December 24, 2008 E-MAIL PRINT

Sneak to Shawnee Peak

by Tony Chamberlain/

Shawnee Peak in Bridgton, Maine, has some nice cruising terrain. (photo: Shawnee Peak)

Shawnee Peak in Bridgton, Maine, has some nice cruising terrain. (photo: Shawnee Peak)

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Among the ski areas from my past that always seem to have been there — Cranmore, Black, Stowe — is the southern Maine ski area that we always knew as Pleasant Mountain.

Smaller than the bigs to the north and bigger than the smaller local ski areas, Pleasant, now Shawnee Peak, always struck me as the perfect day ski area. It is still small enough to be serviceable and very accessibly, but with a bit of a wallop that will keep you from looking at your watch on the third lift ride up.

I began skiing Shawnee while staying in Portland, and quickly understood it to be a kind city playground and asset. And yet Shawnee, while servicing Portland residents very ably, being close enough for half-day and evening trips, ranks much beyond the classification "local."

Most Maine skiers from the Boston area fly right through greater Portland to the two big areas beyond — Sunday River and Sugarloaf. And so Shawnee, which is west of Portland on Route 302, close to the New Hampshire border, often gets passed by.

But even its stats are pretty impressive, starting with 1,300 feet of skiing and riding. And since skiers at the 2,000-foot-plus areas tend just to ski the top tier, skiing Shawnee top-to-bottom makes for longer runs. Though you won’t find a Tote Road or Hudson Highway here, there is a legitimate 1½-mile run.

The summit is just shy of 2,000-feet — not soaring heights, but high enough to hold snow. Shawnee averages around nine feet yearly over 225 skiable acres, most of it in the blue to green cruise variety. In all, Shawnee qualifies for that old marketing phrase coined years ago by Bretton Woods — low-stress skiing.

That said, Shawnee has some surprisingly testy terrain, especially on the east face where East Glades and Tycoon become lively challenges, and the East Headwall is a kick of a drop with a blue bailout for your partner — East Slope.

For cruising on pretty ego-massaging snow, check out Yee Haw, Mohawk Hollow, Roosevelt and Jack Spratt. This is the kind of cruising you like to find when the crowds are thin — weekdays or gaps during the daily schedule.

On the far West side, there’s plenty of beginner and practice terrain with West Slope, Happiness, Evergreen and Easy Turns. The transition to the blue trails just to the east feels pretty natural.

For real high-end skiing and riding, Shawnee has obvious limits and does not offer the big-boned terrain found further north. For riders, there is a terrain park with a lot of interesting features.

But for night action, Shawnee has lots of lights, and the skiing and riding extends over 17 runs. Often, the family theme is played out here as kids from school meet parents from work for supper and runs. And Shawnee has lots of fun events, plus a web site (www.shawneepeak.com) that has an assortment of money-saving options.

The variation that worked for me was meeting friends after the workday for a few runs and a beer can race, followed by libations and a late dinner — one of the best of all ways to end the day.

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