Saddleback Maine

[Newpylong]

Hope to get up there one more time this weekend, we shall see. I have been lucky enough to be there on good conditions, and it is pretty magical place. One side of me hopes it gets discovered more (I think it will based on folk's experience this year) to help pay for the infrastructure improvements, the other side of me hopes it stays a little off the beaten path. I guess that's what mid week is for...

 

[ThatGuy]

praying the snow scheduled to start sunday and continue thru next week makes next Saturday April 3 my saddleback day.

it will either be awesome, or I'll crash my car. one or the other. i'm overdue for awesome.

Lets just hope you don’t drive 6+ hours to turn around again.

 

[KustyTheKlown]

Hope to get up there one more time this weekend, we shall see. I have been lucky enough to be there on good conditions, and it is pretty magical place. One side of me hopes it gets discovered more (I think it will based on folk's experience this year) to help pay for the infrastructure improvements, the other side of me hopes it stays a little off the beaten path. I guess that's what mid week is for...

they apparently had massive lines this past Saturday. some gaper on the northeast skiology page was super outraged. he also said they stopped some lift at ~3:45 that was needed to get back to the base so he had to climb up a mountain. i take this with a full shaker of salt.

 

[dblskifanatic]

they apparently had massive lines this past Saturday. some gaper on the northeast skiology page was super outraged. he also said they stopped some lift at ~3:45 that was needed to get back to the base so he had to climb up a mountain. i take this with a full shaker of salt.

That is strange since you can get back from the Kennebago base to the resort base with out riding the lift. All others access the base as well. He apparently did not know!

 

[Smellytele]

S

That is strange since you can get back from the Kennebago base to the resort base with out riding the lift. All others access the base as well. He apparently did not know!

stupid is as stupid does

 

[deadheadskier]

If you somehow make it down to the South Branch and it's not running, then from that lift you would need to hike back up to the base lodge and it would be a substantial walk.

Either ski patrol screwed up and didn't rope off those trails before the lift closed or this individual ducked a rope.

Speaking of the South Branch. The parking is very limited at the base of the chair, but if you don't need to grab a ticket at the lodge, the best place to park is down there.

 

[parahelia]

If you somehow make it down to the South Branch and it's not running, then from that lift you would need to hike back up to the base lodge and it would be a substantial walk.

Either ski patrol screwed up and didn't rope off those trails before the lift closed or this individual ducked a rope.

Speaking of the South Branch. The parking is very limited at the base of the chair, but if you don't need to grab a ticket at the lodge, the best place to park is down there.

I went down to the South Branch area when I was there last week, hoping the baby glades had softened before the higher elevation stuff. I've got to say, that has to be one of the best learning areas around. Convenient parking, completely separate from the rest of the resort, lots of different ways down. Easy to get back to the main area on the quad. The families I saw were having a ball on the nearly empty midweek slopes.

Just don't expect to get back to the base area quickly on that quad. Had a good laugh at the sign on the lift shack (below).

 

[deadheadskier]

I can't name a better learning complex than South Branch. Perfect pitch for newbies and long.

 

[Zand]

I can't name a better learning complex than South Branch. Perfect pitch for newbies and long.

Didn't go down there but reminded me of the layout at Burke.

 

[deadheadskier]

Very similar yes

The one major difference being there's no base lodge at the base of South Branch, so it's almost entirely beginners skiing the terrain. I look forward to working with my 3 year old on that terrain next season

 

[Newpylong]

+1 for parking at South Branch with family. Can't beat that area for learning, wish the parking was bigger. My friend who works there since they're doing that and putting a couple yurts in this off-season. Pretty amazing area, the kids loved the progression features down there this year.

 

[parahelia]

For entertainment value, I went to see what the gaper on skiology was complaining about. He didn't get stranded by the South Branch quad (in which case he'd have a legitimate beef); he tried to get on the Rangeley HSQ right after it shut down at 3:55 pm. While it is slightly downhill from the base lodge, the walk is a few minutes max. I know because the same thing happened to me at 3:58 pm last week when I was hoping for a last run. It was annoying but no big deal.

People are weird.

 

[cdskier]

For entertainment value, I went to see what the gaper on skiology was complaining about. He didn't get stranded by the South Branch quad (in which case he'd have a legitimate beef); he tried to get on the Rangeley HSQ right after it shut down at 3:55 pm. While it is slightly downhill from the base lodge, the walk is a few minutes max. I know because the same thing happened to me at 3:58 pm last week when I was hoping for a last run. It was annoying but no big deal.

People are weird.

Yea...I'm not sure why people see a long lift line near closing time of a lift, get in it, and then somehow try to blame the mountain when they don't make it on the lift before it closes. That's the same mentality as people that go into a store 5 minutes before closing expecting to be able to spend a half hour shopping in there...

 

[Newpylong]

Wow, that is such a short hike up to the lodge from Rangeley.

 

[Edd]

Wow, that is such a short hike up to the lodge from Rangeley.

I could skate from the Rangeley to the lodge lower floor entrance in 15 seconds.

 

[KustyTheKlown]

For entertainment value, I went to see what the gaper on skiology was complaining about. He didn't get stranded by the South Branch quad (in which case he'd have a legitimate beef); he tried to get on the Rangeley HSQ right after it shut down at 3:55 pm. While it is slightly downhill from the base lodge, the walk is a few minutes max. I know because the same thing happened to me at 3:58 pm last week when I was hoping for a last run. It was annoying but no big deal.

People are weird.

good old Mook!

i find the weather posts to be pretty informative, but the overall vibe of that group fills me with a maybe not quite necessary level of rage.

"DAY 79 SKINNING HUNTER. I DRANK A BEER TODAY! LOOK AT ME!"

 

[skef]

On a last-gasp, late-pandemic, late-spring, possibly-mid-life-crisis-fueled EV road trip, I find myself this evening sitting in a hotel room in Rangeley, ME.

I will ski Saddleback tomorrow, and maybe the next day, or maybe I’ll push further north to the Loaf. It’s my first time this far north in Maine. Will send pix and commentary when I can (see the Sunday River thread for today’s way station).

Quick Q for Indy Pass folks: how does it work at Saddleback? The Saddleback website doesn’t seem to give you an Indy Pass purchase option (if I’ve missed something, please rub my nose in it). Do I just walk up? Thanks!

 

[Zand]

On a last-gasp, late-pandemic, late-spring, possibly-mid-life-crisis-fueled EV road trip, I find myself this evening sitting in a hotel room in Rangeley, ME.

I will ski Saddleback tomorrow, and maybe the next day, or maybe I’ll push further north to the Loaf. It’s my first time this far north in Maine. Will send pix and commentary when I can (see the Sunday River thread for today’s way station).

Quick Q for Indy Pass folks: how does it work at Saddleback? The Saddleback website doesn’t seem to give you an Indy Pass purchase option (if I’ve missed something, please rub my nose in it). Do I just walk up? Thanks!

Show license at ticket window. Just know they charge $10 to use the Indy Pass and $5 for the RFID card.

 

[skef]

Show license at ticket window. Just know they charge $10 to use the Indy Pass and $5 for the RFID card.

Reserve ahead of time or no? (Thanks for the quick response.)

 

[Zand]

Reserve ahead of time or no? (Thanks for the quick response.)

No reservations.