Sunday River (ski resort)
| Sunday River Ski Resort | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Location | Newry, Maine, United States |
| Nearest major city | Auburn, Maine |
| Coordinates | 44°28′10″N 70°51′40″W / 44.46944°N 70.86111°W |
| Top elevation | 3,140 ft (960 m) |
| Base elevation | 800 ft (240 m) |
| Skiable area | 660 acres (270 ha) |
| Trails | 132 |
| Longest run | 3 mi (4.8 km) |
| Lift system | 16 (14 chairs): • 1 Chondola • 4 High-Speed Quads • 5 Quads • 3 Triples • 1 Double • 2 Surface Lifts |
| Snowfall | 155 inches (390 cm) per year |
| Website | www.sundayriver.com |
Sunday River is a ski resort located in Newry, Maine, in the United States. It is one of Maine's largest and most visited ski resorts. Its vertical drop of 2,340 feet (710 m) is the second largest in Maine (after Sugarloaf) and the sixth largest in New England.[citation needed] The resort features 132 trails across eight interconnected mountain peaks, and is serviced by a network of 16 lifts.
Sunday River and its sister resort Sugarloaf/USA have been operated by Boyne Resorts since being sold by American Skiing Company in 2007 for a combined $77 million.[1]
Statistics
- Important facts[2]
- Year Opened: 1959
- Number of Lifts: 16
- Chondola (6 person chairs & 8 person gondolas): 1
- High-speed quads: 4
- Quad chairs: 5
- Triple chairs: 3
- Double chairs: 1
- Surface lifts: 2
- Lift capacity: 32,000/hr.
- Slopeside Hotels: 2 (Jordan Grand Hotel, Grand Summit Hotel).
- Elevation
- Top: 3,140 ft (960 m)
- Bottom: 800 ft (240 m)
- Vertical drop: 2,340 ft (710 m)
- Longest run: 3.50 miles (5.63 km)
- Skiable area: 667.7 acres (2.7 km2)
- Snowmaking: 92%
- Types of runs
- Beginner: 33%
- Intermediate: 36%
- Advanced: 19%
- Expert: 12%
Terrain
The following describes the different mountains of Sunday River:
- White Cap: Located at the eastern end of the resort, it contains mostly difficult terrain consisting of steeps and glades. White Heat is an expert run, one of the steepest at Sunday River. Obsession is a long Advanced to intermediate trail full of rolls and variation in pitch.
- Locke Mountain: The resort's original peak. Features predominantly intermediate trails like Cascades, Monday Mourning and Sunday Punch. The lower section of Locke is also home to a half-pipe and the Rocking Chair terrain park.
- Barker Mountain: Features a high-speed quad serving a variety of terrain. Three Mile Trail is a beginner run that winds across the mountain. Ecstasy and Right Stuff are other important trails. Monday Mourning and the race arena parallel it host a variety of high school- and middle school-level alpine ski races. Also services a newschool terrain park on Rocking Chair for skiers and snowboarders featuring a variety of jump and rail elements.
- Spruce Peak: Contains two intermediate trails, Risky Business and American Express. Downdraft is a short and steep difficult run that often contains moguls, or is iced over. The peak also offers quick access to the western side of the resort with the beginner trail Sirius.
- North Peak: Has the mid-mountain Peak Lodge that offers food and beverages. Also contains a high-speed quad and "Chondola" lift that services beginner and intermediate terrain. North Peak is oriented toward "family" skiing. The Dream maker trail is a long and wide beginner to intermediate trail that is a favorite for families.
- Aurora Peak: A mix of intermediate and difficult trails serviced by a quad chairlift. There is also a double chairlift that connects Aurora to the base of Jordan Bowl.
- OZ: A unique bowl with difficult and expert terrain. Runs are a mix of glades and open trails that emphasize natural terrain features and steep pitches.
- Jordan Bowl: Contains a mix of terrain that covers all ability levels. The Jordan Grand Resort Hotel is located off the beginner trail Lollapalooza. Other runs include Rogue Angel and Excalibur.
- South Ridge: South Ridge services beginner trails. The South Ridge Ski Lodge services three lifts, a magic carpet, a high speed quad, and a new chondola lift (high speed six-pack + 8-person gondolas). On the chondola, it has four- six person chairs following a gondola that can hold up to eight people
Out of these "peaks," only two actually have a topographic prominence great enough to be an actual peak. White Cap, Locke Mountain, and Barker Mountain are technically all part of a mountain called Barker Mountain. Barker Mountain's peak (el. 2,594 ft (791 m)*), ironically, is the peak that the ski area calls Locke Mountain. North Peak, Spruce Peak, Aurora Peak, OZ, and Jordan Bowl are technically all part of Black Mountain (el. 3,162 ft (964 m)*). The highest point of the ski area on Black Mountain (el. 3,140 ft (960 m)*) is the summit that is called OZ.
Summer
In the summer months, Sunday River changes from a ski resort into a golf course. The Sunday River Golf Club is a Robert Trent Jones, Jr. design and has been ranked as the '#1 course in Maine' by Golfweek magazine and one of the 'Top Ten Best New Courses in the World' by Travel + Leisure Golf.[citation needed]
The 7,130-yard (6,520 m) course offers dramatic elevation changes. The club also features a large log and stone clubhouse with a pro shop and grille, as well as a mountainside practice facility. While the course is open to the public, memberships are also available from Harris Golf, who operates the golf club in partnership with Sunday River.
The Grand Summit Resort Hotel and Jordan Grand Resort Hotel remain open during the summer and offer 'Stay and Play' Golf Packages throughout the golf season. Hiking and zip lining are also available.
Mountain biking
The Sunday River Mountain Bike Park first opened in the summer of 1991 and was one of the first resorts to offer lift accessed mountain biking to a full network of trails. The park closed in the fall of 2003. The park reopened in August 2007 containing some of the original trails and a few new ones as well. Starting in the summer of 2009, mountain biking is accessed via the Chondola lift.
Tubing
There are two snow tubing runs and handle tows at the White Cap Fun Center.
References
- ^ Syre, Steven (2007-06-06). "American Skiing rejects Otten bid for Sunday River, Sugarloaf". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 2009-04-24.
- ^ "Mountain Statistics". Sunday River Skiway Corp. Retrieved 2009-03-04.
External links
- Sunday River - official website
- Sunday River - NewEnglandSkiHistory.com