Carrabassett Valley, ME – A last minute snowmaking blitz enabled three more ski resorts to open over the weekend in the East, joining a handful already in operation for the winter and bringing the total to seven as the calendar enters the Thanksgiving holiday week, the traditional start of ski season.nIn Maine, staffers at Sugarloaf were able to make enough snow to open their 60th season with one 1,750 vertical foot route, joining their nearby Boyne Resorts stablemate already open, Sunday River. A long line formed for the 8:30 a.m. first chair on Sunday morning, and skiers and riders took advantage of the newly made snow on Pinch, Upper Tote Road and Lower Tote Road. Opening day lift tickets were reduced to $29 for all ages.
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Skiers and riders got their first turns of the season at Sugarloaf in Carrabassett Valley, Me., on Sunday. |
“We worked hard this summer to increase the efficiency of our snowmaking system, and it has really paid off over these last few days,” said Rich Wilkinson, Sugarloaf’s Vice President of Mountain Operations. “We were fortunate to have temps in the teens the last two nights, but the Boyne Low Energy Fan Guns and our other Low-E technology have allowed us to continue making snow around the clock, despite marginal daytime temperatures.”
Sugarloaf will remain open for skiing and riding seven days a week throughout the winter season. The resort will continue its early season tradition when it hosts the 26th annual Tin Mountain Round Up, Nov. 27-28, when guests can ski or ride for $30 if they donate three or more canned food items to help supply local food banks.
In New Hampshire, Bretton Woods also opened for skiing and riding over the weekend. The resort is offering 47 open acres, spread over five trails serviced by three lifts. Rails have been set on Rosebrook Lane for skiers and riders to work on their early season freeriding skills.
Across the border in Canada, Mont-Saint-Sauveur in the Laurentian Mountains north of Montreal continued its tradition of first to open in Quebec by opening its Hill 70 run on Saturday. Saint-Sauveur is closed today and tomorrow, however, to preserve the marginal snowpack through the current bout of warm weather. A decision regarding operations beginning Wednesday will be made early this week.
Other Eastern ski areas open over the weekend included: Killington, Vt.; Woodbury Ski Area, Conn.; and Cataloochee Ski Area in Maggie Valley, N.C. Cataloochee has since closed awaiting colder weather, but officials there hope to reopen this Friday. Sugar Mountain near Banner Elk, N.C. has been open earlier this month but closed Nov. 14. They, too, await the opportunity to again make snow and reopen.