NEWRY — On the last weekend of operation of Sunday River’s Barker Express lift, Donny Pelletier was walking around the parking lot handing out tailgating awards. He “pays his respects” to some skiers who are dressed as undertakers. Their tailgate has a wooden casket on a folding table and their sign says, “Monday Mourning, Farewell Barker Lift.” Pelletier awards them a trophy, then says,
“Bittersweet day, final weekend for the Barker quad, lots of good memories on that lift.”
That was April 16. After months of dismantling and installation, this Saturday, the new Barker 6 lift at Sunday River will open. It is the fastest six-person chairlift in North America, with a Doppelmayr D-Line design featuring ergonomic heated seats. Encased in weather-blocking bubbles tinted in Sunday River’s signature red, the lift will carry 3250 skiers per hour.
At 8 a.m. on the morning of the 9th, a VIP celebration will be held at the base of Barker.
The public is invited to First Chair ceremonies starting at 9 a.m. There are giveaways and the VIP lounge at Barker will feature light snacks and refreshments all day. Fireworks are at 6 p.m.
The first six to take a ride to Barker summit on the new lift will be randomly chosen. Sunday River has donated proceeds from $5 raffle tickets to the Bethel Area Food Pantry.
The lift
The underside of each chair reads, “Happy Place Found,” Sunday River’s logo. A large screen will play a video of the history of Barker, first opened 60 years ago.
The Barker 6 lift is four times the size of the former lift and features an automatically lowering and locking restraining bar and improved wind resistance. Completion of the Barker 6 and nearby Jordan 8, North America’s fastest 8-person chairlift, completed last summer, are part of the mountain’s 2030 plan.
Jordan whisks skiers to Oz and Jordan Bowl peaks, while the new Barker 6 will service White Cap to North Peak.
In the summer of 2024, Sunday River will install a second Doppelmayr fixed grip triple on Merrill Hill, (the 20th lift on the mountain). It will lead to future ski trails and houses not yet built in a real estate development.
Sunday River General Manager Brian Heon details the project’s progress in a video made over the summer. Heon says entrance to the run “Agony” will widen with trees removed and blasting now completed. Helicopters removed some of the towers, too. Heon says the pitch and fall lines will remain the same.
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