Snowmaking Enhancements Ensure an Early Season at Sugarloaf

Carrabassett Valley, ME - Sugarloaf Mountain is proud to announce significant upgrades to its snowmaking capabilities for the upcoming winter season, with a target opening day next Friday, November 22. With a five-year investment of over 700+ HKD tower guns, 400+ KLIK hydrants, and 13 fully automated SMI fan guns, the resort has made substantial progress in improving its snowmaking infrastructure.

One of the key upgrades is the installation of a new 20-inch water main line, replacing the old 14-inch line, along West Mountain Trail. This upgrade is part of Sugarloaf's 2030 plan to steadily increase pump capacity and improve snow production. With this enhancement, the resort expects to increase its maximum gallons per minute (GPM) from 4,775 to 5,200 GPM, representing a nearly 10% capacity increase. In addition, snowmaking has been extended to the Twitcher trail for the first time.

Large areas near the base will have increased snowmaking moving forward, thanks to the introduction of a fleet of 6 fully automated portable SMI Super Polecat Fan guns. These state-of-the-art guns, which will debut on the SQ Spur, have the power to strategically cover various areas around the resort, including SQ Spur, Boardwalk, Sidewinder, and the base of Whiffletree, Bucksaw, and Skyline.

Furthermore, all trails off of the Sugarloaf Summit now boast HKD Impulses and KLIK hydrants, allowing for simultaneous snowmaking from every gun on the summit. The resort now utilizes the most efficient HKD's on the market, taking advantage of Sugarloaf's elevation and cold water to achieve the highest water output and lowest air configuration possible.

Seth Warman, Snow Surfaces Director at Sugarloaf, expressed his excitement about the upgrades, stating, "With the new improvements on West Mountain, going from 14-inch pipe to 20-inch pipe, we've been able to run more efficiently and have higher pressures in the areas that usually have low pressure."

Brendan Ryan, VP of Snow Surface Design & Management at Boyne Resorts, highlighted the resort's ability to run every gun off the summit simultaneously, thanks to the efficient HKD's and favorable conditions. He stated, "We now can run every gun off the summit at the same time. (If it’s not too cold). And we’re able to do so with the most efficient HKD’s on the market. Sugarloaf’s elevation and cold water make it able to run the most efficient configuration of HKD’s on the market."

The resort has also collaborated with the CVA Podium Project to enhance automation using the SMI Super Pole Cats and the HKD Impulse. Seth Warman added, "with that automation and that technology, we've been able to capitalize on the small snowmaking windows that we've had and have been able to move a lot of water pretty quickly over there."

These upgrades highlight Sugarloaf Mountain's dedication to delivering outstanding snow conditions and on-hill experiences. With an anticipated opening on Friday, November 22, weather and snowmaking permitting, visitors can look forward to kicking off the 2024/25 season at Maine’s largest ski destination, complete with Sugarloaf’s iconic white-summit logo.