Way Back, Way Fun

The ski area’s humble beginnings started with a few local logging brothers whose timber holdings included Mt Abram, but instead of just harvesting timber from this peak, they looked at the northeast face as an opportunity to cut the trees in such a way that would open up ski trails on the mountain. Shortly thereafter, the ski area was opened in 1960 with a 1,000-foot T-Bar, but it was not until the 1970’s when Mt. Abram installed a 4,121-foot long double chairlift, dubbed the “Way Back Machine”, did the ski area earn its slogan.

As the first ski area in Maine to offer a “Learn To Ski Free” program, Mt Abram represents the quintessential community ski area that helps people take that first turn and get them hooked for life. The current owners have continued that legacy despite a lightning-sparked fire to their base lodge in 2011. Mt Abram has taken this opportunity to integrate energy efficiency gains as part of their renovations in addition to purchasing new low-energy snow guns, a wood pellet boiler, and a massive solar PV array that provides over 70% of the ski area’s annual energy demand.

True to the quirky community ski area culture, all 51 trails are named after Rocky & Bullwinkle with names including Dudley Do Right, Boris Badenov, and Natasha’s Niche. These cartoon-inspired runs are accessed by five lifts with a total vertical drop of 1,150 feet and a free trolley to shuttle skiers and snowboarders between Main Mountain and Westside. The Loose Boots Lounge and Restaurant hosts live music from local artists almost every weekend along with craft beverages from some of Maine’s finest.

Mt Abram has been benchmarked against the STOKE Snow standard and they are striving to achieve certification by 2017.