SUGARLOAF TERRAIN OVERVIEW

SuperQuad area: Double Bitter or Wedge are winding and narrow, with natural bank turns and drop-offs. Skidder has a natural quarterpipe, rider’s right. King’s Landing and Hayburner have natural knolls. West Mountain is ideal for novices and lower intermediates, with long, gentle cruising trails that incorporate some steeps at the beginning. West Mountain trail also has some nice banks on the rider’s left, but beware of the clearance underneath the double chair and be sure to cut right toward Windrow near the end of the steeps to avoid the flats.

King Pine area: Misery Whip is at most 9 feet wide and usually ungroomed and full of huge whale-size bumps of stored-up snow. Take Boomauger to gain speed and lay down huge carves. Rip Saw and the Rip Saw Glades have nice drop-offs on rider’s left at the beginning. Try to avoid returning to the base via Cross Haul from here. Some sections are pretty darn flat and you could end up hoofing it. Best choice is to ride the lift up and work your way back towards the middle of the mountain.

Locals can be found almost anywhere in glades that they have spent the summers working on with their own chainsaws. Unbeknownst to the rest of the world, these glades include some of the biggest cliff drops on the East Coast, but don’t waste your time looking for them on a map. If you’re lucky, you may follow a pack of riders into the woods at exactly the right moment, but be ready to keep up.

SUGARLOAF Parks and pipes

Freeriders who visit Sugarloaf continue to reap the rewards of the resort’s mutually beneficial relationship with Carrabassett Valley Academy (CVA). New this year is The Yard, a 400-foot-wide, half-mile-long expert terrain park, which cuts from the Peavy X-Cut down to Lower Narrow Gauge. Rails, a hip, three sets of jumps, including one that towers more than 50 feet, and other features are all strategically placed in view of the SuperQuad.

At the base of Lower Winter's Way, accessible via Double Runner East (short side) is Sugarloaf's competition superpipe, Pipe Dreams, which is more than 400 feet long with 16-foot walls and a consistent 22-degree pitch. It was named in recognition of U.S. Snowboard Team member Seth Wescott, a CVA grad who competed on the FIS World Cup circuit and took gold in the inaugural Olympic SnowboardCross event.

Beginning and lower-intermediate freeriders can perfect their moves in The Stomping Grounds, with terrain elements and a minipipe. The learning pipe is also nearly 400 feet long, but the 10-foot walls are more forgiving of mistakes. The Stomping Grounds and learning pipe are on Lower Double Bitter, accessible via either the Sugarloaf SuperQuad or the Double Runner West (Long Side) chairlift.