• Welcome to AlpineZone, the largest online community of skiers and snowboarders in the Northeast!

    You may have to REGISTER before you can post. Registering is FREE, gets rid of the majority of advertisements, and lets you participate in giveaways and other AlpineZone events!

Big Squaw - 2/1/15

skiMEbike

New member
Joined
Jul 29, 2014
Messages
346
Points
0
Location
Maine
Date(s) Skied: 2/1/15

Resort or Ski Area: Big Squaw Mtn

Conditions: Powder Packed Powder....Sunny, windy, cold.

Trip Report:
I was in the Moosehead area to attend a Superbowl party/game, and decided to break away to ski Big Squaw Mtn. First of all, I haven't skied Squaw since 1984, so I could barely remember the layout. For those that don't know the history of Squaw...I'll give you the brief history: It opened in 1963 outside of Greenville, ME on the beautiful/remote shores of Moosehead Lake. Back in the day of full operations you had 4 lifts (a double to the top, a triple to mid-Mountain, & two suface lifts) to get you to the ~3200 foot summit for 1700 vertical feet of old sytle New England trails with some of the best views around. In 2004, one of the chairs on the summit double detached resulting in injury, and since the chair has not been in operation shutting down lift access to the summit :cry: The current triple gives you about 600 vertical feet with 25+ trails (or about 7-8 ways down). I managed to ski everything with exception of a few glades & the green trail skiers left towards the old motel. I was there for just over 2 hours (which for me was just about the right amount of time, since the vert is limited & fairly flat as you approach the bottom of the lift). The conditions were awesome. The mountain is only open on weekends so there was plenty untracked Pow from the storms earlier in the week....They do groom & most open trails were groomed or half groomed leaving plenty of opportunity to play in the au natrual conditions. It would be so awesome for this place to open the summit again, however I just don't see it happening due to the remoteness of the mountain....It's sad, as this mountain has some awesome terrain at the top. One can only dream (or reminisce). According to the lift operator I talked with, he said it would take $2.5 million to get the summit double going again.

TOD: Exterminator (under the chair & probably the "steepest" section of trail )...was left ungroomed & made for lots of fun to lap.

Riding up the triple:
IMG_0772.jpg

Fresh(Deep) Pow on the sides:
IMG_0774.jpg

"Dropping" into Exterminator with Mt. Kineo in background:
IMG_0775.jpg
 
Last edited:

xwhaler

Active member
Joined
Nov 26, 2007
Messages
2,943
Points
38
Location
Seacoast NH
There was talk at one point on the Friends of Squaw Mtn page about offering cat rides to the summit. In fact I saw recently some trail clearing work was being done up there (possibly in preparation for that?)
 

skiMEbike

New member
Joined
Jul 29, 2014
Messages
346
Points
0
Location
Maine
Was anyone skinning towards the summit?

I didn't notice anyone, but there were definitely some tracks coming from above...I am sure it was sweet.

There was talk at one point on the Friends of Squaw Mtn page about offering cat rides to the summit. In fact I saw recently some trail clearing work was being done up there (possibly in preparation for that?)

Cat rides to the top would be awesome !!!
 

Angus

Member
Joined
Feb 18, 2005
Messages
961
Points
16
good pixs of kineo, beautiful and remote area of Maine.
 

bigbog

Active member
Joined
Feb 17, 2004
Messages
4,882
Points
38
Location
Bangor and the state's woodlands
I didn't notice anyone, but there were definitely some tracks coming from above...I am sure it was sweet. Cat rides to the top would be awesome !!!

Kudos for noticing man....I need to try finding the way up... Haven't spent enough time at it till this season(all of a sudden..;-)), but a ride on a cat would be great.
 

LoafSkier19

Active member
Joined
Sep 30, 2011
Messages
158
Points
43
Nice! Hoping to make a couple of trips there in the coming weeks.
 

freeski

New member
Joined
Nov 9, 2014
Messages
312
Points
0
Location
Concord, NH
Nice, glad they're skiing there again this year. Hope they can open the top again some day.
 
Top