The summit of Sugarloaf is a perilous place. It’s one of the few places in New England that has above treeline skiing, making it vulnerable to heavy winds and icy conditions. There was a summit lodge for much of the ski resort’s history. Opening in the late 1960s, the lodge was the ending terminal of the resort’s gondola. With frequent lift delays, Sugarloaf moved summit operations to the Timberline quad to improve reliability. The lodge shortly closed after the gondola was replaced in 2000, but remained open to Appalachian thru-hikers. The lodge officially closed in 2009. NECN reports that Maine Preservation to its Endangered Buildings List last Thursday. Part of Sugarloafs 2030 plans includes the replacement of the Summit Lodge. This will be an interesting story to watch, but it would be great for Sugarloaf to find a way to restore this historic building.
You can read the Maine Preservations description of the building here.
Image Credits: New England Ski History, Maine Preservation, Sugarloaf Mountain
