Huge New Gladed area being developed at Saddleback

[xwhaler]

Got this in my email this AM as part of their weekly newsletter....1st time I'd heard the news.
Should be good....Saddleback has very few intermediate level glades other than Nightmare Glade on the upper mtn so this is welcome news as folks progress up towards Casablanca, Dark Wizard, etc.

If you are looking for a great way to contribute to Saddleback, please consider joining our new volunteer trail maintenance and clearing crew. We will work with the Jimmy, Jared, and the rest of the Saddleback mountain team to make new trails and maintain all the great trails we have. Our first new trail project will be to glade out the area bounded by Red Devil, Hudson Highway, and the Bee Wee Pass. This area is almost as large as Casablanca and will produce both a large intermediate glade and some exciting steeps. Volunteering is an excellent way to help the mountain, get some great outdoor exercise, and make the Saddleback ski experience even better. To join, one needs to be in good hiking condition and able to walk over rough mountain terrain. You do not need to be able to use power equipment such as chain saws. A great deal of the work simply involves moving cut timber and brush. Our first work dates will be over Labor Day weekend, August 30 through September 1, and the second work dates will be during Fall Festival, September 20-21. More will be scheduled through October depending on interest.​

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Please contact Peter Stein via email pstein@scisol.comor 603-321-5042 for more information and to sign up.​

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[wa-loaf]

Cool

 

[Savemeasammy]

I hope to get a day at Saddleback this season before/after the summit.


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[from_the_NEK]

That area has a small sub peak that Hudson Highway goes around. The contours in there are going to produce some pretty serious flat spots/bottlenecks while trying to to get to the main pitch.
But more glades make me smile.

 

[xwhaler]

That area has a small sub peak that Hudson Highway goes around. The contours in there are going to produce some pretty serious flat spots/bottlenecks while trying to to get to the main pitch.
But more glades make me smile.

I think the lower section will be tough but if you can ski the upper half and then duck into Red Devil I think it will work out well.

 

[dlague]

Obviously the target audience is intermediate but I am curious to see what it will be like. I have only skied on Red Devil which has decent pitch but the green trails make me think that skiers left of that area might be a non event. Towards the bottom coming out on Hudson Highway are probably where the steepest section might be resulting in shooting out on to a green trail! Hmmmm!

 

[xwhaler]

Yes, Hudson Highway is pretty flat but the upper sections of Silver Doctor and Red/Blue Devil have a decent intermediate pitch so I think the woods in there could be fun.
This is really the last big swath of trees within the current perimeter of the resort so its nice they are taking advantage of it.

 

[Savemeasammy]

^you guys sound like you have good "tour guide" potential to me...


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[xwhaler]

^you guys sound like you have good "tour guide" potential to me...


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Saddleback was my home mtn for 2 yrs and I try to get up there every season at least once. I have probably 60 days in up there.
You would love it Tim---we will be either at Saddleback or Black Mtn of ME on the Friday before the summit. Be awesome to show you around.
If the glades are in play its incredible up there.

 

[dlague]

I have only been there three weekends. What I like are the pods - a beginner pod, an intermediate pod and an advanced pod. We usually go the first weekend of February for Ride and Ski. The glades are hit or miss I have only skied them once all other times the cover was rock hard or thin. Maybe I will get there on a powder day on one of these days. Easy mountain to learn for sure!

 

[Savemeasammy]

You would love it Tim---we will be either at Saddleback or Black Mtn of ME on the Friday before the summit. Be awesome to show you around.

This would be great!


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[Tin]

I hope to get a day at Saddleback this season before/after the summit.


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Erika really wants to after seeing the pics of Casablanca. I'm down. Plus the lodging is cheaper around there if you want to sneak a few days in prior to or after the summit. I would suggest prior given my liver toxicity at last years event.

 

[tipsdown]

Obviously the target audience is intermediate but I am curious to see what it will be like. I have only skied on Red Devil which has decent pitch but the green trails make me think that skiers left of that area might be a non event. Towards the bottom coming out on Hudson Highway are probably where the steepest section might be resulting in shooting out on to a green trail! Hmmmm!

After the flatter section skiers left of the top of Red Devil the grade sharpens and there are some nice steeps in there. It only flattens out when you merge with Hudson's Highway at the bottom of the run. If it's cut right, there shouldn't be any flat area (stay close to Red Devil up top and expand further to skier's left heading down). I hiked this section last year...The mountain harvested the base of that area a couple year ago. But they stopped as the pitch increased and trees tightened. This will be a welcome addition. The upper half will be very scenic. You will look directly down on to Rangeley Lake...

But the real prize will be the expansion of the West Bowl. About 1500 vertical of gnarly trees skiing...Someday!

 

[deadheadskier]

Is the mountain still for sale? If it doesn't sell will current ownership still upgrade the double?

 

[MadMadWorld]

Haven't people been thinning that out already?

 

[tipsdown]

Is the mountain still for sale? If it doesn't sell will current ownership still upgrade the double?

Mountain isstill for sale. I think the only way current ownership upgrades thedouble is if they start to parcel off some of the land around the SkiArea. It’s unclear what their plan isbut there was some speculation that they might do that after the sale of someland adjacent to the mountain in the spring. That wouldn’t appear to be thebest long term approach for the mountain though since it’ll reduce the developmentpotential. There have recently been some rumblings of a new ownershipgroup coming in this fall/early winter but talk is cheap so we’ll see. Idon’t expect to see lift upgrades until that happens…

 

[timm]

Mountain isstill for sale. I think the only way current ownership upgrades thedouble is if they start to parcel off some of the land around the SkiArea. It’s unclear what their plan isbut there was some speculation that they might do that after the sale of someland adjacent to the mountain in the spring. That wouldn’t appear to be thebest long term approach for the mountain though since it’ll reduce the developmentpotential. There have recently been some rumblings of a new ownershipgroup coming in this fall/early winter but talk is cheap so we’ll see. Idon’t expect to see lift upgrades until that happens…

Was it the whole thing for sale or just a portion? For some reason I feel like I remember it being only a small part of the mountain for sale.

 

[steamboat1]

Was it the whole thing for sale or just a portion? For some reason I feel like I remember it being only a small part of the mountain for sale.

http://www.maineskifamily.com/2012/12/saddleback-maine-for-sale.html

"The Berry family will keep 7,600 of the 8,000 acres it bought 10 years ago."

 

[timm]

5% is a small part alright! But sounds like that portion includes the entire operating ski area.

 

[deadheadskier]

I would think they'd need to offer more acreage for the sale to be viable. The money at ski resorts, especially destination low skier visit resorts like Saddleback; is in real estate development. I don't think a buyer would be willing to take on just the ski area and not have opportunities to develop real estate. Like Burke, the mountain would probably benefit greatly by having a four season anchor hotel at it's base.