Ski Maine Association is the non-profit trade association representing 18 ski areas in Maine. The following information outlines many of the improvements that will be seen at Maine mountains this winter. Maine continues to be recognized as a premier ski state with facilities located across the state from Fort Kent, to the Camden Hills, to the western mountains. Whether visiting a community area close to home or experiencing our internationally recognized destination resorts, outdoor enthusiasts will find lots to do during our long, snowy winters.

Black Mountain, Rumford:

Under new ownership, Black Mountain has begun its first phase of expansion.

• The most important step is the installation of its first double chairlift. The chair will service beginner terrain offering a new teaching area for skiing and snowboarding.

• The snowmaking system has been upgraded and expanded to increase snowmaking on both the alpine and Nordic trail networks.

• Expanded night skiing is available on six trails this winter, including the “Haymaker”, making it one of the few double black diamonds in the East with lights.

• New trails are being cut to the top of the mountain in preparation of the second chairlift installation next summer which will increase the vertical drop at the ski area from 470′ to well over 1,000′ feet.

• The rental shop is stocked with new skis and snowboards to supplement the expanded programs introducing children and families to winter sports

• A new website will keep skiers up to date with all of the area’s programs and improvement. • www.skiblackmtnofme.org

Camden Snow Bowl, Camden:

• Expanded snowmaking has been the focus at Camden this summer.

• Increased pump capacity

• New snowguns continue the area’s ability to make more snow in a shorter time period.

Lonesome Pine Trails, Fort Kent:

• Following a successful test last winter of snowmaking on the main trail, Lonesome Pine installed a new snowmaking system to cover 40% of the ski terrain. This system will insure plenty of skiing and snowboarding during the critical December school vacation period.

Lost Valley, Auburn:

• Lost Valley has again contracted with Josh Lempert of Grindrite to plot out and design a terrain park. The park will feature an entirely new design and format for this season.

• Eight new trails will be installed in the park.

• Four new funboxes are being added.

• Three trails will be dedicated to this terrain park, which will thrill the enthusiast. An outdoor sound system will play “their” tunes.

• Lost Valley is committed to safety and once again will support the park ranger safety program.

Mt Abram, Greenwood:

• Increased size of rental shop

• New Bombardier groomer

• Added Wintersteiger tuning machine to ski shop

• Day Care age ski program

• Expanded and renovated the Loose Boots Lounge

• Maine’s Longest tubing park added more twists and turns

• Increased snowmaking capacity

• Upgrades to “The Way Back Machine” chair lift

Mt Jefferson, Lee:

• The ski area’s new web site has lots of photos and current information about this popular family ski area http://mtjefferson.onperfect.com

Saddleback, Rangley:

Under new ownership, Saddleback immediately invested in the mountain.

• Current improvements include the purchase of a summer tractor that has mowed the entire existing trail network.

• Trail crews have cut brush on the upper expert trails and expanded glade skiing acreage.

• A new snowmaking pump has been installed in the base pump station, increasing the capacity to pump water.

• New snow cannons have been purchased, snowguns have been upgraded, and new hose has been purchased to increase the snowmaking efficiency on the existing trails.

• Two snow groomers with all attachments have been purchased.

• Saddleback is expanding it staff to offer more ski and snowboard programs, increase customer service.

• Master plans are underway for expansion of the lifts, trails, and base facilities.

Shawnee Peak, Bridgton:

• New This Year: A Brand New, State of the Art Piston Park Bully Groomer – made for maintaining jumps, terrain features and the halfpipe. Versatile enough to transition to traditional trail grooming.

• The Halfpipe – new last year – will be lengthened up to 40%! And with additional snowmaking on the Pipe, freestyle skiers and riders will notice the difference!

• Extensive Trail Work – In an effort to increase elbowroom at the top of the mountain, we’ve cut trees, blasted rock and smoothed terrain around Jack Spratt and Peter’s Plunge. Look for a smoother transition on Evergreen, too.

• Base Area improvements include a brand new Blizzard’s Pub Deck, renovations inside Blizzard’s, new carpet in the Base Lodge and increased space in the SnowSports Check-in Area.

Sugarloaf/USA, Kingfield:

• The latest installment of Sugarloaf/USA’s strategy to make more of the dense, in-bounds forest accessible to skiers and riders comes in the form of two new glades for the 2003-04 season. The new glades will allow skiers and riders of all abilities to enjoy the thrill of cruising through the trees.

• Kick Back was carved from the forest between double-black diamond Skidder and black diamond Hayburner. Don’t let the name fool you; there will be no ‘kicking back’ and relaxing through this black diamond, experts-only terrain. Kick Back offers a steep fall line similar to Skidder and Hayburner, especially on the lower half of the glade. In the logging industry, a kick back is “a strong thrust of the saw back toward the faller generally resulting from improper use of the nose of the bar or the pinching of the bar in a cut. Kickback causes loss of control of the saw.”

• Boomscooter was cut between Windrow and Glancer and is sure to be a family favorite. It offers a gentle slope and generous tree spacing that provide a great introduction to the woods experience. Boomscooter is named for the highly maneuverable small boats that were used to drive logs to the mill on the river.

• In keeping with Sugarloaf’s logging heritage, the Max Headroom glade has been renamed Stump Shot. The stump shot is two cuts, one above the other, that prevent the tree from kicking back toward the faller.

• Also new on the trail map this year is the official naming of West Sluice Chute, the trail on the skier’s left of the Spillway East chair, and Lower Rookie River. Both trails have been in use but were not designated on the trail map.

Other on-mountain improvements for the 2003-2004 skiing and riding season include:

• 50 new low-energy-use snow guns. 50 new low-energy-use snow guns have been added to Sugarloaf’s snowmaking fleet. These snow guns can convert water into snow at higher temperatures with half of the compressed air that is required by traditional snow guns. These new guns produce snow more efficiently in the early season and will facilitate more rapid terrain expansion.

• New snowmaking system on Sluice. New snowmaking lines have been installed on the Sugarloaf favorite, Sluice. The new system will have shorter distance between hydrants, which will allow more snow to be put down. Sluice is expected to be available on opening day, tentatively scheduled for Nov. 21, and will see more frequent resurfacing throughout the season as a result of this upgrade.

Elsewhere in the snowmaking plant, extensive work has been done behind the scenes in the pump house and compressor room. New computer software and hardware, valves, and piping have been installed to improve the overall efficiency of the snowmaking operation.

• Two new state-of-the-art Bombardier grooming machines. Sugarloaf’s commitment to providing the highest quality snow surfaces is reflected in the acquisition of these new state-of-the-art machines.

• A new 20-passenger snow cat. This cat will transport more guests, more comfortably to Bullwinkles, Sugarloaf’s mid-mountain lodge, for gourmet dinners on Wednesday and Saturday nights. This custom-made vehicle offers wrap-around windows providing panoramic views for each guest. Additionally, even though wind-hold days are infrequent, they are a fact of life, and this new passenger cat will allow us to transport more adventurers to the #3 T-Bar on those wind-challenged days.

• On-mountain condominiums. On mountain real estate demand continues to grow at record rates at Sugarloaf. Construction is expected to be complete by Christmas on the first 18 units of The Timbers at Bucksaw, Sugarloaf’s newest trailside community. Over the next three years as many as 80 units will be built just west of the SuperQuad. These true ski-in ski-out town homes are situated amongst the trees around Glancer, Scoot and Windrow and command outstanding views of the Bigelow range and the Sugarloaf Village below.

Below the village at the base of the Snubber chairlift, construction is underway on the new Winter’s Way condominium complex. Fourteen 3-4 bedroom units are under construction and will be ready for this season. An additional 14 units are slated for construction next summer in this project.

Sunday River, Bethel:

• The commitment to providing the most dependable snow in New England continues with the purchase of four new Bombardier grooming machines, two of which are the new 350HP BR. These oversized machines groom more acres per hour and at a more efficient cost per acre.

• Renovations to the South Ridge Base Lodge include new retail space, seasonal and day lockers, new tuning shop, new logo shop and restroom renovations. Sunday River offers a free adult Perfect Turn clinic for every per person, lift and lodging package purchased in the 2003-2004 season. Whether a skier or rider is looking to improve turning on wide-open cruisers or advance skills in the glades, Perfect Turn provides the instruction. Learn-to clinics are not included in this offer.

• The new 18-hole championship golf course designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr. golf course is under construction and the resort plans to open the first 9 holes by July 2004. Some 7,100 yards from the championship tees, the course faces northwest on a hillside with sweeping views across the Sunday River Valley to the Mahoosuc Mountain Range. The development plans also include a golf school, driving range, and clubhouse designed to complement the mountain landscape. The foundation of the clubhouse has been poured and construction will be ongoing into the winter months.

Titcomb Mt., Farmington:

• A new beginner lift has been installed, adjacent to the base area. This handle tow will increase the number of beginners that Titcomb can teach in both skiing and snowboarding.

• Regrading the beginner area to accommodate the new lift and teaching area.

• Expanded Terrain Park with additional trail space and four new rails installed.

• Addition of two new snow cannons.

• The return of the Tuesday Night Adult Race League.

• Received a $14,000 state grant to upgrade 3 km of Nordic trails and add a new buy-pass section to expand trail space on race days.