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 KidzView
Wow! This is one massive
mountain. If you're good enough, you gotta go up to the Snowfields. Awesome, open
slopes. Everyone will love the glades - there's tons of those. Check out the terrain
park - its huge. And, the tubing hill is very cool, as is the Outdoor Center.
Lots to do. Catch the kids training for the U.S. Ski and Snowboard teams.
For
Sanity's Sake: Sugarloaf is a sizeable mountain but, fortunately, everything returns to the one general area. Careful - if you wander off onto the condos along Stubbs run, you'll have to take the novice Snubber Triple to get back to ground zero. Sugarloaf is also pretty far into the hinterlands; if you're renting a condo, strongly consider bringing food basics with you to save a few bucks.
KidzPoints:
The mountain offers a running potpourri of off-slope activities at the Mountain Magic Room, Outdoor Center, Tubing Park and other sites, including game nights, family tubing time and movie nights. Check for the current schedule.
Where
to Ski: Since Sugarloaf
offers the east's only lift-served, above-treeline skiing, clearly g etting
up into the Snowfields is a must. Unfortunately, it's all double-diamond up there,
so you really must be a good skier to experience it. If you're not a double-diamonder
yet, ride the Timberline Quad to the Timberline run - a long, intermediate fairytale
of a cruise. In the afternoon - when the sun's just right - scoot over to the
West Mountain area for more blue and some green fun. Central Mountain offers additional
advanced skiing on Gondola Line and Narrow Gauge, along with some glades plus
outlandish bumps on Skidder. Tote Road is a long intermediate that's designated
for slow and family skiing.
Where
to Board: One huge halfpipe can be found just off Tote Road. Next door to it is an outrageous terrain park. But, if you want to cruise some trees, check out Raker Tooth Glade just off Upper Windrow or, for some wiggly, old-fashioned eastern riding, rip it up on Glancer and Upper Binder. For a touch of the west, take on the black diamonds of King Pine Bowl.
Special
Programs: The ski school offers group lessons (ski or board) aimed specifically at teens. On-mountain guests who have booked their stay through the resort's 800 number or website receive participation in one free group ski or snowboard clinic per day. Special midweek "Kids & Teens" packages include free skiing for kids 18 and under and "Children's Festival" packages include free skiing for kids 12 and under when booking three consecutive days during certain time periods; call for details.
Child
Care: The state licensed
facility takes kids from age 6 months to two and a half years. Three  year-olds
who are willing and able can participate in Mooseketeers, an all-day care program
with a 45-minute private coaching session. Toilet trained three's who have already
skied can be signed up for a 1.5-hour morning lesson. Day Care: $48/day, 8:30
a.m.-4 p.m.; $30/half-day, 8:30 a.m.-12 noon and 12:30 p.m.- 4 p.m.; Thursday
and Saturday evenings, 6-9p.m., $20 first child, $10 each additional child. Moosketeers:
$63/day, $59 each additional day; $47/half-day, $43 each additional half-day;
includes equipment rental and lift ticket.
Good
Groceries: For once,
the base lodge isn't a bad place to eat. It offers the Narrow Gauge Food Station,
Pappa Gino's Pizza and the Whistle Stop Café. The Bag & Kettle, known locally
as The Bag, has gained local legend status for fine soups and burgers, plus live
entertainment. Dellie's is known for super sandwiches and soups to take out.
Off-slope, Tufulio's is a very family-friendly Italian restaurant in Carrabasset
Valley. Hug's is another Italian spot, just two miles from the access road. If
you want to drive a bit, located about 11 miles up-road in Eustis is Porter House,
a converted farmhouse that serves up fine home cooking.
Sleep
Tight:Sugarloaf is mostly about condos. More than 900 of them, actually.
Spendy:
The Grand Summit Hotel, one of the American Skiing Company's company-wide
facilities, offers full service, base area lodging and amenities; suites cost
$187-$760 per unit per night, including fitness club access and adult group lessons.
Birchwood Commons offers two- to five-bedroom condos for $216-$691, including
fitness club access and adult group lessons.
Moderate: The Grand Summit's standard rooms
cost $132-$232 and superior rooms $142-$272, including fitness club access and
adult group lessons. The Sugarloaf Inn, a 42-room hotel at the base, offers
rooms with capacity for two or four people; standard $123-$187, suite $137-$216, also including fitness club access and adult group lessons. Gondola
Village, one of the closest condo developments to the Day Care Center, and
Village Condos have studio, one- and two-bedroom cond os
ranging from $122-$374, including fitness club access and adult group lessons.
Thrifty: This is one of the few eastern resorts
that offers RV parking with lift access. White Wolf Motel is a 10-room
place with a restaurant and cable TV in the rooms. Judson's Sugarloaf Motel
on Route 27 in Kingfield offers standard, comfortable motel lodging.
Gear:
Rent: The
resort's rental shop is found in the main base lodge. In town, the Sugarloaf Sports
Outlet rents the full gamut of gear, including Nordic and snowshoes.
Buy: On Mountain: The Sugarloaf Ski Shop
is right in the heart of the Village; it sells just about everything you'd need
- and they repair stuff, too. The Boardroom Snowboard Shop, also in the
heart of things, is complete riders' source. The Sugarloafer Shop in Village West specializes in replacing those lost goggles, and supplying you
with an extra pair of mitts or other vital accessories. In town: the Sugarloaf
Sports Outlet sells it all - alpine, Nordic, snowboard, snowshoe, telemark
equipment and clothing.
Other
Fun Stuff: The Outdoor
Center is activity central. Here, you can set up to ice skate, 
snowshoe and, during Christmas and Presidents Day weekend, take a free sleigh
ride through the woods. Tubing sessions run in the afternoon and evening for $12
per session. The skating rink is open all day and, except for Sunday and Monday,
into the evening. It's a mile south of the resort access road; skating fee, $5
adults, $4 juniors; rentals $5. Skating instruction is available, and pick-up
hockey games are scheduled. Guided snowshoe tours are staged on certain days.
Turbo tubing goes on in the whiffletree area of the resort. Tickets are available at guest services in the base lodge or at the base of the tubing park.
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