Blog

Mountain Life

Welcome to Mountain Life, the Saddleback Mountain blog. Here, you’ll find regular updates regarding all things Saddleback, and things we think will be of interest to the Saddleback family. As always, we welcome your feedback and story suggestions; please feel free to contact us here, and thanks for reading.

Life at 4,120 Feet

(May 10, 2022) - Saddleback is Maine’s third-largest alpine zone and second-most trafficked. With over 200 miles of visibility on a bluebird day, most people climb the mountain for the breathtaking 360-degree views, but the real treat is what's under your feet.

Outdoor Fun For RLRS Students

(March 11, 2022) Rangeley, Maine - Saddleback Mountain and Rangeley Health & Wellness hosted the annual Student Ski Day Celebration on Tuesday, March 15, 2022, in partnership with the Rangeley Lakes Regional School and the John T. Gorman Foundation. Saddleback welcomed more than 200 students and staff for the celebration.

The Swiss Army Knives of the Mountain

(February 11, 2022) - Snowmaking is essential for an extended ski season. In this blog, we take a deep dive into our snowmaking operation and the hardworking crew who makes the mountain the come to life.

Indy Pass #loveyourlifty Contest

(January 27, 2022) - Saddleback is proud to be part of the Indy Pass, a pass with only independent ski resorts on it. The people that run the day-to-day operations at the resort are the core of this independent spirit. As part of the #LoveYourLifty Indy Pass social media contest, Saddleback submitted a story about our longtime lift operator, Harry. As you can see, Harry wears many hats...

A Special Giving Tuesday Announcement

(November 30, 2021) – Saddleback Mountain is very excited to share the news of a $1.5 million gift to support the development of critically needed workforce housing for the greater Rangeley region. The donation is being made by Susan and Fritz Onion in collaboration with Venn Foundation.

Fall Update From Andy Shepard

The entire Saddleback staff is excited to welcome you back for our 2021/2022 season. We have invested over $30 million dollars in the past year and a half, including 4 new lifts, $3 million in snowmaking upgrades, 3 new groomers, a major renovation of the lodge, making it one of the safest lodges in the ski industry, and we have begun construction of our Mid Mountain Lodge.

Teaming Up for Area Kids Programs

Sam Hight, of Hight Family of Dealerships pulled together a group of local partners in an effort to support the demographic most impacted by COVID in Franklin County— children. Together with Skowhegan Savings Bank, Kyes Insurance and Saddleback Maine, Hight was able to quickly raise $16,500 which will be donated to four different non-profit youth programs throughout Franklin County — Rangeley Alpine Ski Club, Rangeley Health and Wellness Kids’ Program, Little Mountain School and Titcomb Mountain.

More Than a Mountain Movie Premiere

Join the Saddleback Family in a Virtual Watch Party and be some of the first to see the new film "More Than a Mountain." Filmed and produced by Maine Mountain Media, "More Than a Mountain" is a 40 minute documentary that tells the resort’s comeback journey and Saddleback’s vision for a vibrant future.

Love Finds a Way (Atop Saddleback)

The trajectory of pandemic has upset wedding plans for many couples in the last year. Despite having to forfeit their traditional wedding dreams, this couple took to the slopes of Saddleback to prove that love is not cancelled.

A Remarkable Year

A year ago today, Arctaris Impact Fund announced the purchase and reopening of Saddleback. It has been a remarkable year indeed. The impact of the new Rangeley has been obvious, the new snowmaking system has allowed us to open our entire mountain in a low snow year before all but Black Mountain, the work on the lodge has made it one of, if not the safest in the East, and the quality of skiing and friendly vibe has calmed the fears that the new owners would not value the culture that has defined Saddleback for generations.

Ski and Ride #ThenBeer

It's a fact: beer just tastes better at the mountain. Nothing really beats a day of skiing and riding finished off with a cold beer. If you've visited Saddleback this season you probably noticed the not-so-traditional bar we have outside of the base lodge. We present to you, The Fat Tire Mountain Bar. From a recycled shipping container, we're serving up New Belgium Brewing beer, wine, coffee and hot chocolate, soups, sandwiches and snacks.

An Update from Andy

After years of working on reopening, December 15th was a big day for the Saddleback Family. It was exciting to welcome so many smiling faces back and see so many families reconnecting through the holiday, outside. We put a lot of thought into being able to provide a safe environment at the mountain and in the lodge and I want to personally thank the Saddleback family for your understanding and commitment to buying into those plans and wearing your masks while you are here.

2020 Photo Contest Winners

Congratulations to the winners of our 2020 Photo Contest! Check out these amazing Saddleback fan photos from the archives.

Venn Foundation Donor Pledge of $1.3 million

Saddleback Mountain, in collaboration with Venn Foundation, is pleased to announce the launch of a new phase in its philanthropic campaign as well as a significant leadgift.