Sugarloaf announces West Mountain expansion
The expansion is part of 10-year development plan which includes 5 lifts, new alpine terrain, real estate development, and more
CARRABASSETT VALLEY, Maine - In what will be one of the most transformative projects in its 70 year history, Sugarloaf has announced plans for the development of nearly 450 acres of terrain on West Mountain with new alpine trails, snowmaking, a new high speed chairlift, tubing park, downhill mountain bike trails, and residential real estate.
The West Mountain expansion was announced as the centerpiece of a ten-year resort vision, called Sugarloaf 2030. The plan outlines a roadmap for growth at the resort over the next ten years, and includes five new or upgraded lifts, new alpine terrain, real estate development, investments in technology, and much more.
West Mountain Expansion
The West Mountain expansion will see the construction of a new high-speed, high-capacity chairlift that will transport guests from a base on West Mountain Road all the way up to Bullwinkle's restaurant, and will be accompanied by significant new trail development and snowmaking infrastructure, as well as a new eight-lane tubing park. This development will greatly expand Sugarloaf's beginner and intermediate trail offerings, and will shift significant amounts of skier traffic from the SuperQuad, Sugarloaf's busiest chairlift. In addition, new parking lots will add space for as many as 450 additional vehicles.
The project will also be transformative for summer business, with plans for a lift-serviced mountain bike park and a renovation of the Bullwinkle's restaurant that will allow it to operate throughout the summer and host wedding and conference guests. The project also calls for 75 new residential real estate lots, adding needed inventory to the local market.
"This will be the most significant project at Sugarloaf since the SuperQuad was built in the mid 1990s," Sugarloaf General Manager Karl Strand said. "We're thankful for leadership of Boyne Resorts, which, over the past 13 years, has helped us get Sugarloaf to a position of growth that allows for development projects like this."
Timeline
The West Mountain expansion is expected to take place over the next five years, with summer 2020 seeing continued planning, permitting, and initial trail cutting. Construction of the new lift is expected to begin in 2021.
In addition to the West Mountain expansion, summer 2020 will see the construction of a new 4600 square foot spa in the Sugarloaf Mountain Hotel, installation of new Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) pass and ticketing technology, and significant snowmaking investments including a new dam on Caribou Pond, which is the water source for Sugarloaf's snowmaking system.
Sugarloaf 2030 Road Map
Ten years after Sugarloaf introduced the Sugarloaf 2020 plan, the Sugarloaf 2030 Road Map builds on that foundation and identifies five key areas of focus for investment over the next ten years:
• On-Mountain Experience
• Resort Enhancement
• Next Generation Sugarloafers
• Year-Round Vitality
• Sustainability
Among other projects, the road map includes five new or upgraded chairlifts, a complete overhaul of the resort's snowmaking system to increase both capacity and efficiency, village upgrades and expansions, and a rehabilitation of the former gondola terminal on the summit of the mountain.
For more information on the West Mountain expansion and the Sugarloaf 2030 Road Map, please visit sugarloaf2030.com.
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About Sugarloaf - Located in Carrabassett Valley, ME, Sugarloaf is largest ski area in the East, and is home to the only lift-serviced above treeline skiing and riding in the East. and the number one golf course in Maine, according to Golf Digest. Sugarloaf is a member of the Boyne Resorts family of resorts and attractions. Follow: www.sugarloaf.com, www.facebook.com/sugarloaf, and http://twitter.com/sugarloafmaine.