SANDY RIVER PLANTATION, Maine — Saddleback continues its ascent from the dead.
The popular ski resort shut down in 2015 due to a lack of funding for lift improvements. But, through new ownership that brought in a $30 million investment, the business reopened in 2020 and hasn't looked back.
As the mountain’s community celebrates the beginning of its third season re-born, it does so with a new title: "Maine’s favorite ski mountain"
That's according to Downeast Magazine and its readers. In its September issue that featured multiple best-of articles, the magazine announced readers who responded to a poll selected Saddleback as their favorite place to ski, beating out nearby powerhouses Sunday River and Sugarloaf.
Jim Quimby, the resort's general manager who grew up in nearby Rangeley said he'd spent two-thirds of his life on the mountain. He had a copy of the Downeast issue on his desk and smiled as he dug it out.
"Most ski areas don’t open after being closed that long," Quimby said. "And, when they do open, they don’t open with a bang like we did."
Leah Larobardiere, Saddleback's ski patrol director, said she had worked at other mountains in the east and said Saddleback is one of a kind.
"The terrain here and snow is absolutely incredible," she smiled. "Taking it a step further, the vibe and the culture here is different from any other resort."
Saddleback is the largest independent ski mountain in the east at 600 skiable acres.