Here’s what’s new in Maine for the 2023-24 ski season

Snowmaking improvements will allow Sunday River to open more terrain early in the season. (Sunday River Photo)

Killington will be getting some company this week.

Sunday River announced on Sunday that it plans to open on Tuesday morning with more than 50 acres of terrain, top-to-bottom, serviced by the Jordan 8 chairlift. The Maine resort will join Killington as the only two resorts open for skiing and riding in New England.

Sunday River expects to open with skiing at Jordan Bowl for New England Pass holders, Ikon Pass holders, and ticket packs with daily operations. Daily lift tickets will be available beginning Wednesday.

Over the summer, the resort made significant enhancements to its existing snowmaking infrastructure to triple the water capacity in the Jordan Bowl. This upgrade included the installation of nearly two miles of 20-inch snowmaking pipe, linking the North Peak Booster Pump House to the summit of the Jordan Bowl. This will triple snowmaking capacity in the area, allowing for all snow guns in the Jordan Bowl to operate simultaneously.

Whether it’s a new, multi-million dollar lift or a unique wrinkle to the cafeteria lunch menu, the offseason is a busy time for getting work done at ski areas and resorts across New England. Here’s a roundup of some of the additions and projects that skiers and riders can expect to see at their favorite ski destinations in Maine this winter. 

Boyne Resorts is billing Sunday River’s new Barker 6 as the fastest six-person chairlift in North America. Guests will travel up the mountain in a little more than four-and-a-half minutes, reducing the current ride time by more than 30 percent. Sixty-three chairs, weighing in at nearly one ton each, will transport an average of 3,250 skiers per hour. Each chair on the Doppelmayr manufactured lift features ergonomically heated seats enclosed by a signature Sunday River Red bubble.

Saddleback’s long-awaited mid-mountain restaurant is set to make its debut in December. Perched at 3,620 feet in elevation — it will become Maine’s highest restaurant — the spot offers stunning views of Rangeley Lake below, complete with a ski-up kiosk and bar. Saddleback’s journey toward sustainability will take a major step in November, when its new seven-megawatt DC solar farm, covering 50 acres, goes online.

The solar farm is not only a source of clean energy but also poised to produce twice the amount of energy required to power all of Saddleback. The mountain has invested in state-of-the-art snowmaking technology to conserve resources, and this season said it will offer more EV charging stations than any other mountain in Maine. 

Sugarloaf Mountain Resort is in the midst of its largest expansion in more than 40 years. Following an approval from the Maine Department of Environmental Protection in the spring, Sugarloaf got started on what it bills as a “massive” project — the 450-acre expansion onto West Mountain. The development includes 12 new alpine trails,  covering roughly 120 acres, that will increase Sugarloaf’s total skiable acreage by nearly 10 percent. The centerpiece of the new development will be the  “Bucksaw Express” chairlift, a high-speed detachable quad that will transport skiers and riders from its base near West Mountain Road up to Bullwinkle’s Restaurant.

Pleasant Mountain, formerly Shawnee Peak, has made base improvements including expanding the ticket booth stairs and adding heated concrete landings that will host an alfresco food and beverage outlet. A new elevator is just one way accessibility from the parking lot to the base area has improved.