Any news at Big Squaw?

[xwhaler]

I'm with River and others in here---the story is really inspiring and I'd love to ski it but likely would not make the drive until the Summit lift gets going. Have they made any references to plans for that anywhere has anyone heard?

 

[billski]

Oh 'cmon, make a junket out of it. How about a "pick 5" Hermon, Squaw, Eaton, Baker, finish it off with Sugarloaf?

 

[riverc0il]

No idea. The trails look nice, though.

 

[Skimaine]

Any idea what the terrain is comparable to off the support? I'm intrigued.

I learned to ski there before the double chair ended access to the summit. The lower mountain is really beginner/low intermediate terrain. The upper mountain is a gem. The trails are "classic New England". Twisty, turny, narrow trails. Very much like the trails at Saddleback that are serviced by the double chair. Jordan Bowel at SR would be another good comparison, although a bit narrower. It is also a pretty good amount of vertical and the trail map doesn't do it justice. I would guess 1400 vertical on the double. You could ski down to the triple for the full 1,750 feet of vertical. The old trail maps list the upper mountain trails as 11/2 miles long. The double chair was listed at 6,000 feet. It was a long ride up. They had just began cutting glades before the double failed. There is a natural trail with two 4 feet "cliff drops". Good stuff for everyone.

 

[MadMadWorld]

I learned to ski there before the double chair ended access to the summit. The lower mountain is really beginner/low intermediate terrain. The upper mountain is a gem. The trails are "classic New England". Twisty, turny, narrow trails. Very much like the trails at Saddleback that are serviced by the double chair. Jordan Bowel at SR would be another good comparison, although a bit narrower. It is also a pretty good amount of vertical and the trail map doesn't do it justice. I would guess 1400 vertical on the double. You could ski down to the triple for the full 1,750 feet of vertical. The old trail maps list the upper mountain trails as 11/2 miles long. The double chair was listed at 6,000 feet. It was a long ride up. They had just began cutting glades before the double failed. There is a natural trail with two 4 feet "cliff drops". Good stuff for everyone.

Thanks for the info. Sounds like it has some nice potential. Hopefully they can do something to get the summit back in play.

 

[Mapnut]

http://skimap.org/data/457/260/1280525905.gif

I'll add what I can to SkiMaine's description, though the last time I skied there was 1972. They only added one expert trail, Sebomook, since then, plus replacing the 3,000-foot T-bar with a triple chair and making that liftline into a trail. I heard they also opened the upper double chair line for skiing. That could be extreme; I remember boulders and gullies under the chair.

Squaw's biggest asset is its sheer beauty, both the view and the mountain itself with its abundance of fir trees, the greenest ski mountain you'll ever see. Looking up from the base, you could hardly see any trails. The mountain's liability, terrain-wise, is that the double chair is rather long for the vertical served. All the runs start off with a flat stretch, and the lower third of the area is all easy runouts, about like the bottom of the high-speed quad area at Sunapee. The original black diamond trails, Piscataquis and Moose River, did not follow the fall line and were really intermediate. I got to ski St. Croix the last time I was there; it had a good steep pitch but it took a long traverse to get there. Traversing at Squaw was relatively pleasant.

The Penobscot trail deserved its reputation as a gem. After a flat stretch under the chair, it dove to the right on a broad pitch that could be a bit challenging, then turned into a nice cruise through the woods. East Branch was an easy run that started partway down Penobscot and ran down to the top of the T-bar area, like the Cliff Trail at Stowe. It would be an novice trail except that novices were hard-pressed to get to it via that pitch on Penobscot.

If I were to buy Squaw (I'm a few million short), instead of restoring the summit chair, I'd just restore the bottom third to the mid-station, as a novice and access lift. My new summit lift (fixed triple 4800 feet long) would start below the midstation and east of it on Penobscot, eliminating the runouts. It would go parallel to the existing liftline to a higher peak, which adds 180 vertical feet and opens up a steep pitch east of Penobscot. You could also ski down to this lift from the triple chair. I'd also restore the shorter T-bar on the lower mountain for the beginners' area. Then we'd have something.

 

[Morwax]

Beautiful spot.. nice to see people pulling together to bring such a gem back to life. I would make the trip if the summit chair were spinning.

 

[billski]

NEWS FROM YOUR BOARD: Unanimous vote of Your Directors to pursue a two year lease agreement with Mr. Confalone to continue operating for the next two ski seasons!!!
TOP PRIORITIES INCLUDE:
1.) Purchase the 2006 Prinoth BR 350 (that we currently lease)
2.) Weatherproof the lodge with new metal roof for the wing, install donated Moosehead Cedar Log Homes siding and 6 new windows and slopeside door.
3.) Purchase fan guns for snow making on the lift line (Rip Gorge) & Kennebec
4.) Resurrect the Pony Pull with the possibility of a tubing park
5.) Trail work on both the lower and upper mountain.

We need your help to make this all possible. Consider a donation to friendsofsquaw@gmail.com via www.paypal.com

Door Prize of Free Season's Pass with your $25 Dinner Donation! Join us for an afternoon of skiing and an evening of fun!Please share! Moosehead Cedar Log Homes has generously donated gorgeous cedar log siding to begin renovations for the exterior of the lodge. With your help we will match them with 6 new insulated windows on the slopeside. Please join us for a night of good food, good music and a whole lot of fun! For more information visit http://www.facebook.com/events/546601352029080/

 

[xwhaler]

5.) Trail work on both the lower and upper mountain.

Looks promising that while they may not have immediate plans to resurrect the upper lift at least they don't want the trails to grow in anymore than they have.

 

[deadheadskier]

A $75 million ski resort could bring hundreds of jobs to Moosehead region

The $75 million investment would create 300-400 jobs and result in $2.9 million annually in property taxes in Piscataquis County, the least populous and one of the poorest in Maine.

bangordailynews.com

Ambitious plans!

Bring it back and put it on a joint pass with Saddleback!

 

[BLESS]

A $75 million ski resort could bring hundreds of jobs to Moosehead region

The $75 million investment would create 300-400 jobs and result in $2.9 million annually in property taxes in Piscataquis County, the least populous and one of the poorest in Maine.

bangordailynews.com

Ambitious plans!

Bring it back and put it on a joint pass with Saddleback!

LOL beat me to it.....I just read this as well. Hope it works for them.

 

[skimagic]

Lets hope the sale actually happens, I'd be surprised Confalone would let it go so easily though without a high price tag. He kept it this long and probably thinks its worth a saddleback price?
I just don't understand how he let it go down the crapper over the years, which killed any money coming in from its operation.

I went up to Moosehead a few summers ago and drove up to the old hotel, the mountain looked impressive, but it is far, far from everywhere. I imagine the new lift would be a fixed grip, Im not sure what a HSQ would do with such a limited bed base, even with some new homes, and the small area population.
If it opens, i'm there.

 

[deadheadskier]

While it's definitely remote, it's only fifteen minutes further from Boston than Sugarloaf. Having a lake almost twice the size of Winnipesaukee at its base is a a compelling four season option for those willing to work for a less crowded skiing experience plus one of the very best boating destinations in the country. I definitely want to get my boat up there just as much as ski the mountain. Probably isn't a body of water that large and so undeveloped east of the rockies. Maybe something in Minnesota, but Moosehead is pristine with killer mountain views

 

[deadheadskier]

State approves $135 million deal to remake ski resort in Piscataquis County

The project in Big Moose Township is expected to create roughly 380 full- and part-time jobs.

www.pressherald.com

 

[thetrailboss]

State approves $135 million deal to remake ski resort in Piscataquis County

The project in Big Moose Township is expected to create roughly 380 full- and part-time jobs.

www.pressherald.com

Yes. Looks like it is moving forward. Hope it works out. The residents in that area need that resort to succeed.

 

[Smellytele]

Moving forward

Yes. Looks like it is moving forward. Hope it works out. The residents in that area need that resort to succeed.

Moving forward with a name change because “part of its name is a slur for a female Native American.

 

[ss20]

Balsams 2.0? At least this one is within grasp of reality. The real estate plan is quite ambitious!!

 

[deadheadskier]

I'd love to see this project happen as that area of Maine is something special. Maybe it can be an if you build it, they will come scenario. Summer on Moosehead must be amazing for boaters. Almost double the size of Winnipesaukee with probably 5% the number of boats.

Seems like a peculiar project for this group. They've done some large hotels, but also medical facilities and dorms. They appear well versed in high dollar developments, but not ski resorts.

Projects

www.provident.org

 

[crystalmountainskier]

Color me skeptical as well. Lots of talk of new lift(s) for 2021-22 but is there an actual order? Getting pretty late in the game.

 

[machski]

Color me skeptical as well. Lots of talk of new lift(s) for 2021-22 but is there an actual order? Getting pretty late in the game.

Manufactuer has yet to be announced, but Peter has added this to his 2021 installs on Lift Blog. Tagged as a HSQ.