Opinion

Op-ed: Sugarloaf quality goes downslope under Boyne

Posted on April 20, 2011, at 10:41 p.m.

I don’t know about you, but my trips to Sugarloaf in Carrabassett Valley this year have been a little less sweet than they have in the past.

Maybe it has something to do with last summer’s fiery destruction of the secret hideaways, dotting the farther-flung wooded areas — rest in peace, Salsa.

Maybe my malaise could be attributed to the fall of the Spillway chairlift, which helped carry those wary of a T-bar ride close to the summit on days too windy to spin chairs on Timberline.

Or perhaps my dissatisfaction could be a side effect of constant pestering by the squad of Ambassadors, who perform market research surveys on every lift ride when all I want to do is enjoy the silent beauty of the mountains.

Whenever I try to find the root of my discontent, one word keeps popping into my head: Boyne — as in Boyne USA Resorts, a company that manages a number of ski areas including Sugarloaf and Sunday River.

Since Boyne took the reins in the summer of 2007, several improvements have been made to the mountain’s infrastructure, termed by media coverage as “critical.” However looking at the work done to date, I am unsure of which definition of that word is being applied — that of implying necessity or that of severe criticism.

Take, for example, the construction of the Sugar Shack, a maple syrup producing attraction just outside the base lodge. Surely this eyesore blocking the view of the mountain from the beach area contributes to the skiing experience, right?

Or maybe the lifts are where Boyne has been investing millions. Those newly painted poles sure do look nice after the cable jumps the track and you’re free falling to the slope below. And I’m not sure how the old managers expected to attract thousands of powder hounds to the tallest lift service in Maine without the fantastic Moosecalator to ferry riders up the flatlands in the Birches.

Then there’s Brackett Basin, the new “sidecountry” expansion Boyne has begun cutting eastward to the summit of Burnt Mountain. Too bad the only space added in the first phase — more than 40 percent of the planned total — was either part of the existing Cant Dog glade or spits explorers out far past the base area, relegating them to a lift ride over scenic condominium subdivisions.

Some of the improvements have actually enhanced conditions, like the new snowmaking equipment that helps open terrain faster in the early season — even though the King of Spring still opens later than Sunday River. And I’m sure the Olympian-designed boarder cross course will see use someday, despite being vacant most times I ride the Superquad.

All of this investment in the resort is an effort by Boyne to create just that — a resort, with a hot tub for every visitor wealthy enough to rent a room and wide parking spaces that can accommodate their Hummers.

The problem is, Sugarloaf has never been the posh resort Boyne is setting out to construct. The locals have scraggly beards and drive old pickups; and they can be “haad to undah-stand if you’re nawt from ‘roun’ he-ah.”

It’s like the movie “Out Cold” — a businessman from out of town buys a new piece of land and tries to convert the space into the new Aspen for his buddies to come play. He tries to replace the local remnants of the hippie era with glitz and glamour, thinking this will make his new establishment more attractive.

But, at least for me, that’s not what I’m looking for when I go to the Loaf. I go there because it’s truly a mountain for skiers, not tourists. It’s in the middle of nowhere and can be hard to find — especially when the road signs have been stripped of their guiding stickers. There’s not much by way of cushy amenities, but that’s okay since there’s close to 3,000 vertical feet to explore.

There was a time, not too long ago, when you could stop at Jaws for an adult beverage and the Ambassador squad would more likely share a joint on the way up the lift than a survey. Nowadays you get to enjoy $6 Budweisers at Reggae Fest while watching ski patrol ferry the wounded from broken lifts or burn down the Salsa Shack.

Don’t get me wrong — I love Sugarloaf / USA. I’m just not too crazy about Sugarloaf.

Rob Stigile is a fourth-year journalism student. He is the news editor for The Maine Campus.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 20th, 2011, 10:41 pm. You can follow any responses to this article through the RSS feed.