by Dan Cassidy

This has been such a whirl-wind spring, summer, fall and now we’re heading into a winter such as many of us have never seen before. All this thanks to COVID-19 that has affected lives and has changed the way we live here in Maine and around the world.

I checked out several Maine ski areas, some who held open houses while others plan and watch for the snow to cover their trails in hopes of opening soon.

Sugarloaf Mountain Homecoming

I did get the opportunity to attend the Sugarloaf Ski Homecoming this fall, however rather than greeting friends or visiting booths filled with art show, new and interesting ski gear and ideas of what’s new in the ski industry.

Things have changed. The base lodge was just about empty and the crowds were minimal to say the least.

This ski season is going to have significant changes including parking in the parking lots, social distancing, wearing masks and/or wearing goggles, boarding chairlifts with spacing on the chairs and many other things that we all took for granted in years past that have all changed including locker room spacing, restaurant or food consumption that will have new rules. Also, to take some of the waiting in line to purchase day tickets, a new kiosk has been built so transactions can be done outside with new kiosk machines to take place of personal ticket sales.

The base lodge won’t be able to accommodate gear and bag storage and the Mountain staff has many strict changes that will be enforced this season.

HOLD ON ….WORD HAS JUST BEEN RECEIVED … Sugarloaf and Sunday River are scheduled to open Monday of this week! That’s great news for skiers and snowboarders who can make it to these ski resorts over Thanksgiving!

Sugarloaf getting ready to open

The base lodge at Sugarloaf will have strict indoor capacity access, according to staff management. Capacity will be strictly limited inside the base lodge. Gear storage and changing will not be permitted and guests should come prepared to boot up in the vehicle parking lots and you should carry gear in small day packs. Minimal time indoors should be expected.

“This will be an interesting winter for sure,” Noelle Tuttle, Communications Director said. “While we still don’t know exactly what the landscape will look like, we’re fully committed to opening safely for Sugarloaf’s 70th winter season.”

According to Tuttle, all ticket sales and guest service needs will be managed through the outdoor ticket windows at the Base Lodge and online ticket purchases will be encouraged to utilize the new online express kiosks. Online tickets will be priced lower and will be available for purchase in the next few weeks.

So, let’s say you and a few passengers drive for an hour to reach the mountain. Let’s hope that at least the driver is wearing regular boots, sneakers or the like, and NOT ski boots. That would be an accident waiting to happen if that person is behind the wheel driving.

Shuttle capacity has been reduced by 50 percent as per state recommendations and will be cleaned after each drop off. The new RFID gates at the mountain base loading area will help eliminate interactions between guests and staff members while reloading pass holders.

According to mountain personnel, face coverings are mandatory at all times in public areas, including while riding the lifts. You will not be permitted to ride the lift without appropriate face covering.

Social distancing is required for everyone to stay at least six feet apart. Indoor occupancy will be strictly limited.

Tuttle said that the centerpiece of the 2030 vision is the new West Mountain development, which will include a new lift, new alpine trails with snowmaking and a new real estate development. In addition, the development will provide mew summer opportunities with a new downhill mountain bike park and upgrades to Bullwinkle’s that will allow it to operate during the summer months.

At Bullwinkle’s, a new temporary building and bathroom facility will provide additional space for guests to warm up and use the bathroom facility. Also, an additional temporary bathroom facility will also be installed at the Base Lodge.

Sunday River Ski Resort, located in Newry, is just minutes from Bethel village in western Maine’s Mahoosuc Mountains and is a true four-season destination.

The resort has made major upgrades to its snowmaking system that will double snowmaking capacity. They have added an additional 10 percent this year. The resort also has plans to add more automated snowmaking over the next 10 years, according to Karolyn Castaldo, Director of Communications.

Sunday River is a Boyne Resort facility and is one of the largest ski areas in the Northeast. The mountain consists of 870 skiable acres, 135 trails and glades, 2,340 vertical feet and has 18 lifts to transport skiers and riders to the upper slopes.

RFID will allow direct-to-lift access for ticketed as well as season passholders. According to Castaldo, they will be implementing a new food and beverage system that allows for contactless ordering and payment of food. This will be an integral piece to the COVID-19 operational plan for the mountain’s dining outlets.

Online ticket purchasers who have not picked up an RFID card at the resort yet will be able to do so from kiosks at the base lodge and hotels. Once a guest has their card, they can reload online to skip the ticket line altogether upon arrival.

While Sunday River has not set an opening date for this ski season, they intend to open the resort as soon as there is top-to-bottom coverage on at least one trail.

Saddleback Mountain is located in the beautiful High Peaks of western Maine. It was founded in 1960 and has some of the best skiing terrain in the east. The mountain sits at 4,120 feet of elevation and 2,000 feet of vertical. It is Maine’s third biggest mountain with a base elevation of 2,100. The mountain is set to reopen in the next several weeks. As just about everywhere in Maine, access to the base lodge will be limited and skiers and riders are requested to carry a day pack and prepare to spend most of your day outdoors. Everyone will be requested to make reservations for lunch and still maintain an enjoyable time with friends and family. The Casablanca Glades have been recut and the rest of the trails are scheduled to be in top shape for this season.

Baker Mountain, located on Route 201 in Moscow, is just north of Bingham. There is one main trail and two trails of less difficult.

“We’re just waiting for snow and would like to have volunteers,” Corey Farnham, of Baker Mountain said. The hours of operation are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. with night skiing from 5 to 8:30 p.m. Ticket prices are $12.00 per person.

Ski lessons are available from volunteers who fit equipment, and also run the lift and work in the kitchen. Races are posted on Facebook at Baker Mt. Ski Tow Club. For additional information, call (207) 717-0404.

Quarry Road Trails is located off North Street, in Waterville, just beyond Thayer Hospital. The good news is that the facility has just made snow on the East Pine Tree trail up to the Meadow, according to a Facebook page.

The area is a year-round recreation facility where people of all ages can take part in walking trails, cross-country ski, snowshoe on several trails. A large Quonset hut is located at the end of the trails for people to warm up. Day tickets and season passes are available for skiers. No pass is necessary for snowshoe trails.

by Dan Cassidy

With all the turmoil going on in not only our country, but throughout the world that has affected our lives, I try to keep my mind occupied with more positive things. What I tell my wife when she asks me “what do you plan to do today?” … I respond by saying, “I’m going to putter!”

One of my daughters has been home for several weeks from the west coast so we have spent many great days at beaches, riding bikes and doing other family things.

We decided one morning to take a trip up to Moxie Falls. She had never been, so off we went. It’s a pretty ride up Route 201 taking us through Skowhegan, Madison, Bingham, Moscow, Carratunk and meandering along the Kennebec River to The Forks. It’s about a two-and-a-half hour drive from the Central Maine area.

On the way, we passed through Bingham and from there the road begins to wind as we passed close to the Kennebec River, with sharp curves. Along the way, we passed by steep rock/ledge walls where some people have erected bird houses with numbers on them, all homemade and beautiful.

It’s a very picturesque ride to The Forks and what we noticed was the lack of traffic, with the exception of several tractor trailers heading in both directions, but a lack of Québec vehicles as the borders are still closed.

We took a right hand turn at The Forks and traveled about a mile-and-a-half to the entrance of Moxie Falls parking lot.

The walk is about a mile each way on a dirt path, shaded by overhead trees, making it very nice as the heat of the sun was getting quite hot.

Be prepared for your hike. You should wear sneakers, hiking boots, shorts and a light jacket in case of rain. I wouldn’t recommend flip-flops as there are rocks, roots of trees and other obstacles along the route. Bug spray is a good idea to carry.

We noticed several families, walking along the way and the mile trek took us right to the rushing waters of the falls. We spent about a half hour looking around the different look-out spots.

The hike back was about the same, as there was little elevation going in both directions. The best part was the shade from the hot sun. The trail meanders through the woods with wooden stairs and platforms to get a better view of the falls.

The falls area is one of the highest waterfalls in Maine, reaching vertical drop of about 90 feet. Caution here, as it’s best not to go off trail as the terrain gets very steep and rocky and the water is flowing at a very high speed.

While there is no overnight camping, there are several camping and lodging facilities in The Forks area. There are also several rafting outfitters and restaurants in the area.

Our choice for lunch was right after the bridge at The Forks at the Hawk’s Nest Lodge and restaurant. It has a picturesque outside seating and a great view of the Dead River across the road.

Enjoy your trek and be safe.

by Dan Cassidy

Natalie Terry, a local ski legend at Sugarloaf Mountain, died Wednesday, April 22, 2020, at her home, in Waterville, of natural causes, at the age of 96.  She was born in Portland, on July 14, 1923.

According to a published obituary, the family moved to Waterville in the early 1930s, where Natalie and her twin brother Don graduated from Waterville High School in 1941. She continued her education attending Thomas College and later worked at Keyes Fiber Company.

I first met Natalie in the early 1960s at Sugarloaf. She was a special person to watch her glide down the trails. It was an honor to be on the Maine Ski Hall of Fame Board when Natalie was inducted into the 2012 Maine Ski Hall of Fame.

She was a natural athlete and took part in several sports including figure skating, diving and golf during her early youth. Natalie was one of the original skiers at Sugarloaf Mountain where she would skin up the only trail on the mountain with Amos Winter and several other local skiers.

In one of my last conversations with Natalie in the latter part of the 1999 ski season, she told me that this would be her last year as an instructor. “I’m 95, but I still plan to ski,” she said.

Sugarloafer from the beginning

Natalie began her long skiing career at Sugarloaf around 1951.  “I was extremely honored at being recognized by the Maine Ski Hall of Fame in the Class of 2012,” she said.  She has worked with seven directors at Sugarloaf, Harry Baxter, Patrick Molignier, Russ Morey, Art and Cindy Hammond, Ken Everett, Paul Brown and Bob Matarese.

During the last 10 seasons teaching at the mountain, she consistently received the highest number of requested private and group lessons of any staff member.  When she was in her late 80s, she showed no signs of letting up.

Natalie said that she and her late husband Tim Terry, a Waterville businessman, along with friends at Sugarloaf climbed the mountain before there were any lifts.  “We used seal skins to hike up and then put them in packs as we skied down the Old Winter’s Way.”

An Austrian named Werner Rothbacher ran the Sugarloaf Ski School. Natalie and Tim had a camp near the ski area and Natalie often skied with friends in the ski school. In the spring they wore blue sweaters with gray stripes. It was the season of 1969-70 when Natalie officially joined the Sugarloaf Ski School. The school was under the direction of Harry Baxter, who later went on to manage Sugarloaf before moving to Jackson Hole. She remembers skiing on Tony Sailer skis during the first season with the school. Four seasons later she became fully certified.

“Being part of Sugarloaf for so many years has not only impacted my life, but my whole family’s life as well,” adding, “My soul is on that mountain.”

Here are a few excerpts from some of her family and colleagues …

Sarah Carlson – daughter…

“I don’t remember not knowing how to ski, having learned when I was three,” said Sarah Carlson, Natalie’s daughter. “I do remember how happy I would feel at the end of a school day Friday, knowing that we were going to pack up the family station wagon and head to Brookside Cabin in Bigelow Village shortly after I got home. We would fire up the woodstove, chop a hole in the brook for water, read by gaslight lantern and go to bed early to be up and ready to head to the mountain.”

“In those days Sugarloaf was much like Titcomb Mountain, where I raised my family and where we live now. Everyone knew everyone else and my brother Geof and I were pretty free to roam the mountain with our friends. There was a little red lodge and only T-Bars to ride. My father actually started teaching before my mom. I remember her saying, “Mmmm, I taught you to ski, so maybe I should try teaching, too!” And the rest, as they say, is history.

During the Christmas blizzard of 1968, my mother, brother, and I were having a blast skiing powder that was getting ever deeper. Every time we came down for a run the lift operator, who knew us well, mentioned that we should probably get on the road. Eventually, we tore ourselves away from the mountain, but only made it to Kingfield where we did our traditional stop at Harvey Boynton’s to say hello. My father, who was in Waterville, had been calling up and down the valley trying to tell us to stay put. The roads were closed by that time, so we spent Christmas Eve at the Herbert [Hotel, in Kingfield] with many other stranded families.

My father did a solo week away in the winter of 1971. When we arrived on Friday evening he announced that he had been doing some research and he thought that buying a condominium was a good idea. We all replied with, “A condo… what?” having never heard the word before.

My mother was not so sure this condo thing was a very good idea, but once she saw it that next winter she fell in love with, particularly the view of the Bigelow’s. It was supposed to be a rental property, but after I started participating in the Sugarloaf Tutorial Program (which eventually became CVA – Carrabassett Valley Academy), she decided to move up to the valley in the winter and teach full time.

The story of my mother, being one of the early skiers of Sugarloaf became deeply entwined in family lore. My brother and I heard it often and skied the old Winter’s Way with pride. I told it to my own children over the years and they know it well, too. The teaching of skiing also spans generations as I taught and coached alpine ski racing at Saddleback, Sugarloaf, and Titcomb. My son, Jence, taught in the Bubblecuffer’s Program while at UMF, and also coached ski racing at Titcomb. My daughter, Emma, teaches at King Pine, in New Hampshire. Their grandmother took great pride in the way the thread of the enjoyment of the sport and the teaching/coaching of it wove through the generations. A few years ago, we were actually able to take some runs on what is now known as Natalie’s Birches with a fourth generation. My brother’s son Carter and his daughter Alice took to the mountain for some very special family time. Gran/Mom/Natalie was thrilled by those moments.

Ethan Austin…

“Her skiing instructing career at Sugarloaf spanned roughly 50 years,” said Ethan Austin, Director of Marketing and Communications Sugarloaf.

Megan Roberts… 

“When they talk about skiing being a lifelong sport, Natalie was the example. She was skiing at Titcomb, in Farmington, before Sugarloaf was open,” said Megan Roberts who has spent years in the ski industry and as a ski historian.  “So, she was already more advanced than shoes just learning at Sugarloaf when it did open. In her last years, walking, especially with ski boots on, was difficult for her. But as soon as she was on her skis, her grace and flowing freedom returned. Her love for skiing and sharing the joys and benefits of it was her lifelong passion.”

Greg Sweetser… 

Natalie was known on a first name basis by many of her peers. “I saw her on a regular basis whenever I was at Sugarloaf,” said Greg Sweetser, executive director of Ski Maine Association. “We never worked together, but she was surely an icon in the ski instructor world.

“One thing that really stood out about Natalie was her incredible work ethic, and love of teaching people how to ski and how to improve their skiing. She had a knack of communicating with skiers and bringing out their confidence to perform to their ability, and then take a step forward in building new skills.”

Sweetser continued, “Natalie was there every day, no matter what the weather. She loved the mountain and she loved all her friends throughout the Sugarloaf community. She set a great example for untold younger instructors at the mountain.”

Natalie’s affiliation spent here career teaching skiing which she was passionate about. She was a Level III certified instructor with the Professional Ski Instructors of America, was recognized by Ski Magazine as one of the top 100 ski instructors in America.

She was inducted into the Maine Ski Hall of Fame in October 2012. A few years ago, the Birches trail, at Sugarloaf, was renamed “Natalie’s Birches.”

Her last year of teaching was the season of 2018-2019 at the age of 95. Natalie will be missed by all who knew her. She was also a hiker and at the age of 90 took her first snowmobile trek.

Tom Butler…

“Nat was an amazing woman to put it mildly,” said Tom Butler, director of Ski Services.“I have known Natalie since the day I was hired as a ski instructor at Sugarloaf in 1992. At that stage she was nearly 25 years into her ski teaching career which began in 1969 and continued through 2019. A 50-year career in the same job, for the same employer is an impressive accomplishment. The fact that she started her tenure at Sugarloaf when she was 46 years old is mind boggling. One can think of the numbers of students she’s taught but I like to think about the generations of students that have had the pleasure of learning from her. Grandparents, parents and children of the same families all learned from Natalie. Her expertise and knowledge were literally passed down from one generation to another. Her influence on these skiers is hard to calculate but her legacy is easily felt all around us.

Natalie was a beautiful skier, smooth and elegant and I would sneak in behind her every now and again to follow, and watch her as she skied down a slope to try and mimic the grace and flow that she exhibited. What sometimes gets overlooked though is how rugged she was. Natalie was physically and mentally tough and would not let weather or conditions dampen her enthusiasm for the sport or her guests. I remember when she was inducted into the Maine Ski Hall of Fame, a guest at the banquet commented to her that she reminded him of his mother in that, even at an advanced age his mother wouldn’t think twice about climbing a ladder to paint the house. Natalie looked at him with a quizzical look and without any pretense said, “Well, the house wasn’t going to just go paint itself.”

That’s how she lived her life, completely on her terms with no excuses and pure grace and determination. We’re going to miss her something fierce,” he said.

by Dan Cassidy

Adaptive programs are being offered at Sunday River, in Bethel, Sugarloaf, in Carrabssett Valley, and other ski mountains in Maine.

Also included are Nordic skiing, snowshoeing, competitive Alpine racing and programs for visually impaired skiing for snow sports athletes.

There are also cycling trails in the foothills of Maine where veterans can find winter retreats with clinics and specialty camps are available throughout the state. These and other programs are offered at Sunday River, Sugarloaf and Pineland Farms.

For more information, check out Maine Adaptive Sports and Recreation at the following 8 Sundance Lane, Newry, ME 04261-3228, (207) 824-2440, or log into: www.maineadaptie.org or email info@maineadapive.org.

Other Adaptive programs include Horizons that is your Adaptive Gateway to the Outdoors. The program offers three recreation activities through the Horizons programs, ski, climb and sail.

AEOC provides recreation and education programs at Sugarloaf Mountain or sea cliff climbing in Acadia, offering outdoor adventures year around to all people with disabilities. The Lodge is a fully accessible facility that sleeps up to 25 people. The Lodge includes a full kitchen, laundry room, dining area and living nook. There is also a yurt located on the property that is available for meetings, classes, art and crafts.

Ski and ride safely. Use your head and don’t forget to wear a helmet.

Dan Cassidy, of Winslow, is an experienced skier who has skied throughout the country and the world.