In the blink of an eye, parking lots are virtually empty. The hustle and bustle of winter has been replaced with the quiet of spring, or as we call it in the Newry-Bethel region, shoulder season. Like many others in the resort business, it will be a restorative time for me once I adjust to the halted adrenaline rush of seven-day work weeks and a steady stream of office visitors.
There is still work to do, of course.
On my walk in today from The Colony development to my real estate office near South Ridge, I marveled at the amount of snow still left on the slopes, White Heat and T72 in particular. Some might ask why the lifts are not still turning, but I know from my many years working at Sunday River, that no matter the remaining base depth, seasons come and seasons go in New England, and people are on to warmer weather pursuits: their kids’ spring sports schedules, cycling, golf, the Red Sox.
The still-very-white slopes made me reflect on the snow and its meaning, its branding really, that is so steeped in Sunday River’ rich history.
Remember back in the day, Les Otten’s coined phrase, “it’s the snow stupid?” Sunday River’s resort managers and its marketing campaigns have changed throughout the years, but the snow has always been at the core. Someone reminded me recently that the resort’s most successful seasons in terms of skier visits is often those with the least snow in New England. Sunday River’s reputation for consistent surfaces is so solid that skiers and riders flock here when conditions at other resorts are inferior in a weak snow winter.
This season Mother Nature did deliver. The abundant snow came mostly after the resort had already begun to establish a solid base, and that’s what can still be seen in the week after closing day. From my office window I see just a few brown patches on White Heat, and I see none on T72, which I witnessed earlier in the season being heaped with powder from Sunday River’s powerful snowmaking system.
And before we know it, in the blink of an eye again, it will be October or November and the system will be fired up again. The schussers will be back again, and whether or not Mother Nature delivers next season, you can count on Sunday River doing so.
If you’re without a home at Sunday River and looking ahead to next season, look to us for your real estate and rental needs. Anthony is adding to his seasonal rental inventory daily. If you’re an owner who would like to rent at the lowest rate in the area (15 percent), give him a call at 207-824-3200. He is already booking!