Sugarloaf Maine
The nocturnal business of grooming the slopes is vital to the daily experience for skiers & riders, even though the efforts of the night time crews are often taken for granted despite enormous challenges on a 4237 foot mountain in Maine! The Communications students at Bangor’s NESCOM gave us an inside view at the world of the largely unsung heroes, Sugarloaf’s Groomers: the machines may change, but the guts & care of these drivers does not!
A few years ago when we made a commitment to bringing local information to our viewers to make their stay in the Maine High Peaks Region the best it can be, two of the first videos produced by our intrepid “Lonely Hiker” were for hikes on the AT at either end of the Bigelow Range. At the NW end is Cranberry Peak & at the SE end is Little Bigelow, both moderate hikes, &, in these videos, both are a good snowshoe trip in the winter, too!
Our production quality has become better since those days, but we trust the info is still useful for anyone who wants a glimpse at our region’s Appalachian Trail sections. We celebrated the 75th Anniversary of the completion of the last two miles of the entire AT between Sugarloaf & Spaulding Mtns. on Aug. 18, 2012.
Located at the site of a once thriving, self-supporting community in East Madrid, Maine, is the Perham Stream Birding Trail, a Sandy River Land Trust project which makes for a wonderful walk. Streams, open fields, and great mountain views await in this flat, quiet place with lots of bird habitat (over 60 species counted for). Grab a pamphlet at the kiosk and enjoy the self guided tour at your own pace.
To get there:
Turn onto East Madrid Road (at the Bruce Manzer hot mix plant sign) off Route 142 in Phillips. Travel on the East Madrid Road for a bit under 5 miles, and parking is on the left just after a small bridge crossing Perham Stream.
WSKI is your source of all the info to know for Homecoming Weekend!
We must be getting itchy for winter!!!!! This one-off event for all ages was a blast for those who got to watch the fast action & big air tricks of the East Coast Snowcross participants in this race at the Carrabassett Valley airport. If an event like this ever comes your way, make sure to check it out: you will be guaranteed to be well entertained!!!
