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Winter in Maine:
Gondola Rides, Yurts, Huts,
Warm Wool & More!
A blanket of snow turns the Maine outdoors into a different kind of playground
during winter. Fields become scenic routes for cross country skiers and
snowmobiles. Frozen lakes and ponds await skaters and dog sleds, and
mountain summits become the starting point for thrilling ski trails.
There's also plenty to do in coastal towns, mountain villages and cities where
festivals and celebrations take place until the snow melts. Here's a sampling of
opportunities for travelers in Maine this winter.
Gondola Rides
The gondola returns, with a twist: Maine's ski scene has been without a gondola
since 1997, but Sunday River resort in Newry will change that this winter by
opening the northeast's first Chondola lift. The high-speed detachable lift will
carry a mix of six-person chairs and eight-person gondola cars, transporting
guests from the South Ridge base to Peak Lodge, the resort's mid-mountain
restaurant on North Peak. The Chondola will cut what was a 20-minute trip on
two separate lines to a single ride of just under seven minutes, and from Peak
Lodge skiers and riders will have direct access to six of Sunday River's eight
peaks in a single run.
Stay in a Yurt
Yurt going to love these accommodations: For a true and comfortable winter
escape in the woods point your skis or showshoes to a yurt. At Frost Mountain
Yurts in Brownfield the three round domed dwellings have canvas walls and
ceilings with wood lattice interiors and wood framed rafters. A woodstove
provides heat, the two-burner gas stove cooks your own meals, bunk beds and
pullout futons sleep up to eight, each has a private outhouse and dogs stay free.
The Birches Resort offers trail-side yurt lodging for cross country skiers between
Rockwood on Moosehead Lake and Brassua Lake, and Hidden Valley Nature
Center (www.hvnc.org) in Jefferson has a single hilltop yurt overlooking Little
Dyer Pond.
Wrap Yourself in Warm Wool
Wear the warmth of wool: Find warm and dry coverings at Hope Spinnery, a
wind-powered fiber mill producing winter hats, mittens, sweaters and 100
percent Maine fiber yarn. The Oxford Mill End Store in Oxford has wool
blankets and a large selection of wool fabrics woven at the Robinson MFG
Woolen Mill next door. And Brahms/Mount Textiles in Hallowell makes alpaca
and merino wool day blankets and throws on vintage shuttle looms from the
1940s.
Hike then Stay in a Hut
Hut, hut and 10 more to go: The second of a dozen huts on a proposed 180-mile
hut-to-hut trail system plans to open in mid-February on Flagstaff Lake. Maine
Huts and Trails is creating the pathway that will stretch from Bethel to
Moosehead Lake in Western Maine. The newest heated hut is 11 miles north of
the Poplar Stream Falls hut in Carrabassett Valley and has a staffed kitchen
serving breakfast and dinner, bathrooms and showers, and bunks for up to 40
people. A small wind turbine will be the hut's primary source of power. The
current 14-mile trail system is open year-round for non-motorized recreation.
To learn more about winter events and attractions in Maine go to Visit Maine. .
Gondola Rides, Yurts, Huts,
Warm Wool & More!
A blanket of snow turns the Maine outdoors into a different kind of playground
during winter. Fields become scenic routes for cross country skiers and
snowmobiles. Frozen lakes and ponds await skaters and dog sleds, and
mountain summits become the starting point for thrilling ski trails.
There's also plenty to do in coastal towns, mountain villages and cities where
festivals and celebrations take place until the snow melts. Here's a sampling of
opportunities for travelers in Maine this winter.
Gondola Rides
The gondola returns, with a twist: Maine's ski scene has been without a gondola
since 1997, but Sunday River resort in Newry will change that this winter by
opening the northeast's first Chondola lift. The high-speed detachable lift will
carry a mix of six-person chairs and eight-person gondola cars, transporting
guests from the South Ridge base to Peak Lodge, the resort's mid-mountain
restaurant on North Peak. The Chondola will cut what was a 20-minute trip on
two separate lines to a single ride of just under seven minutes, and from Peak
Lodge skiers and riders will have direct access to six of Sunday River's eight
peaks in a single run.
Stay in a Yurt
Yurt going to love these accommodations: For a true and comfortable winter
escape in the woods point your skis or showshoes to a yurt. At Frost Mountain
Yurts in Brownfield the three round domed dwellings have canvas walls and
ceilings with wood lattice interiors and wood framed rafters. A woodstove
provides heat, the two-burner gas stove cooks your own meals, bunk beds and
pullout futons sleep up to eight, each has a private outhouse and dogs stay free.
The Birches Resort offers trail-side yurt lodging for cross country skiers between
Rockwood on Moosehead Lake and Brassua Lake, and Hidden Valley Nature
Center (www.hvnc.org) in Jefferson has a single hilltop yurt overlooking Little
Dyer Pond.
Wrap Yourself in Warm Wool
Wear the warmth of wool: Find warm and dry coverings at Hope Spinnery, a
wind-powered fiber mill producing winter hats, mittens, sweaters and 100
percent Maine fiber yarn. The Oxford Mill End Store in Oxford has wool
blankets and a large selection of wool fabrics woven at the Robinson MFG
Woolen Mill next door. And Brahms/Mount Textiles in Hallowell makes alpaca
and merino wool day blankets and throws on vintage shuttle looms from the
1940s.
Hike then Stay in a Hut
Hut, hut and 10 more to go: The second of a dozen huts on a proposed 180-mile
hut-to-hut trail system plans to open in mid-February on Flagstaff Lake. Maine
Huts and Trails is creating the pathway that will stretch from Bethel to
Moosehead Lake in Western Maine. The newest heated hut is 11 miles north of
the Poplar Stream Falls hut in Carrabassett Valley and has a staffed kitchen
serving breakfast and dinner, bathrooms and showers, and bunks for up to 40
people. A small wind turbine will be the hut's primary source of power. The
current 14-mile trail system is open year-round for non-motorized recreation.
To learn more about winter events and attractions in Maine go to Visit Maine. .
