New England's Largest Ski Terrain Expansion Since The '70s Is Beginning To Take Shape
Sugarloaf is Maine's largest ski resort by nearly every metric, and it's only getting larger.
The resort has been working tirelessly throughout the summer to prepare a massive expansion (by east coast standards) on West Mountain. Check out the update video that was shared yesterday, August 17th, 2023 by Sugarloaf below:
Sugarloaf Mountain: "Check out the latest on West Mountain. This terrain expansion will be accessible from a new ski-in/out parking lot via the high-speed quad, Bucksaw Express. We can't wait to take in these views from the new trails this winter."
The West Mountain expansion is allegedly the "largest terrain expansion in New England since the late 1970s". It's a pivotal part of resort's Sugarloaf 2030 plan to invest millions of dollars in technology, terrain, and infrastructure.
The expansion will include 12 news trails across 120 acres of skiable terrain, nearly doubling Sugarloaf's beginner and intermediate trails. The map below shows the layout of the new trails and their names.
With the new trails comes a new chairlift. The 'Bucksaw Express', which is scheduled to open this season, is a high-speed detachable quad from Doppelmayr.
The lift has been dubbed the "centerpiece" of the West Mountain Expansion.
Take a look at the lift's stats below:
Lift Length: 6,574'
Vertical Rise: 1,433'
Horsepower: 775
Operating Speed: 1000' Per Minute
Capacity: 2400 Skier Per Hour
Estimated Ride Time: 6 minutes 53 seconds
Here's more information about the expansion in an excerpt from the Sugarloaf 2030 webpage:
"The existing West Mountain lift will remain but will be shortened to eliminate redundancy and congestion at the unload area.
The development also includes 12 new alpine trails, that will be a mix of beginner and intermediate terrain, creating a pod of beginner and family-friendly trails on West Mountain that will rival some entire ski areas in its size, with nearly 300 acres of developed trails and glades spanning 1,500 vertical feet. The expansion will increase Sugarloaf’s total skiable acreage by nearly 10%.
The new trails will be cut during winter and summer 2023, and will open to the public with the new Bucksaw Express in 2024. Snowmaking infrastructure will be installed on a majority of the new trails this summer, with the remaining snowmaking infrastructure to be installed in summer of 2024."
It's safe to say that Sugarloaf is investing in a valuable asset in this age of over-crowded ski resorts. Investing in a new chairlift and 100+ acres of new beginner and intermediate terrain can only help with skier distribution across the mountain.
Stay tuned in with us here at Powder Magazine for all updates regarding the West Mountain Expansion. We've got you covered!
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