The latest issue of SKI Magazine had an article that caught my interest. It featured independent ski areas and seven were listed from around the country. 

The idea of the piece was to contrast these ski areas with those either owned by a conglomerate or part of a mega resort pass program. 

I have skied three of them and had lunch at the base lodge at one more of the seven.  Only one is in the East — New Hampshire’s Cannon Mountain — which I have skied and can say it is one of the top ski mountains in the East. 

Another is Bridger Bowl. This is the ski area for the town of Bozeman, and it happens to be located a few minutes from the airport skiers use to get to Big Sky — Montana’s best known ski resort.  Before a trip to Big Sky (owned by Boyne, along with Loon, Sugarloaf and Sunday River), we were invited to ski Bridger. 

If I find time to dig through my files, I might find the name of the young man from Rumford who was marketing director there. We didn’t get to ski with him, but we did find a ski area well worth trying out. 

Sierra at Tahoe used to be Sierra Ski Ranch, and it’s just outside of South Lake Tahoe. It is a popular place to stay if you’re skiing the Tahoe area. I recall a lot of intermediate cruising runs at this low key area only a few minutes outside of South Lake Tahoe. 

All I saw up close of Mount Rose was the base lodge and the parking lot. The trails looked inviting, but the skiing part of our trip was over. We had spent four days at Mammoth and returned to spend some time in Reno that included driving up to Donner Pass and down to Virginia City.  We also took the time to visit a brand new Jack Nicklaus golf course. Montreux is just down the road from Mount Rose. I would still like to ski Mount Rose someday,  but my focus will on Bridger Bowl. 

In New England, Bridger Bowl would be one of the biggest resorts. How about 2,000 acres and 2,700 feet of vertical drop?  We stayed in a small hotel in downtown Bozeman and took a free shuttle bus 16 miles to the area.  In late March, it was a little too warm for powder, although at 6,000 feet at the base it was possible with fresh snow.  We skied groomed runs on trails for all ability levels and could see some chutes that were definitely extra challenging.  There were no lift lines and we had all the skiing we needed by mid afternoon. It was a great warm-up for Big Sky a couple of days later. 

Here’s the kicker. A day at Big Sky ranges in cost from $140 to $168 depending on how many days you buy. A day at Bridger Bow  — $63.  That trip was in 2001, and if you dig through the archives of this paper, you can find a column written about Bridger and Big Sky. The focus is always on the big resorts.  But there are less expensive ski areas to enjoy yourself. 

The past Monday, I spent MLK Day at one of those ski areas. The parking lot at Mt. Abram was full and the base lodge was jammed as well. I didn’t check the high school ski races on Boris Badenov, the wide steep run down the center of the face, but I did hear Edward Little mentioned over the PA.  This was typical of the ski area, drawing not only a bunch of racers, but also a huge following friends and parents.  Boris is a perfect run for those races. The entire trail is visible from the base and on a cold day from the base lodge.  Years ago, the Women’s Pro Tour raced on that trail and the crowd cheered heavily as Julie Parisien won the event.  Most of the high school racing takes place Friday nights, so skier don’t have to worry about closed trails on weekends. 

I learned from general manager and EL Bob Harkins that they had a near record weekend, showing what new snow can do to bring out skiers. Class after class of juniors were skiing the trails and off the conveyer lift in front of the lodge.  Mt Abram’s popularity can be partly attributed to price. Thursday and Friday it’s $29 and $39 on weekends. The ski area has always had a loyal following. It didn’t make the list in SKI magazine, but it’s an example of a local independent ski area that is value by surrounding communities. See you on the slopes. 

Dave Irons is a freelance writer and columnist who hails from Westbrook. He has been contributing to the Sun Journal for many years and is among the most respected ski writers in the Northeast. He also is a member of the Maine Ski Hall of Fame. Write to him at DaveiSkiGolf@aol.com.