A resilient River: Ski areas like Sunday River recover from major storm damage

Crews completed the installation of a temporary bridge to the Grand Summit within 30 hours of the storm. (Sunday River)

Nobody escaped the powerful East Coast storm that pummeled all of New England on Dec. 18, delivering up to six inches of rain in some areas with wind gusts at speeds approaching 70 miles per hour. Communities throughout the Northeast suffered damages due to high winds and localized flooding. Skiers watched in anguish as the region’s tremendous early season snowpack went dribbling into the valleys below.

All this only one week prior to the all-important holiday period for the ski industry.

Even those ski areas that managed to open the Monday morning when the storm hit, one week before Christmas, shut down early. Jay Peak, Killington and Sunday River were among the local ski areas that were forced to suspend operations during the day. Others, such as Cannon, Pico and Gunstock, didn’t even bother running the lifts with the grim forecast.

Flooding became a major concern in Vermont, where residents of Moretown Village were told to evacuate their homes and businesses after heavy rain on snow in the mountains caused the Mad River to jump its banks.

“Hard to believe that just as we repaired enough of the damage from the July flood to begin making snow, along comes another flooding event,” Magic Mountain’s snow report read that afternoon.

At one point, 600,000 customers were without power on the East Coast — 400,000 of them in Maine, where many roads were reported to be washed out in northern regions of the state, blocking access to ski towns and communities like Rangeley. Maine Gov. Janet Mills declared a civil state of emergency for most of Maine, including Rangeley and Franklin County, noting the storm had “caused significant flooding and infrastructure damage, including to the state’s federal-aid highways.”

There were, however, no images of the storm’s aftermath more dramatic than those that came from the Newry/Bethel area of Maine, including one video that showed the road to Sunday River’s Grand Summit Hotel just wash away with the flooding.

It was far from the only damage done to the resort. There were widespread washouts across the property, including a large one at the South Ridge base area, one of the most popular hubs at Sunday River. The damage forced the resort to close for the remainder of the week while it assessed the work that needed to be done in order to be operational for vacation week.

Remarkably, only five days later, crews already had completed the installation of a temporary bridge to the Grand Summit (finished within 30 hours of the storm) and continued to repair road washouts and remove debris from base areas. Despite facing power outages at their own homes, the resort’s team and contractors worked to restore operations, Sunday River said in a release. “They played a crucial role in the early restoration efforts. In the face of daily challenges, the teams reached significant milestones.”

By the time Sunday River reopened on Dec. 23, the resort offered 110 skiable acres, “a testament to the remarkable efforts of our mountain operation teams,” Sunday River general manager Brian Heon told New England Ski Journal. “At the time, the terrain that was open was considered advanced, and with that in mind, we closed our lesson programs.”

As the week progressed, Sunday River reopened some of the lifts in South Ridge, which is mainly where beginner terrain is based out of and, thus, lessons resumed.

“Our guest services and call center teams were ready to help guests adjust their travel plans,” Heon said, explaining the resort’s policy that allows guests to receive their purchase in the form of a credit that can be used any time for up to 18 months. “Instead of cancelling plans, most of our guests chose to reschedule their visits. In this circumstance, guests who asked for a full refund received one.”

As New Year’s weekend unfolded, an inch of snow fell and Sunday River had recovered enough to offer 26 trails and 168 acres of skiing through all the construction and repair. By the time the ball dropped, both the Chondola and South Ridge were welcoming back skiers and riders. Jordan Bowl and the Alpeniglu were slated to join them within days.

“As we continue to assess the storm’s impact across our eight peaks, I’m amazed at the progress our teams and outside contractors have made,” Heon said. “The resort’s quick reopening was truly due to their exceptional work.

“People always say that ‘Mainers are resilient.’ The Sunday River team is not only resilient, but also dedicated, thoughtful with their actions, and they perform world-class work. We could not be more proud of our team. Morale across the resort is high and team members are filled with great determination and passion to provide our guests with an incredible experience this year. We have much to look forward to for the rest of this season.”