Sunday River has to be a close second to Jay Peak for North East skiing. With eight peaks and 135 trails, the terrain is very vast and holds a lot of promise. Located in the middle nowhere Maine, it’s definitely a location for only ski lovers, as there isn’t much else to do. But, as a ski lover myself, I can say I enjoy every time I go to visit. 

Just this past winter break, I frequently made trips up to the mountain for weekend skiing. My dad’s best friend has a ski-in ski-out condo on the mountain that we always crash in on the weekends. With quick access to the main chairlift, the condo is great for my sister and I, as we can wake up as late as we want without our dad nudging us to get out of bed in order to make the first chair. So, we can sleep in, and leisurely ski when we want.

The reasoning for Sunday River being second on my list is that conditions are never perfect up in rainy Newry, Maine. The mountain has been having a hard time during the winters, as it has not been snowing as much as past seasons. Although they lack natural snowfall, they have been awarded for their snowmaking, as the system covers 522 acres of terrain. This makes the mountain skiable, but of course, nothing compares to fresh powder. 

I would like to say I am a pretty advanced skier, but in the right conditions. With Sunday River’s lack of fresh snowfall, I have found myself in trouble a few times this past winter. A story that stands out to me was when I fully knocked myself out because I was too stubborn to accept the lack of snow on a specific trail. I had been skiing with my dad, sister, and a family friend in a downhill glade that was fairly covered. On our way through the glade, we decided to cut out onto an open trail to the side underneath the chairlift. This run was particularly scarce, with rocks, twigs, and roots, poking out of the thin snow cover. Me, being reckless, decided I wanted to go straight down, because who doesn’t want to go straight down a mountain while skiing (I love going fast). As I made my way down the trail, I saw ahead that there was a break in the run where a stream flowed across the trail. I decided I wanted to jump it. So, with the right amount of speed and a good snow cover, it would’ve been pretty easy to make. But, I was not going fast enough to say the least, and the tips of my skis hit the landing spot directly on, which caused me to fall face first, resulting in a ten second knockout and bloody nose. 

I woke up to my family friend dabbing my nose and shaking me, as he is a trained snow patrol. People from the chairlift above were calling down to us to make sure I was okay, to which I was able to respond at that point that I was. So, basically, that was a funny and embarrassing moment for me as an advanced skier. And the cherry on top has to be when we were riding back up on the chairlift, we saw a ski patroller going down the trail to find me. 

Moral of the story: ski to your ability while considering the conditions, then your time at Sunday River will be spent well. 

https://www.sundayriver.com/mountain-stats