If Sugarloaf is the redheaded stepchild of Down East skiing, then Sunday River, with its stellar reputation for grooming and snowmaking, is its well-mannered, please-and-thank-you cousin. At least, that's how it looks from a distance. Get a bit closer, though, and you'll soon blow the cover. The River's true nature is most readily exposed on the precipitous steeps of White Cap Mountain (one of the resort's eight summits), where bumped-up steeps like Shockwave and Obsession await. By the time you've pushed off the summit of Oz to sluice the Lost Princess and Emerald City glades, the illusion is beyond repair.
Adrenaline
Running directly beneath Sunday River's busiest chair, the Baker quad, Agony's unpredictable and wildly varying pitches combine with fat, often-firm bumps to give your audience plenty to cheer (or jeer) for.
Accumulation
Nothing to crow about, but Sunday River does an excellent job of building on the sweet stuff with a ridiculously large snowmaking system.
[250AD]
Apres
Head down the access road to the Matterhorn (207-824-6836), order up a wood-fired pie and a mug of ale (do this often enough, and you'll get your own mug), and watch ski flicks on the big screen.
Local's Take
"The reason I've stayed here 10 years? It's simple: snow conditions. It can rain one day, freeze that night, and the next day, it's still gonna be good skiing. That just doesn't happen at other Northeastern resorts."
The Latest
The Chondola, a six-passenger chairlift-gondola hybrid (chondola.com); improved lighting, hence 12-hour skiing.
Don't Miss
Free s'mores at the Shipyard Brew Haus. Pick up your stick and fixings, then hit the firepit.
Local Secret
The Glades off Lift 6. The lift is known for its greens and blues, but between them are often ignored glades. Go left or right. You can't miss.
The Vitals
Vertical Drop 2,340 feet
Snowfall 155 inches
Acres 660
Trails 127
Lifts 18
Phone 800-543-2754
Website sundayriver.com
