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Sunday River Becoming More of an Outdoor Smorgasbord

August 26, 2008 - NEWRY -- Eight months ago, the new owners of Sunday River and Sugarloaf ski resorts came to Maine to discuss their vision of how they would turn the two ski and golf resorts into so much more.

Local partnerships with guide services and a wealth of new outdoor summer activities at Sunday River would make the Newry resort a vibrant year-round hub of outdoor activity, promised Stephen Kircher of Michigan, whose father started Boyne Resorts in 1947 and whose family now owns 10 other resorts across North America.

This summer, Kircher proved true to his word.

"I told folks up on the mountain, 'I can't believe that I'm sitting here and we're talking about creating a partnership when 12 years ago, the previous owners never would come to the table.' I think the mindset was it is a skiing resort, and the previous owner looked at it that way," said Rocky Freda, a local fly-fishing guide who owns Sun Valley Sports, an outdoor outfitter that sits right down the road from Sunday River.

Last summer, Sunday River offered mostly just golf and mountain biking. Now it also offers several other activities, mostly through partnerships with local guide services. And it soon will offer a $7 million "Chondola" -- a lift line that will offer a gondola for every four chairlifts and push the resort to the forefront of year-round outdoor recreation.

"Probably the biggest thing we're doing this summer to help with year-round business is installing the new 'Chondola.' It is the only one in New England," said Jim Costello, the resort's vice president of brand management.

Boyne Resorts has pumped $14 million into the resort to develop more year-round opportunities with updated facilities and lodging, and more efficient snowmaking equipment, Costello said.

Among the resort's expanded offerings are extended mountain biking trails and a biking stunt park, fly-fishing lessons, ATV tours, moose safaris in nearby New Hampshire, mining tours with local gem experts, and outdoor swimming at backcountry ponds. There are plans to expand the hiking trails across some of the resort's 10,000 acres.

Freda has led guided ATV tours for resort patrons in the past, but he said this is the first year his ATVs are stored on the mountain, leave from the mountain, and access more of Sunday River's 10,000 acres.

Freda has also been running for the resort all-day fly-fishing schools and drift-boat trips down the Androscoggin River, which has been thriving as a fishing destination through state stocking programs.

"I'm really excited about it," Freda said. "We've already started to do some good things. For example, we ran a fly-fishing school for a corporate group of 23 or 24 people from DHL."

Costello said just 3,000 acres of the resort's 10,000 acres are developed for skiing, but there are plans to cut more ski trails as well as backcountry hiking and mountain biking trails.

And the new chair lift that will offer gondola cabins up the mountain will allow even those who do not ski, hike or mountain bike to travel to the top of Sunday River's North Peak and enjoy the vast mountainous views that captivate skiers.

"I had folks yesterday from Pennsylvania on an ATV tour, and one of them made the comment, 'If it wasn't for the ski resort, people would never be able to see just how beautiful Maine is,' " Freda said.

"It's an amazing thing -- even people who go up there skiing, when they come back in the summer, they can't believe how different it looks in the summer."

By DEIRDRE FLEMING, Portland Press Herald, August 21, 2008


Lakes:
Regions: Sebago, Rangeley


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