and no snow would be in plain view?

 

[king tut]

I grew up skiing at Sugarloaf and Sunday River. It's kind of funny to think of it as an out of the way quaint mountain. Growing up in Lewiston Maine, Sunday River was considered the close mountain to all the out of staters. I have always liked skiing there, it is a fun mountain, but you get to enjoy the mountain with thousands of other yahoos that generally try to ski beyond their ability. I never really enjoyed skiing while trying to avoid a round missile rocketing straight down the hill dressed in a big Red Sox or Yankees puffy jacket. I like the more out of the way mountains, Sugarloaf, Smugglers Notch, Jay Peak, etc. I'll take the backcountry of Smuggs or the woods of Jay any day over the paved highways of Killington.

 

[slowmo68]

I love Sunday River. You just have to know where to go and when to do it. I have been there on very busy holiday times and found lifts with no lines. If you avoid the lifts in the center of the resort especially Barker your fine. And unlike many mountains that have many trails all jumbled and colliding into each other you can get top to bottom trails on Jordan and Oz and not worry about crazies coming at you from all angles. And as far as ice on the trails, if there is a mountain in New England that doesn't end up with ice I will buy a season pass right away. I have also made the mistake of going down White Heat when it was icy and yes I saw it on the way up and yes I am crazy and love a challenge. I also will never make that mistake again. Every mountain has its good and bad points.

 

[Quietman]

I'll take the backcountry of Smuggs or the woods of Jay any day over the paved highways of Killington.

On our last Vt trip we were going to ski Sugarbush but the lifts were all on wind hold. Called Bolton Valley and they said they were fine and it was snowing hard(not snowing at the bush). We had one of our best days ever sking the woods at Bolton in 2 ft.+ of new powder. 40 minutes away, the bush didn't see a flake. Sometimes you just get lucky.

 

[DrewKnight]

I guess I have to ask....if there was no snow and blue ice, why did you go down it seeing that the lift goes up the trail and the blue ice and no snow would be in plain view?

Fair question, TDawg, and to be honest, I don't remember how or if we evaluated going up... the subsequent excitement has pretty much purged that from memory. These days, and probably then, too, I tend to scan pretty carefully to see what other skiers are encountering, but I don't recollect seeing any other skiers on this occasion -- it was a very cold day and there weren't a lot of people around anywhere.

It's also true (or at least I think I remember this) that White Heat is very wide, and that it's not that easy to tell hardpack from ice without the benefit of seeing others approaching (edging/skidding/side-slipping/death-sliding). Maybe I am a decade older and wiser now and wouldn't end up in the same situation, but at the time, no "Please be aware of changing conditions" disclaimer covered what we encountered.

Either way, the ski patroller's behavior was shoddy at best. I am good friends with a bunch of patrollers, and it is beyond imagination that any of them would treat ANY resort guest so poorly, let alone someone who was clearly injured and at least temporarily incapacitated by a fall.

Tut, I, too have noticed the extremely high correlation between Starter jackets and subsequent un-guided missile behavior. One of my favorite days of the year at Waterville Valley is April Fool's Day, when tickets are just one dollar. I dispense with all my customary concern for the health and welfare of my fellow man and start to make book on who will be the biggest yard sale by the middle of True Grit. I am not proud of myself, but I can identify Hansen boots and K2 710s from a great distance, and have an excellent batting average at predicting misfortune.

 

[roadtripper]

I suggest driving right past Sunday River and going to Sugarloaf. Same company, but with a totally different feel. It has way more character, its much more centralized, and it has far better bars =)

 

[Gris]

Back to the original point...

It certainly doesn't seem like the 'biggest' mountain anywhere. Quite the contrary, seems rather anachronistic...