Sugarloaf 2020 Blog

There was a ton of activity up on Spillway today, so we’ll start at the bottom and work our way up. Like we mentioned earlier, yesterday we started pounding apart the remains of the bottom terminal with an absurdly huge jackhammer, and today we finished the job. The bottom Spillway terminal is no more…

With the base terminal in pieces, the next order of business was to begin to take down the towers. While the excavators worked to cleanup the remnants of the terminal, another crew headed about 8 towers up to begin the process of taking the towers down. In order to bring down the towers, we simply used a torch to cut the bolts attaching the tower to the footing, and allowed gravity to do its thing. By the end of the afternoon we had a total of eight towers on the ground, and we’ll work to finish the rest by the end of the week.

Some of the material from the towers will be re-used around the mountain where appriopriate, in things like bridges and railings, while the rest will be sold for salvage. For the time being, we’ll drag them out of the way using a little army-tank-type track vehicle, normally used for dragging snowmaking pipe up the mountain.

With both sides of Spillway now officially closed for good, our crew went about removing the haul rope from from B-side today. (Chairs were removed from this side earlier, but we had to wait until both sides of the lift were closed before we removed the haul rope.)

Removing the six-ton haul rope (or cable) is no small task, and a fairly time-consuming and labor-intensive process. The first step is to lower the counterweight at the bottom of the lift to relax the tension on the cable, allowing it to sag considerably between the towers.

Once the cable is de-tensioned, lift mechanics begin the process of climbing towers to lift and remove the cable from each sheave train. To do this they use a chain fall to lift the cable several inches, and then use a pry bar to push it to the outside of the sheave train. Once they’ve lowered the cable to just below the sheave train, they then utilize a system of pulleys and a winch cat to lower the cable all the way to the ground.

Once the cable is lowered from the towers, the crew cuts the cable using a torch, and attaches the cut end to a winch cat using a sling. They then simply tow the cut end down the mountain, allowing the rest of the cable pass through the upper bullwheel and terminal assembly.

Given that the cable and lift components are not going to be used in a chairlift assembly ever again, our crew did not have to take the extra precautions to ensure that the haul rope was not damaged during the removal process.

Once the entire cable is dragged down the mountain, it will be cut into sections, loaded onto a truck, and sold for scrap.

Later this week, the crew will begin to remove the B-side sheave assemblies from the towers. Deconstruction of A-side will begin next week, starting with chair removal, and the removal of the even larger, 10-ton haul rope.

Yesterday we said a final farewell to Spillway East, with a group of 40-50 Sugarloafers taking part in a ceremonial final ride up the lift. It was a festive occasion as all gathered at the bottom of the lift just before closing time to celebrate the final day of operation for Spillway. 

The final ride was used as a fundraiser for the non-profit Ski Museum of Maine, with an auction during this year’s Passholders’ BBQ for the official final chair. The auction ended up netting a total of $8000 for the Museum, with two parties bidding $4000 each for the last two chairs (they also get to keep the chairs in which they rode). In addition, 40 or so individuals contributed $100 each to take part in the official final ride.

With the final chapter in Spillway’s history now written, it’s time to look to the future, and the installation of the brand-new quad this summer. As we posted last week, the process of dismantling Spillway West has already begun, and will continue this week when we remove the haul rope.

Stay tuned!

With the ski season coming closer to the end, we’re down to the final two days of operation for the Spillway lift. Spillway East will run this Saturday and Sunday, and then we’ll say goodbye to it forever and begin the process of dismantling it.

The final riders up the lift on Sunday will be the lucky winners of last weekend’s auction at the Season Passholders’ BBQ. Two groups bid $4000 each to ride the final two Spillway chairs ever, with all of the money going to the Ski Museum of Maine.

Join us this weekend to get your final Spillway rides, and help us say hello to the next step in Sugarloaf 2020.

Anybody who has skied it knows that Brackett Basin is not your typical ski area expansion. Skiing Magazine thinks it’s so revolutionary that this week they named it one the 12 most important things that happened in the ski industry this season.

In the listing they said that “Skiers are pushing the boundaries of ski areas, spending more time in the sidecountry. Some resorts, like Sugarloaf, which opened Brackett Basin this year, are helping them do that.”

This summer we’ll expand that boundary even further. You can check out Skiing’s full list online right here.

On Monday of this week our lift crew began the process of dismantling the short side of the Spillway Chairs (Spillway West). This first step involves first removing the chairs pads, followed by the chair bails, and finally, removing the chairs themselves.

Removing each individual chair is a fairly quick process, but with well over 100 chairs on the line, it will take a couple of days for our guys to finish removing all of them.

Once all of the chairs have been removed from Spillway West, we’ll go about removing the haul rope. Look for photos and video of that in the coming days.

And as for Spillway East, it will continue to operate for at least the next week and likely longer, depending on snow conditions.

Here a few shots of our guys removing chairs on Monday.

When we announced the Sugarloaf 2020 Road Map last summer, the focus was on Burnt Mountain, and the 650-plus acres of new terrain coming over the next three years. And rightfully so. The new terrain is unrivaled in the East, and makes Sugarloaf the largest ski are this side of the Rockies. But the plan was always about much more than terrain.

 Today, Sugarloaf General Manager John Diller announced the next step in the Sugarloaf 2020 plan: a new lift to replace the existing Spillway chairlifts. Last summer when we announced Sugarloaf 2020, we said that a new Spillway was the top priority in our lift replacement strategy. Today that became a reality. 

The new quad will feature a conveyor loading system, which will improve the lift loading experience, reduce lift stoppage time, and allow the lift to run at speeds of up to 500 feet per minute, making it the fastest fixed-grip lift on the market. The lift will travel 3,746 feet, rise 1,457 vertical feet, feature a total of 16 towers, and will be powered by a 400 horsepower motor. An additional 400 horsepower Cummins Diesel engine will serve as a backup.

The new lift has been designed to be as wind-resistant as possible. It will travel at a lower height, and will be installed closer to the treeline to reduce its exposure to wind. The specially designed chairs will be heavier than a standard four-person chair, making them more wind-resistant and less susceptible to chair-swing.

The construction process will begin in May as soon as the current ski season is complete, and is scheduled to be completed by the start of the 2011-12 season.

Diller also announced today that $150,000 will be allocated this summer to upgrading the drive systems in the Sugarloaf SuperQuad, and Phase 2 of the Burnt Mountain terrain expansion will move forward as planned, adding another 135 acres of glades for next season.

Watch the video of Diller’s announcement below, and scroll down for additional photos of a similar model lift as seen at Bridger Bowl, and schematic drawings of the top and bottom terminals.  

Ten inches of snow was just what the doctor ordered, and On Wednesday, January 19, 2011, Brackett Basin was introduced to the world. The top 60 acres are now open, which include the brand new Birler, Edger, and Sweeper glades, plus the vastly expanded Cant Dog glade. The glades are currently open down to the bottom of the King Pine lift while loggers finish up in the lower 210 acres. Another few weeks and we should see those open up as well. The terrain is already mind-blowingly huge, and this only represents roughly a tenth of the terrain in the entire Sugarloaf 2020 terrain expansion plan.

Exploring the new terrain is a ton of fun, but keep in mind that this terrain is for expert skiers only and there are some different risks associated with tackling this new adventure. Be sure to read all of the safety signage before heading into Bracket Basin, and check out our Brackett Basics safety tips.

Here are some photos and a video from our first few days in Brackett:

Our first powder day of the season hit us on Tuesday, and while were partaking of the morning’s freshness, many of us shared a common thought: “I can’t wait until I’m doing this in Brackett Basin.” (Or something along those lines.) Today we took one more small, but notable step towards turning that dream into a reality, with the installation of the new sign at the official Brackett Basin entrance.

Sure, a sign is just a sign, but this one will be the welcome mat for skiers and riders for years to come as they embark on one of the most unique alpine adventures in the East. So as signs go, it’s a pretty good one.

• Birler Glade - A birler is a person who works on floating logs to help them float downstream.
• Edger Glade - An edger is a machine with multiple saw blades that cut slabs of wood into various widths
• Sweeper Glade - A sweeper is a cedar tree whose roots have been undermined by flowing water, causing the tree to lean out over the water. These trees received their name because they were known to sweep men and materials from rafts floating down the river
• Rough Cut Glade - “Rough Cut” wood is prefinished lumber that hasn’t been dried, planed, or otherwise dressed
• Red Horse Glade - “Red Horse” is what loggers called salt beef.
• Blacksmith Glade - Blacksmiths were crucial to the logging industry, forging numerous tools and horseshoes.
• Highball Glade - A term used among railroad workers and loggers, to “highball” something meant to hurry, or do it quickly
• Logging Road - A road cut for equipment access into a logging area. This term on the map is quite literal, as this is the road that the logging company constructed this summer to harvest the timber out of the lower reaches of Brackett Basin. 

For those who missed it last week, you can check out Steve Minich’s story on Brackett Basin online at WMTW.com. Steve did an excellent job and the story explains the type of terrain being created in Brackett Basin, and explains the extensive measures our crews are taking to help protect the natural biodiversity of Burnt Mountain. Click the image below to watch the full story.

One of the Guiding Principles of the Sugarloaf 2020 plan is sustainability, from both an economic and environmental standpoint. We don’t want to embark on un-wise projects that will handcuff us down the road economically, nor do we want to do anything that will cause any long term damage to our natural environment, which we recognize as one of Sugarloaf’s Extraordinary Qualities.

This idea of sustainability has been a guiding force in our expansion into Brackett Basin. The earn-your-turns, sidecountry style of development is low cost, which ensure economic viability for futher development in future years. Perhaps more importantly, however, the expansion is sustainable environmentally. Glades are inherently lower impact than a standard ski trail - they don’t create the “scarring” of the mountain face typically associated with ski areas, and they have a smaller impact on the native wildlife.

Our glade crew, guided by ski patroller extraordinaire Roddy Ehrlenbach, is working hand in hand with the Maine Department of Environmental Protection and the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife to ensure that the project is done in as environmentally friendly a way as possible. Though any project that involves significant tree removal will have environmental impacts, by working with these agencies we’re able to identify sensitve areas and species, and concentrate our cutting in more resilient areas.

Some of the species that our crew is working to protect include the Bicknell’s Thrush, Roaring Brook Mayfly, Spring Salamander, Northern Bog Lemming, and every Sugarloafer’s favorite, the Yellow Nosed Vole. The mayfly and salamander reside in streams and brooks, while Bog Lemming thrives in high elevation wetlands. Crews will leave designated buffer zones around these areas to help preserve the habitat for these species.

The Bicknell’s Thrush presents a slightly more unique challenge, and opportunity. Known as the rarest and most secretive Thrush in North America, the Bicknell’s Thrush typically breeds only above 3,300 feet in elevation, and only in the northeast corner of the continent. But the Bicknell’s Thrush also has a somewhat peculiar tendency that will allow our crew to actually create habitat and breeding ground for the elusive bird. Bicknell’s Thrush thrive in areas of dense regrowth of Balsam Fir. With this in mind, our crew will be clearing areas of trees, which will be allowed to revegetate in subsequent seasons, with the goal of creating useable breeding ground for these unique birds.

Though it is ever evolving, the development plan our crew has developed for the Brackett Basin area will ensure the mountain remains a favored home for skiers, snowboarders, and the native wildlife.

Cutting is well underway in the new Brackett Basin terrain, and today we took a trip up to see how things were progressing. Steve Minich from WMTW-8 in Portland joined us to get some footage for a story he’s putting together on Brackett Basin (airing next week).

There are currently two separate cutting crews working in different areas - a crew of roughly 8 working on lower angle terrain close to the bottom of the King Pine lift, and smaller crew of 4-5 working higher up, to the immediate east of Cant Dog (we took a truck up to check out the upper crew). Progress is slow but steady in the upper elevations and higher angle terrain, with the thick underbrush making it quite a slog. Progress is very evident though,with a large section already thinned and looking mighty fun. 

Check out these photos from today, and be sure to tune in to channel 8 for Steve’s story next week. Any thought to share or questions to ask, leave us a comment at the bottom of this post.

Thank you for checking out the new Sugarloaf 2020 web site, and welcome to our new blog, where we’ll be providing regular updates for you as we embark on an exciting new decade here at Sugarloaf.

If you haven’t had a chance to browse the entire web site yet, we’d encourage you to take a few moments and do so. You’ll find details on terrain expansions, new lifts, snowmaking upgrades, enhancements to the Sugarloaf Village, and improvements to current summertime offerings, all scheduled to take place with the next ten years. You’ll also find a timeline detailing investments that have already been made at the resort since 2007, when Sugarloaf joined Boyne Resorts.

This blog will serve as your go-to location for all of the latest information as the developments detailed on this web site unfold. We’ll provide updates on new and ongoing projects, as well as photos and videos.

It’s an exciting time to be at Sugarloaf, and the work has already started on several of the Sugarloaf 2020 projects, including cutting in the new Brackett Basin area, the upgrades to the exterior of the Sugarloaf Base Lodge, and of course the brand new zip line course that opened earlier this summer. Scroll to the bottom of this post for some photos of our glade crew in action, and of our new zip lines.

We hope you’ll check in on the blog regularly over the next several years as these exciting developments continue to unfold. If you have any questions, or would like to share your thoughts, feel free to do so at any time in the comments section below.