Maine Resort Improvements
Updates courtesy of Skinet.com & SugarloafSugarloaf
- Upgraded Snowmaking: The resort added a sixth water pump to its pumphouse, replaced all existing pumps with new, more efficient ones, and augmented its snowgun arsenal with 25 new Boyne energy efficient fan guns, which specialize in producing large quantities of snow at higher temperatures.
Sugarloaf has also added 50 new low energy HKD snowguns, as well as new high flow snowmaking pipe to the summit, which will improve snowmaking in the resort’s above-treeline area. All told, the improvements to Sugarloaf’s snowmaking system will increase the resort’s overall snowmaking capacity by an estimated 20 percent.
- Terrain Park Changes: Freestyle skiers and riders will find a new terrain park landscape at Sugarloaf this season, with a new advanced terrain park on Haywire, new beginner park on Whiffletree, newly designed Superpipe, as well as a new, permanent snowboardcross/skiercross course designed in part by Olympic snowboardcross champion Seth Wescott. The course, which will be called “Sidewinder,” will be located in the area formerly known as The Yard, and will feature live-timing, allowing guests to test their skills and weigh their times against each other and against Wescott.
The advanced terrain park features that were located in The Yard will now be found on Haywire, where new snowmaking equipment has been installed. Beginner park riders will find a new park this season as well, the “Skybound” park on Whiffletree, located in the former Turbo Tubing area.
- New Gladed Terrain: Three newly marked glades have been added to the resort's tree-riding terrain.
- Base Area Enhancements: The area known as ”The Beach” will be flattened and resurfaced, and will feature a new bonfire pit, permanent awards podium, and new outdoor barbecue area, all to create a more festive and welcoming atmosphere around the Base Lodge.
- New Chairlift/Gondola Hybrid Lift: Sunday River debuts "The Chondola" this season - the first of its kind in the Northeast U.S. A Chondola is a high-speed detachable chairlift that carries gondola cabins at regular intervals. A trip previously requiring two lift rides by skiers and snowboarders will be reduced to one via the 6-person chairs and 8-person gondola cabins. Summer, special event and mountain bike guests will also gain access to North Peak via the Chondola.
