GREENWOOD – Mount Abram Ski Resort opens for the season Saturday, Dec. 18, offering five trails and a second tubing park run.

“We’re in good shape for the season,” said owner Josh Burns of the resort, which sports 42 trails, five lifts and a ski school.

Opening day is also Emergency Personnel Appreciation Day – all firefighters, police officers and emergency medical services personnel and their immediate family members can participate in complimentary skiing, riding and tubing.

New items this year include $5 night lift tickets, a new trail, and a second tubing run at the Flying Squirrel Tubing Park, which is Maine’s longest tubing park, said resort spokeswoman Colleen Coxe.

Skiers who show a season pass or a valid day lift ticket from any other ski area can ski from 4 to 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays for $5, Burns said Wednesday.

Coxe said a new trail, the R.A.T., was cut this summer to allow an easier path to the race course start. Also, additional Nordic and snowshoe trails have been created in the Duane’s Retreat area.

Burns said the resort’s snowmaking capacity had been increased and a fleet of mobile tower guns added, and lights and snowmaking equipment have been added to the T-bar line for night skiing.

Additionally, Burns said the resort is initiating a Saturday night sponsored racing league and is seeking teams and individuals for competitions.

Burns said he was pleased with the early sales of season passes, which were up 23 percent over last year, but concerned about the lack of participants in skiing and riding programs of area towns.

“But that may change with one good snowstorm,” he said.

Starting Dec. 18, the resort is to be open Thursdays through Sundays and all school holidays.

More information may be obtained on the Internet at www.skimtabram.com or by calling 875-5000.