S#!*loaf & the Bigalows -- 1/17/09

[Double Bow]

So I was staying up at the Maine Roadhouse for the weekend with big plans. Soon the weather and ski patrol was going to squash those plans. On that Saturday, I headed up the Tote Road on Sugareloaf in -18 temps and the ski gestapo soon stopped me.

They asked to see my ticket and I said that I didn't have a lift ticket since I wasn't planning to use the lift. They informed me that to be on the property during operational hours, I needed a ticket because they were concerned about collisions. That made me wonder about the fact that they wouldn't care if I got creamed if I had paid the $80 for a ticket, but that didn't stop the ski SS from escourting me down the mountain.

Perturbed but not beaten, I drove over to the AT crossing on Rte 27, parked and followed what had been my plan for Monday. I hiked in towards The Bigalows. The hike hike to the summer trail head was well broken and the weay to the end of the pond was broken by snowmobiles. Once I got to the fork with the Horns POnd trail going off however, I was on my own.

I broke trail up the steep to the campsite and beyond. As I approached the site almost in the col, I had the crap scared out of me be a hiker that care up behind me. It turned out to be a group of four from the Main Outdoors Club (University of Maine). They made a feeble attempt at saying that they were woindering when they would come across the person that was braking trail for them, when all along they were pouching on my efforts.

The consolation was that at the col they headed off toward West Peak and I headed towards Avery Peak. I hit Avery in windy and cold conditions, but I got something of a view. When I got back to the col, the MOC group was heading down. I headed up West Peak and got my best views of the day. I hit that peak at 3pm.

Heading down, I found that the group ahead of me had smoothed much of the trail by sliding down. While at times I carefully hiked down, other times I was forced to butt slide down myself.

I got out to the road after dark, but it was only then that I turned on my headlamp for fear of missing the point where the AT crosses the road.

Back at the roadhouse, I partied it up with Marchowes and a bunch of skiers while waiting for whichway. It made for a good ending to an eventful day.

Here are pics http://good-times.webshots.com/album/569794476xUdHJW"><img src="http://thumb7.webshots.net/t/66/566/4/40/28/2585440280078188847Sriyox_th.jpg" alt="Image hosted by Webshots.com"></a><br>by <a href=http://community.webshots.com/user/double_bow> double_bow

 

[Mad Townie]

Good job salvaging the day! Not bad views from the Bigelows, eh?

So I wonder, is there any way to climb Sugarloaf from the ski area base during the winter? (daytime, that is; I figure they'd be even more worried if you were out there with the grooming machines)

The lift tickets exempt ski areas from liability to their customers, so if you haven't bought a ticket, you haven't entered into that contract. That's what they're afraid of, I believe.

 

[albee]

Nice WORK on the Bigelows. That's a hell of an effort at solo trailbreaking.

Here's a hint for Sugarloaf: Start at the main lodge, find the Burnt Mountain hiking trail, and follow that to the col. From there, it is less than a mile bushwhack to the top of Sugarloaf. If you're lucky, you'll find the backcountry ski trails (like I did) that they don't advertise and you won't have to 'whack more than 0.5 miles thru mostly semi-open woods before you're home free.

How you get back to the ski lodge is your own business from there... but I doubt they keep an eye out for lift tickets so closely on your way down.