Saddleback

Saddleback is arguably the greatest recent comeback story in Northeast skiing. The resort shuttered in 2015 due to lift issues it could not afford to resolve, but it re-opened five years later with a new high-speed quad and several other improvements in the works. But is the revamped Saddleback, which is the third largest ski resort in Maine, worth the trip? Well, it depends who you are.

Natural snow is a strong regional strength for Saddleback. The resort sees over 200 inches of accumulation in a typical season—a decent showing—and thanks to its northern location, the mountain is less susceptible to freeze-thaw cycles than many popular Northeast competitors. These strengths, along with fairly strong snowmaking, allow the resort to consistently open much of its on-piste terrain throughout the core season. Snowmaking upgrades are in the works, which should provide even more reliable trail openings in future seasons. That said, ungroomed and glade runs are subject to somewhat more variable conditions, and thin cover or icy slopes do manifest after a lack of fresh snowfall.

Those who appreciate a remote, natural feel will really enjoy Saddleback. The resort is one of the most removed from buildup of any on the East Coast, with the mountain overlooking miles of wilderness with no sign of civilization in sight. And the wilderness Saddleback overlooks is some of the most beautiful in the Northeast, including striking frozen lakes, some of which are quite big, and snow-capped mountains. Notably, the views are present from every mountain area—even the lower ones below the base—making every part of the resort feel special. That said, the perennially frozen trees in Saddleback’s summit areas give that stretch a particular leg up. Saddleback is a much more local mountain than its chief competitors, Sunday River and Sugarloaf, and it doesn’t attract the same metropolitan crowd as those other mountains.

Speaking of crowds, Saddleback almost never sees them, even on peak days. The resort doesn’t really have any lift redundancies, but it doesn’t need them—lift lines are essentially nonexistent. Saddleback is one of those rare Northeast mountains that you’ll feel like you have to yourself, with lifts you can ski directly onto no matter when you want.

When it comes to the lifts themselves, the system has seen a substantial improvement thanks to the recently-installed Rangeley high-speed quad, the installation of which allowed Saddleback to reopen after its five-year hiatus. The new Rangeley chair completely transforms the resort experience, injecting Saddleback’s key mountain pod with a critical capacity upgrade—and cutting the ride time in half. The upgrade to this lift—which nearly all Saddleback guests ride multiple times a day—singlehandedly makes the resort much more competitive.

Saddleback’s other chairlifts are slow, fixed-grip quads, but they’re short enough to justify the speed. The resort also has a T-bar that provides service to some Rangeley trails, as well as a short rope tow that exclusively serves Saddleback’s small terrain park. The rope tow has been a temporary solution to the removal of a pre-2015 double chair in the same alignment, and it’s on track to be replaced with another fixed-grip quad for the 2022-23 season.

At 220 acres, Saddleback is quite small for a destination ski resort, despite being one of the largest ski resorts in Maine. For a typical intermediate or better guest, the full resort is coverable in a day. But while it may be short on quantity, Saddleback’s terrain does have some notable strengths. Trails cater to a variety of abilities, but they still manage to offer natural insulation for guests of different levels. And while some trails feel relatively similar to one another, others feel entirely unique. The resort essentially comprises three zones: South Branch, Rangeley, and Kennebago, which cater to beginners, intermediates, and advanced visitors, respectively.

The beginner South Branch pod is below the base lodge, and it hosts all but a handful of Saddleback’s beginner trails. It’s nearly impossible to end up in this zone unless you try to, meaning that beginners almost never face more aggressive skier traffic (not that there’s much traffic at all to begin with). Moving up to the principal Rangeley area, guests will find an intermediate-centric pod that services terrain of all difficulties. This zone has a handful of black-diamond runs, but most of them should really be blues.

The Kennebago chair, which goes to the resort summit, is where guests will find Saddleback’s most serious challenges. This pod mainly serves black and double-black runs, and while generally not the toughest in New England, all the runs in this pod are pretty steep. A handful of expert runs are quite trying, most notably the double-black Muleskinner, which is long, twisty, and tough to execute without precision. Saddleback’s glade terrain especially stands out, with steep trees across the entire upper-mountain footprint and enough natural snow to provide skiable cover throughout much of the core season.

Saddleback has made some major investments since reopening, but at least as of the 2021-22 season, a few matters have remained unaddressed. For one, signage in many areas is still worn down and unreadable, although signs in some areas have been fully replaced with clear, easy-to-read markings. In addition, Saddleback’s facilities have not fully reopened from the pre-2015 era, with the main base lodge providing the only services last season; however, a state-of-the-art mid-mountain lodge is on track to open for the start of the 2022-23 season.

Getting There

Saddleback is a two-and-a-half hour drive from Portland and approximately four hours from Boston with no traffic. The resort is also just under four hours from the Canadian cities of Montreal and Québec City. For those looking to make the trek from New York City, the drive is nearly eight hours. The final two hours of the drive from U.S. cities (and the final hour of the drive from Canadian cities) involves rural roads with little cell service and messy conditions after recent snowfall. There is no public transportation from major cities to Saddleback, so guests will need to use a car to get to the resort.

Lodging

Saddleback’s only on-site accommodations are condo rentals with ski-in/ski-out access. These options are great for large groups, each hosting at least 8 people, but are prohibitively expensive for smaller groups and individuals.

More reasonable options for smaller parties are available about 15 minutes down the road in the town of Rangeley, including hotels, inns, and other vacation homes.

Aprés-ski

Saddleback is a fairly quiet mountain, and there isn’t much to do after a day on the slopes. But the resort isn’t completely dead, and Saddleback’s base has a sizable bar with cordial happy hour vibes. A few bars and restaurants exist in town as well, although they’re not the liveliest in the world.

Verdict

So Saddleback isn’t the largest mountain on the East Coast, and it’s a bit too far and remote to justify the drive for many. But the reborn resort delivers a combination of natural beauty, empty slopes, and reasonably well-rounded terrain that’s tough to match anywhere else in the Northeast. Saddleback may not be large enough to warrant a full weeklong vacation, but just about nobody will regret stopping at this distinctive resort for a day or two.