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MT. ABRAM: EMBRACING WINTER TRENDS
Mt. Abram is geared up for the season with new expansions, operational upgrades and more winter recreational opportunities for adventure seeking guests this Winter! Snowmaking is slated to begin on November 15 and with cooperating weather, opening day is targeted for December 17, and will open for Christmas week. Mt. Abram lifts run weekly from Thursday through Sunday.
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LIFT TICKET PRICING:
• $55 Saturdays • $35 Thursday & Friday • $35 Sundays – Made possible through a partnership with L.L.Bean
Photo by Chris Barnes
ON-MOUNTAIN IMPROVEMENTS FOR 2021-22
• New drive installed on main lift: Enhanced lift running operation, reliability, and safety. • Upgraded snowmaking system: New pipes and equipment will make an immense improvement in snowmaking quality and efficiency. • Additional community terrain park: Outfitted with a rails, jibs, and jumps. • Mini-T-Bar is Back: With substantial upgrades to system. • Uphill Expansion: Ski touring and split-boarding are a rapidly growing sector in the winter outdoor recreation industry and Mt. Abram is committed to embracing trends that will grow and evolve with the uphill community. (See Inclusive Ski Touring below).
Photo courtesy Mt. Abram
Photo by Chris Goodhue
Inclusive Ski Touring is offering 45 separate, open-to-all group ski tours, including a “Future Generations” program as well as a women’s touring group. Participants will be provided uphill tickets as part of their tour package. Find out more information on these tours at www.inclusiveskitouring.com
OFF-MOUNTAIN AMENITIES & UPGRADES
• New Skating Rink: Added experience gives more winter recreation options for downhillers and the community. • Expanding Parking: Provides extra room for customers to have their own space on arrival and departure.
$35 Thursday–Friday & Sunday • $55 Saturday $60 Uphill/Touring Demos • New Skating Rink
Only One in Western Maine! 308 Howe Hill Road, Greenwood, ME (207) 875-5000 • info@mtabram.com www.mtabram.com
Mountain guide Jon Tierney believes that anyone who likes being outside in winter and has a reasonable degree of fitness can be successful climbing ice.
“The learning curve for ice climbing is easier than rock climbing because you can put your crampons and ice axes almost anywhere,” said Tierney, who has been guiding and teaching ice climbing since the 1980s. He has even taken clients to western China to tackle first ascents of difficult ice climbs and mountain peaks. Tierney is one of 80 fully-certified international mountain guides working in the US (IFMGA) and the only one residing in Maine.
If you are interested in learning to ice climb, instruction is essential. Hiring a professional guide is the surest and fastest way of learning to ice climb safely. Tierney's school, Acadia Mountain Guides Climbing School, offers daily instruction in Acadia National Park, Camden Hills, and the Sugarloaf and Sunday River regions as well as over the border in the White Mountains. The school is fully accredited by the AMGA to provide rock, ice, mountaineering or backcountry skiing instruction or guiding. Start swinging those ice tools today!
ICE-CLIMBING COURSES WINTER 2021-2022
KATAHDIN 2-DAY WINTER ASCENTS $400 – New Year's Ascent December 31 – January 1 – January 21–22 – February 19–20 – March 12–13 – or by Private Arrangement
MT. WASHINGTON ASCENT $280 Mt. Washington, New Hampshire Call for availability (207) 866-7562
Half-Full Day of Ice Climbing in Grafton Notch State Park, White Mountain National Forest, and other areas throughout Maine.
From Top to bottom, photos by: Bill Wood, Seth Fischer, Andrew Krause, Chris Bartram.
RANGELEY
& the HIGH PEAKS
Region
Surrounded by beautiful lakes and with 10 of Maine’s highest peaks within reach, this world class four-season town comes alive with winter events!
WINTERPALOOZAH! 2022
FEBRUARY 20 • 10AM–3PM
Join us for a fun-filled day of winter activities and competitions for the whole family! FMI: fb.com/rangeleywinterpaloozah
Caryn Dreyfuss, Broker
Buying? Selling? Investing?
Contact Me Directly
2478 Main Street, Rangeley, ME • Cell (207) 233-8275 caryndreyfuss@morton-furbish.com • realestateinrangeley.com
Nestled at the base of Saddleback Mountain in Maine’s western mountains, the Rangeley Lakes Trails Center has something for everyone. In the winter months, with more than 200 inches of annual snowfall, skiers, snowshoers, and fat tire bikers savor our meticulously groomed trails. We are building a world-class, multi-use trail system! Check out our web page and find out how you can help! See you on the The Rangeley Inn is located in the center of Rangeley, just a short drive to Saddleback Mountain for alpine skiing or to the Rangeley Lakes Trails Center for Nordic skiing, snowshoeing, and fat-tire biking. The hotel has direct access to snowmobile trails and parking for trailers. Renovated accommodations are available in the historic inn or at the Haley Pond Lodge on the waterfront. All rooms feature a private bathroom, satellite TV, WiFi, and a coffee maker. Choose from rooms with one king bed or two queen beds, or suites with one or two bedrooms. Some rooms offer a mini-fridge and microwave. Sit down to a relaxed breakfast in the elegant historic dining room or warm up by the fire in the rustic tavern. Take a stroll down Main Street to a number of local shops, galleries, and eateries. If you’re packing for an excursion, Rangeley’s shops feature a variety of items to suit your needs.
Thanks to its perfect location at the gateway to the best alpine skiing, snowboarding, and Nordic skiing in Maine, it’s not surprising the University of Maine at Farmington (UMF) boasts several successful intercollegiate Snow Sports programs: Alpine Skiing (Giant Slalom and Slalom), Freeskiing (Rail, Slopestyle, Skiercross), Nordic Skiing, and Snowboarding (Rail, Slopestyle, Snowboardcross).
During the summer and fall months, UMF Snow Sports team members were putting in their dry-land training and are now out on the snow across the Northeast doing what they love.
UMaine Farmington Snow Sports teams are members of the United States Collegiate Ski & Snowboard Association (USCSA), U.S. Ski & Snowboard Association (USSA), Fédération Internationale de Ski (FIS), New England Nordic Ski Association (NENSA), U.S. Snowboard and Freeski Association (USASA) and compete against colleges in Maine and across the Northeast.
With 1,600 students, UMF is a small college, but it has long been a powerhouse in the collegiate ski and snowboard scene, providing its student-athletes the opportunity to compete on a local, regional, and national level. Indeed, Farmington has seen its share of success throughout its proud history including podium finishes and trips to national events.
Farmington’s Alpine, Nordic and Snowboard teams consider Sugarloaf, Sunday River and Titcomb Mountain its homes.
“In my opinion, we have the best venues in the Northeast, with Sugarloaf and Sunday River resorts close by, along with Titcomb Mountain—literally seven minutes from campus, as well as Saddleback, which has reopened,” said UMF Interim Director of Snow Sports Andrew Willihan. “Our access to the best terrain, just a short drive from campus, is unmatched.”
Willihan, a Farmington graduate himself, oversees the University’s Snow Sports programs and coaches Alpine skiing. Soon after coming on board at Farmington, he helped UMF secure a prized location in the beautiful new Bill and Joan Alfond Competition Center at Sugarloaf – which the UMF teams use as their base camp while training and competing at Sugarloaf.
Sam Scheff, a recent UMF graduate, had the opportunity to compete in regional and national competitions through the University’s snowboarding team. In his sophomore year, Scheff joined a select few at Jackson Hole, Wyoming, where he competed in his first national competitions.
“Being on the UMF snowboarding team was about representing the University, and the best part was forming relationships with like-minded people, with on-hill and academic support from my coaches,” said Scheff.
Those who want to compete at a collegiate level really ought to consider Farmington, said Willihan.
“The best college choice for a ski- and snowboardminded student should be based on getting a nationally recognized college education at an unbeatable price while training and racing at the best resorts in the Northeast,” said Willihan. “At Farmington, we’ve got all that covered,”
“And for any skier or rider who wants to be treated with the respect that matches their dedication to the sport, you absolutely cannot find a better program than the University of Maine at Farmington,” he added.
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MOOSEHEAD
MAJESTIC MOOSEHEAD LAKE, with its 400 miles of undeveloped shoreline, surrounding mountain peaks and expansive views, provides an inspiring backdrop to escape the everyday fast pace of life. The winter months and the abundant snowfall open up a spectacular opportunity to explore back-country trails and frozen bodies of water. Wildlife abounds on our trails and it is common to see moose, deer, wild turkeys and many woodland animals up close and personal.
...a winter wonderland awaits you.
(207) 695-2702 www.destinationmooseheadlake.com
Photo by Angela Arno
events | Moosehead
DECEMBER 11 Historic Greenville Inn Holiday Tour. 1PM–4PM. Tours of Greenville Inn, Blair Hill Inn, and Lodge at Moosehead Lake. $15 per person and tickets are sold in advance. No children under 10. JANUARY 28-30 NREC Ricky Craven Fishing Derby. The Ice Fishing Derby is for Lake Trout (Togue) caught in Moosehead Lake only. Visit nrecmoosehead.org for more details.
FEBRUARY 5 Wilderness Sled Dog Races. 100milewildernessrace.org THIRD WEEKEND IN FEBRUARY Annual Chocolate Festival. mooseheadlake.org
THIRD WEEKEND IN FEBRUARY Monson Snowroller Day. Winter fun and games! Snow Roller Exhibit at the Monson Historical Society. FMI: monsonmaine.org
