Sunday River (ski resort)

Sunday River Ski Resort
Location	Newry, Maine, United States
Nearest major city	Portland, ME
Coordinates	44°28′10″N 70°51′40″W / 44.46944°N 70.86111°W / 44.46944; -70.86111Coordinates: 44°28′10″N 70°51′40″W / 44.46944°N 70.86111°W / 44.46944; -70.86111
Top elevation	3,140 ft (960 m)
Base elevation	800 ft (240 m)
Skiable area	870 acres (350 ha)
Runs	135
Longest run	3 mi (4.8 km)
Lift system	15 (14 chairs):   • 1 Chondola   • 4 High-Speed Quads   • 5 Quads   • 3 Triples   • 1 Double   • 4 Surface Lifts
Snowfall	155 inches (390 cm) per year
Night skiing	Yes
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. Sunday River has the most terrain among the East Coast skiing destinations, including eight different peaks.^{[citation needed]} The resort features 135 trails across eight interconnected mountain peaks, and is serviced by a network of 15 lifts.

Sunday River and its sister resort Sugarloaf have been operated by Boyne Resorts since being sold by American Skiing Company in 2007 for a combined $77 million.^[1] The resort's land has been owned by CNL Lifestyle, then Och-Ziff Capital Management, and leased back to Boyne.^[2] Boyne purchased the resort in March 2018.

Statistics[]

Looking up toward the Jordan Bowl summit.

The Chondola during the winter.

• Important facts^[3]
  • Year Opened: 1959
  • Number of Lifts: 18
  • Chondola (6 person chairs & 8 person gondolas): 1
  • High-speed quads: 4
  • Quad chairs: 5
  • Triple chairs: 3
  • Double chairs: 1
  • T-Bars: 1
  • Surface lifts: 3
  • Lift capacity: 32,000/hr.
  • On Mountain Lodging: Jordan Hotel, Grand Summit Hotel, The Snowcap Inn, and over 100 Condominiums.
• 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: 870 acres (3.5 km²)
  • Snowmaking: 92%
• Types of runs
  • Beginner: 33%
  • Intermediate: 36%
  • Advanced: 19%
  • Expert: 12%

Lift System[]

Lift 1: Barker Mountain Express - high-speed quad built in 1987 by Lift Engineering and upgraded by Poma.
Lift 2: South Ridge Express - high-speed quad built in 1992 by Poma.
Lift 3: Quantum Leap - Hall Ski-Lift triple that was originally in the place of Lift 2. Relocated in 1992 to present location.
Lift 4: Locke Mountain - triple built in 1984.
Lift 5: Alera Group Competition Lift - T-Bar Surface lift built in 2019 by Doppelmayr to service ski racers on Monday Mourning trail.
Lift 6: North Peak Express - high-speed quad built in 1997 by Doppelmayr to replace a 1985 triple.
Lift 7: Chondola - built by Doppelmayr CTEC in 2008 to form a direct connection to North Peak. This lift replaced a 1985 double (Lift 5) and a 1986 triple (Lift 7).
Lift 8: Spruce Peak - triple built in 2017 by Doppelmayr.
Lift 9: White Cap - quad built by Lift Engineering in 1987 and upgraded by Poma.
Lift 10: White Heat - quad built by Lift Engineering in 1988 and upgraded by Poma.
Lift 11: Little White Cap - quad built by Lift Engineering in 1988 and upgraded by Poma.
Lift 12: Aurora Peak - quad built by Lift Engineering in 1991 and upgraded by Poma.
Lift 13: Jordan Mountain - double built by Garaventa CTEC in 1994. This lift is for transport in both directions connecting Jordan Bowl and Aurora Basin.
Lift 14: Jordan Bowl Express - high-speed quad built in 1994 by Doppelmayr.
Lift 15: Oz - quad built in 1995 by Doppelmayr.
Lift 16: Lower Sundance Surface Lift - Beginner carpet lift built in 2019.
Lift 17: Middle Sundance Surface Lift - Beginner carpet lift built in 2019.
Lift 18: Upper Sundance Surface Lift - Beginner carpet lift built in 2019.

Lift 19: Merrill Hill - Under Construction

Vertical Descent[]

Vertical Descent of the mountain, as well as the vertical descent from the chairlifts.

• Total Vertical: 2,340 ft.
• White Cap: 1,630 ft.
• Locke Mountain: 1,460 ft.
• Barker Mountain: 1,400 ft.
• Spruce Peak: 1,500 ft.
• North Peak: 1,000 ft.
• South Ridge: 500 ft.
• Aurora Peak: 1,100 ft.
• Oz: 1,100 ft.
• Jordan Bowl: 1,490 ft.

Terrain[]

Sunday River from the Jordan Bowl. Old Speck Mountain on center horizon.

The top of "Kansas."

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. White Heat is a main attraction, with Shock Wave on skiers right. 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 Lift 5; a T-Bar going directly under the Locke triple for Gould Academy to train on lower Monday Mourning. Monday Mourning and the race arena parallel to it host a variety of alpine ski races.

• 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. Also under the Barker Lift is the Flow State boardercross course.

• 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. Spruce peak is at the middle of the mountain is the only lift to have a three person loading conveyer.

• South Ridge: South Ridge services mainly beginner trails. Broadway, and Sundance are the most kid-friendly, with Mixing Bowl also being a popular trail with beginners. The South Ridge area services 3 magic carpets, a high speed quad, and a Chondola lift (high speed six-pack + 8-person gondolas).

• North Peak: Has the mid-mountain Peak Lodge that offers food and beverages. Also contains a high-speed quad (North Peak Express) and that services more beginner and intermediate terrain. North Peak is oriented toward "family" skiing, so jerries are always plentiful. There are many beginner trails on North Peak. The Dream maker trail is a long and wide beginner to intermediate trail that is another favorite for families. North Peak is also home to the terrain park T72, Maine's biggest park. During most nights, North peak offers night skiing on two trails, Escapade and Dreammaker, both serviced by the Chondola.

• Aurora Peak: A mix of intermediate and difficult trails serviced by a quad chairlift. There is also a double chairlift (Lift 13) that connects the base of 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. This peak only opens on the weekends and holidays due to its difficulty and light snow cover.

• 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.

• Merrill Hill: Under Construction

Out of these "peaks," only one actually has 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 or 791 m), inaccurately, 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 or 964 m). The highest point of the ski area is what the resort calls OZ, which is technically on Black Mountain (el. 3,140 ft or 960 m). Although OZ is the highest point of the Sunday River ski area, it is not Black Mountain's summit.

Snowmaking[]

• Terrain Coverage: 95% of non-gladed terrain (552 acres)
• Water Capacity: 8,100 gallons per minute
• Air Capacity: 60,000 cubic feet per minute @ 150 psi
• Snowmaking Output Capacity: 4 acre feet per hour
• Snowmaking Arsenal: 1,900 guns
• Miles of pipe in system (approximate): 72
• Miles of hose in system (approximate): 30

Summer[]

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The Chondola during the fall. Notice the chairlift converted to carry a mountain bike.

In the summer months, Sunday River changes from a ski resort into a summer resort with plenty of events and activities for everyone. Some summer activities include golf, disk golf, geocache tours, hiking, and scenic lift rides. There is also a series of annual music festivals from late July to August, located at the south ridge lodge. Weddings are also a frequent occurrence at Sunday River, as it is the most profitable source of income for the mountain during the summer months. Most weddings are held at the summit of North Peak, but other locations include the Grand Summit Hotel, or the Jordan Hotel.

The Grand Summit Hotel and Jordan Hotel remain open during the summer and offer 'Stay and Play' Golf Packages throughout the golf season (typically in June). The resort also offers summer lodging packages for those who wish to enjoy the amenities around the resort, as mentioned above.

Golf[]

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.

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-serviced mountain biking to a full network of trails. The park closed in the fall of 2003, but reopened in August 2007 with some of the original trails, and a few new ones as well. As of 2009, mountain biking is accessed via the Chondola and provides up to 25 miles of terrain.

In 2019, the Bike Park at Sunday River was discontinued, after 13 years of operation. According to resort officials, "Topography and other factors contributed to the decision to close. Riding areas and lessons for beginner riders are a large part of a successful bike park and Sunday River was unable to provide this to their resort users without a substantial monetary investment."

Competition[]

Sunday River is home to the Gould Academy Competition Program for skiing. The program is for junior skiers in Alpine skiing (slalom, giant slalom, super G and downhill), Freestyle skiing (moguls and freeride), and Snowboarding (halfpipe, slopestyle, Slalom, Giant Slalom and boardercross), and runs from mid November through March.^[5]

Sunday River is home to the Dumont Cup created by Simon Dumont.

Dumont Cup[]

In 2009, Simon Dumont wanted to create an opportunity for young and rising skiers to gain exposure and decided to host it at his home mountain, Sunday River in Newry, Maine. Six Dumont Cups later, the success stories of amateur skiers like Nick Geopper and Gus Kenworthy winning the Dumont Cup and stepping into the pro scene has help achieve Simon’s vision. The event was eventually officially discontinued in 2016, and the last competition held in March 2015 on the T72 terrain park.

Frozen Rush[]

In early 2014, the first Frozen Rush race was held on the slopes.^[6] It was the first off-road race of its type on snow.^[6] The event featured a match race of the United States' top short course off-road racing drivers racing their trophy trucks.^[6] Ricky Johnson beat Johnny Greaves to win the inaugural event.^[6]

New England Forest Rally[]

New England Forest Rally has been hosted here for the last 26 years.

See also[]

Sunday River Ski Train

References[]

External links[]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sunday River (ski resort).

• Sunday River - official website
• Sunday River - NewEnglandSkiHistory.com