There is nothing like Sunday River’s multi-million dollar Chondola this year, but Maine’s ski areas have invested plenty during the off-season and skiers will see the results in more snowmaking and better grooming, along with numerous other improvements. New programs are also in place in the way of ticket deals and other promotions. In these times when normal summer maintenance can run into six figures at a mid-size resort and millions at a major resort, you know money has been spent whether you can see it or not.

At Lost Valley, co-owner (along with Linc Hayes) and GM Connie King noted some changes in personnel. Eric Anderson is on board to manage the rental and retail shop which has a new stone grinder to offer more professional ski and snowboard tuning. On the hill, Bentley Hamilton is the new terrain park manager with some ideas of adding a few new features. New skiers will like the new package in partnership with Sunday River and Sugarloaf. The Ski and Ride Card for $89 gets three days of skiing, day one: lesson, all day lift ticket and all day rental; day two: all day lift ticket and rental, both at Lost Valley; and day three: all day ticket and rental at your choice of Sunday River or Sugarloaf. Lost Valley season pass holders can also take their pass to Titcomb, Black Mountain or Camden Snowbowl and purchase two tickets for the price of one.

Up in Skowhegan, Eaton Mountain has added a new groomer, snowboard rental equipment, upgraded the base lodge, and installed a new handle tow and lights for the reworked tubing trail.

Saddleback continues their improvements with a new trail under the Kennebago chair, a new 44-acre glade, increased snowmaking on Warden’s Worry and Tight Line and added three new Pisten Bully grooming machines, one with a winch for steep pitches. Veteran ski coach Jeff Hawksley is returning to Saddleback as competition and training director. In other personnel additions, Conrad Klefos is director of marketing and Greg Andrews takes over as director of finance. There’s also great news for kids who study hard. Under the PEAK program (Promoting Education and Activity for Kids) all Maine students K through 12 on the honor roll can purchase a season pass at Saddleback for $49.

Shawnee Peak finally gets an easy trail off the summit. Sunset Boulevard is a 2,000-foot run that circles west of Haggett’s Hurdle bringing skiers back to mid-mountain. Another groomer has been added to the fleet and a new wine bar will be open in the East Base Lodge. Melissa Rock reported that trails on the East side will stay open later for skiers choosing to ski out of that base. She also noted that the new night pass, good any night after 4 p.m. has been very popular with 1,100 sold at $129.

How do you add 400 acres to a ski area? Mount Abram did it by opening the entire mountain to skiing. The new boundary to boundary policy opens all the woods to skiing, increasing the skiable terrain to 650 acres with 250 acres of trails.

Overnight Sugarloaf visitors staying at the hotel will notice new flat screen TVs and Boyne beds, part of a $600,000 upgrade. On the mountain rides up Double Runner West and No. 3 T-bar will be more comfortable thanks to new wind fencing. Snowmaking has been upgraded on several parts of the mountain and Brad Larson has been named director of sales and marketing.

The big news at Sunday River is a year-long birthday party. December 19 is 50 years to the day since Sunday River Ski Way opened for its first season with a single T-bar and a rope tow. Investments include $1.4 million in the two hotels with the exclusive Boyne Beds and flat screen TVs, new drives for the Spruce Peak and White Cap lifts, new lift houses and other upgrades skiers won’t see. But they will see plenty about the 50th anniversary from opening right through the season.

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