By Carl Natale

I heard a lot of good things about skiing at Saddleback Mountain. What had me really interested was its reputation for being very friendly to beginner skiers. And it lived up to it when my wife and I went skiing this weekend.

I have to confess that I picked a tough weekend for reviewing a ski mountain. Saturday was the start of the busy holiday season. The parking lot and lodge were full of families. It seemed like a third of them were ahead of us in the rentals line. But the wait wasn’t long because of the amount of staff on duty and an efficient system. The crew was quick and helpful. Boots too loose? No problem. Me and everyone else needing to try a second pair were helped quickly.

The man picking my skis took the time to listen to me talk about my skiing ability and picked a set based upon more than just my weight and height. He gave me 160 centimeters because I was pretty confident. The longer skis would help keep me stable when I got some speed, he explained. None of the staff seemed to busy to explain anything to anyone with a question or two.

Something else struck me about the staff. There were a lot of employees everywhere. Wherever I went in the lodge, I was able to spot someone who worked there. On the slopes, there were plenty of instructors. The lifts were well staffed. Which was probably why those lines were typically short. They kept us moving. Of course most of my rides were on the South Branch Quad Lift. It’s easy to get people moving when the lift takes four at a time. And they did it with friendliness. At the end of the afternoon, they were more chatty and made sure we had a good day.

The fact that lift was dedicated to the easier trails of the South Branch area was a major factor in our enjoyment. It was easy to stick to trails we were comfortable with. And because there were so many routes, it spread out the skiers nicely. There was very little traffic.

We avoided the Royal Tiger trail that ran under the lift line and seemed to attract a most of the instructional traffic. Not because we felt we were too good for the run but we liked the trails that wound through the woods.

The weather was decent. There was a light layer of new snow when we started, and it kept falling throughout the day.  It was just light enough to be noticed. It was the coldest ski trip I’ve had but I was still comfortable. I picked the right layers to keep me warm in lift chairs and on trails.

Toward the end of the day, I wanted to see what was outside the South Branch. I figured the Hudson Highway (still green) would be a simple, long trip for me. I have to say I loved the alpine terrain when I got off the Rangeley Double Chair lift. Everything was white and harsh. (It’s a different world at that elevation and it’s worth the ride to check it out.)

So the Hudson Highway was steeper than I expected. But I was doing OK until a small spill just before it met up with the Jitterbug. I had no confidence to navigate that steep, sharp turn. It took too long for me to sidestep my way down it and then ski into the Bea Wee Pass.  But I managed to enjoy the views of Rangeley Lake at some challenging points.

Next time I’m hitting that trail earlier in the day with fresher legs. Oh yeah there will be a next time. There are some great views that make the trip worthwhile. And there’s the satisfaction of meeting a challenge.

That was a long trail for me late in the day. I was only comfortable doing one more run in the South Branch after that. My legs were spent. I couldn’t complain because I had a pretty satisfying day skiing. I got the runs in that I wanted and didn’t feel inconvenienced by anything.

Why I would recommend Saddleback Mountain

Saddleback lives up to its reputation as a great mountain for novice skiers and boarders. But that is just a fraction of what is available to more advanced skiers. There is plenty of fast terrain to keep those speedsters away from skiers who want a more casual trip. Saddleback also offers enough variety that you won’t be bored as your skills increase. Perhaps more importantly, you won’t be bored if you want to stick to the South Branch trails.

I would recommend this as a great place to learn to ski and gain confidence. Saddleback brags about its instructor to student ratio for good reason. I only saw instructors with more than one student a couple times. And I eavesdropped enough to hear a lot of patience and encouragement in those lessons. On the whole, the staff works hard to make it a pleasant experience.

If you want an exciting experience, that’s up to you.

http://www.saddlebackmaine.com/