Saddleback Maine (ski resort)

Saddleback Maine is a ski resort located in Sandy River Plantation, near Rangeley, Maine, on the northwestern slopes of Saddleback Mountain. It is the third largest ski area in Maine, in terms of number of trails (66), number of lifts (3), snowmaking percentage (85%), vertical drop (2000 ft) and skier days.[1][2] After almost 5 years of closed doors, Saddleback Mountain was sold to the Arctaris Impact Fund and reopened on December 15, 2020.

Saddleback Maine
LocationRangeley, Maine, United States
Nearest major cityFarmington, Maine
Coordinates44°56′12″N 070°30′11″W
Vertical2000 ft
Top elevation4,120 ft
Base elevation2,120 ft
Skiable area440 acres (1.8 km2)
Runs66
Longest run1.86 mi Hudson Highway
Lift system3 (1 high speed quad, 2 fixed grip quads)
Snowfall225 inches/year
WebsiteSaddleback Maine

All of the trail names at Saddleback are named after famous fishing flies created in Rangeley by anglers Carrie Stevens, Bud Wilcox, and Dick Frost. Some of these fly names include Supervisor, Peachy's Peril, Royal Tiger, and America. All of the chairlifts at Saddleback are named after popular fly fishing rivers, such as the Rangeley River, South Branch (of the Dead River), and the Magalloway River.

Terrain

Saddleback's terrain consist of 38% Beginner trails (25 trails), 29% Intermediate trails (19 trails) and 33% Advance and Expert trails (22 trails). There are also three (3) ski lifts, which include two, fixed grip quads and a high-speed detachable quad.[1][2]

The mountain is broken up into three sections, the upper, middle, and lower sections, which consist of terrain from double black diamond (hardest) to green circle (easiest). Each section of the mountain is serviced by a variety of lifts.

The lower mountain consist of 18 beginner trails, and is serviced by the South Branch Quad, and the Sandy Double Chair (Demolished for 2020, scheduled for rebuild in 2021). The terrain is very mild and flat, and most of it is located below the base lodge which helps to keep skier traffic to a minimum. Saddleback sells a separate ski ticket on certain weekends and holidays, which is only good for the South Branch Quad. This allows for the ski area to reduce the price of the ticket because it only allows access to a limited amount of terrain. Since the new ownership, eleven new trails have been cut in this area and two quad chairlifts has been installed.[3]

Saddleback Maine seen from Maine State Route 16

The middle mountain consist mostly of intermediate terrain, with a few expert trails thrown in. The terrain is serviced by the Rangeley Express Chair and the Cupsuptic T-Bar (Demolished for 2020, scheduled for rebuild in 2021). One beginner trail Hudson Highway (a former jeep trail) runs from the top of the Rangeley Chair and Cupsuptic T-Bar to the base area. This section of the mountain consist of notable trails such as Grey Ghost, which has many head walls, flats, and curves, making it a fun and popular trail. Blue Devil is another popular trail because of its classic New England style, which is very curvy and narrow to protect the snow on the trail from the wind. Since the new ownership, four new trails have been cut in this area.[3]

The upper mountain, also referred to as "The Kennebago Steeps, consisting of mostly advanced and expert trails". It is serviced solely by the Kennebago Quad chairlift, which was installed in the summer of 2008 to replace the Kennebago T-Bar. It has such famous trails as Muleskinner, Intimidator, Governor, and Nightmare Glades. It also has two intermediate trails, Tri-Color, which runs from the summit, and America, which is the continuation of the former jeep trail. Since the new ownership, seven new trails have been cut in this area. In 2013, Saddleback cut an extensive glade trail named "Casablanca", and skiers and riders have travelled to the mountain to experience this steep trail.[3]

History
Former owner John Christie, former General Manager Warren C. Cook, and Meagan Roberts.

The 1990s

Through the 1990s, the ski resort's prior owner, Donald Breen, engaged in a protracted dispute with conservation advocates over the Appalachian Trail corridor, which runs across the ridge at the top of the ski resort. Breen settled the dispute with the National Park Service, which manages the trail, in 2000, and in the fall of 2003, Breen sold most of the resort to the Berry family, for $7.5 million.

The 2000s: Ownership by the Berry Family

The Berry family built a new base lodge, six new trails, and a new quad chairlift (the resort's first new chairlift in 30 years) in 2004.

In 2007, the Maine Land Use Regulation Commission approved Saddleback's 10-year development plan, which calls for a major expansion of lifts, trails, vacation homes, and other facilities.[4]

In the summer of 2008, a second quad chairlift was built to replace the Kennebago t-bar at the top of the ski area, along with new trails. The Kennebago Quad is a Dopplemayr quad chairlift that has replaced the Kennebago T-bar, and services 15 trails and glades. The new chair provides easy and faster access to the spectacular high-elevation advanced terrain with incredible views of the lakes and Western Maine Mountains.

In 2009 a new yurt was built at the base of the Kennebago Quad lift. It is equipped with heat, power, and composting toilets. It offers hot and cold beverages, soups, chowders, sandwiches, and snacks.

A 40-acre (160,000 m2) glade area, Casablanca, was cut between Muleskinner and Black Beauty for the 2009-10 ski season.

In 2010, two new Pisten Bully Snow Groomers were added to the mountain's fleet of groomers.

During the summer of 2010 a new glade area was cut between Jane Craig and Professor. This section is unnamed.

Since the purchase in 2004, terrain has been increased by over 44%, snowmaking increased to over 85%, the grooming fleet has been replaced, and the Rangeley Chair has been upgraded and lengthened so it can be easily accessible from the base lodge. A new Lodge has been built, along with three new condominium complexes, and the mountain Saddleback's real estate office known as Saddleback Village.[1][2][5]

The 2010s: New Ownership

In December 2012, The Berrys announced that Saddleback Mountain was for sale. Of 400 acres of land, the mountain was placed on the market for $12 million, that include ski trails, lifts, the base loge and the surrounding 121 condominium units. However, the family still hopes to retain 7,600 undeveloped acres around the ski area. Later, Saddleback entered into a lease/purchase agreement for Oquossoc Cove Marina.

Seasonal Closing

During the summer of 2015, the Saddleback owner, Mark Berry, announced in a release that the ski resort will not open for the 2015–2016 season unless the outdated and slow Rangeley Double Chairlift (GMD Mueller) was replaced; costing them nearly $3 million. The 4,717 Rangeley Chairlift does not transport enough people to the mountain as it should and creates a long line at the base.

Berry stated that "...we’ve been actively seeking the necessary financing to replace the chairlift, however time is running out.

We only have a few weeks to make this work. In order to open this winter, we need to order the new lift by early August."

It is unknown whether the mountain will open or not.[6] As the year progressed into 2016, Saddleback officials said they were not opening for February school vacation week, keeping its patrons concerned and sending the future of the mountain into uncertainty. Though not yet declared by Saddleback, Joey Morton, a local from Rangeley "doubts the mountain will open at all this winter season." Furthermore, the lack of snow this winter and the uncertainty of Saddleback's opening affects the local businesses and the town of Rangeley.

Majella Ownership

Since the Berry family was not able to replace the Rangeley Double Chairlift in 2014 and 2015, the mountain and lifts have sat idle. On June 28, 2017, it was announced that the Australian Majella Group had an agreement to purchase Saddleback from the Berry family. The Majella Group had contacted Doppelmayr, who had already begun the survey, engineering, and design work. It was announced that the Rangeley Double Chairlift would be replaced with a new Fixed-Grip Quad Chairlift that can handle 1,500 riders per hour and that the Cupsuptic T-Bar would be replaced with a new Wind-Resistant T-Bar that can handle 1,200 riders per hour. If the new lifts are installed, Saddleback would feature one of the newest lift systems in all of New England. However, with the recent arrest of Sebastian Monsour, CEO of the Majella Group in 2018 on fraud in Australia, it is unknown once again when and if Saddleback will reopen. Critics have questioned Monsour's intentions after he was quoted in Maine news reports as saying he was motivated by the EB-5 program that offers foreigners permanent residency if they invest in certain U.S. real estate projects. June 2018, Monsour was arrested and charged with defrauding a Chinese investor out of $5 million after his Australian office was raided. It was unclear how his arrest impacts the sale agreement.[7][8][9]

Arctaris Impact Fund Offer

In March 2019, the Arctaris Impact Fund based in Boston made an undisclosed offer to purchase Saddleback Mountain. They also pledged between $25 to $30 million after the sale to help revitalize the mountain after having sat idle since the 2014-2015 ski season. After the arrest of the last failed buyer, Sebastian Monsour who was charged with defrauding a Chinese investor, Saddleback's future was uncertain. The news of an offer was sent out through an email by Andy Shepard, former CEO of the Outdoor Sports Institute and Tom Federle, a Portland attorney. The investment group is worth $500 million. Shepard and Federle have been trying to find a buyer for the mountain for the past four years until now. They now are working with the firm to purchase the mountain.

Shepard has stated that "[w]e have been very impressed with their commitment and capacity to not only buy the mountain, but doing so with a long term view to make the mountain successful." He further told the press that this investment firm's offer is the "real deal and that [he's] hopeful for the Berry family and for the people of western Maine that [we] can get a deal done." The two have strong connections to the region and Saddleback. Federle owns a Saddleback condo and Shepard has strong interest in preserving the mountain and its role in the economy of the region.[10]

Arctaris Impact Fund Purchase

After months of negotiations, the Berry family agreed to sell the ski resort to Arctaris Impact Fund after seven months of negotiations. The new general manager of Saddleback Mountain, Andy Shepard announced he hopes to reopen the mountain for the 2020–2021 season, sometime between Thanksgiving and Christmas of 2020. The mountain has been closed since the 2014–2015 season. On January 31, 2020, Saddleback was officially sold to Arctaris Impact Fund. In February, a new Doppelmayr high speed quad was announced along with lodge upgrades, new snowmaking, and a fair ticket pricing approach. On March 18, the new Saddleback Mountain website went live, which allowed for season pass and locker sales, as well as a section detailing the investments for the 2020–2021 season. During February, March, and April 2020, the Novel Coronavirus Pandemic caused massive disruption to the ski industry and global economy, however, Saddleback announced that their investments are moving forward as expected, with the opening date scheduled for December 15, 2020.[11][12][13][14] The ski area officially reopened to the public on December 15, 2020 despite COVID-19.

  • Inside the new base lodge.
  • Entering the lower part of the Intimidator Glades.

References
  1. Ski Maine Association
  2. Saddleback Maine
  3. Saddleback Maine Trail Map
  4. "Saddleback's 10-Year Plan Approved." Sunjournal.com. August 10, 2007.
  5. Saddleback Village
  6. "Saddleback Mountain Needs a New Chairlift or It Will Close". Retrieved 2015-10-04.
  7. Sentinel, Kate McCormickMorning (2017-06-28). "Australian developer agrees to buy Saddleback ski resort". Press Herald. Retrieved 2019-03-16.
  8. Writer, Deirdre FlemingStaff (2018-06-22). "Arrest of Saddleback's prospective buyer spurs nonprofit to try again to put the ski area back in business". Press Herald. Retrieved 2019-03-16.
  9. "An uphill battle for a ski town left out in the cold - The Boston Globe". BostonGlobe.com. Retrieved 2019-03-16.
  10. FlemingPortl, Deirdre; Herald, Press (2019-03-15). "New prospective buyer takes another run at getting Saddleback ski area back in business". Kennebec Journal and Morning Sentinel. Retrieved 2019-03-16.
  11. "SADDLEBACK MAINE". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 2020-04-12.
  12. "Saddleback Mountain officially sold to Boston investment group". Bangor Daily News. Retrieved 2020-04-12.
  13. Writer, Dennis HoeyStaff (2019-11-07). "Saddleback sale agreement lifts hopes for long-closed ski area to get up and running". Press Herald. Retrieved 2019-11-08.
  14. "Saddleback Mountain Website". www.saddlebackmaine.com. Retrieved 2019-11-08.

Sources
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