View Full Version : Sugarloaf Ski Lodge
.6 miles off AT on sidetrail (which goes up, up, up)
Sleeping space for 50+, this old abandoned ski lodge still has power (and a microwave!), and is home to trail crews throughout the year. 360 degree views of the bigelows, saddlebacks, and on a VERY clear day katadin, it stays comfortably warm in the summertime. The nearest water is .3 miles down the trail at a box sprin, which is medium in size. Make sure to check out the old gondollas in the basement!
Brian
Thru-Hiker 2013
Blue Jay
10-02-2008, 08:43
I've stayed there a few times, although I never saw any gold. It's a great place right after a rain storm as you can see Mt. Washington and the Big K from one place. It is also great to be during a blasting lightening storm, flashes from every direction as there are windows all around the huge round building.
TJ aka Teej
10-02-2008, 09:08
From the MATC
The Sugarloaf summit building is now closed to the hiking public and that no camping is allowed above treeline on the Appalachian Trail in Maine, signs were placed at the Carrabassett River bootleg campsite, the junction of the Sugarloaf side trail, the Sugarloaf summit building and at Spaulding shelter. This was in response to complaints of trash and human waste due to the lack of sanitation facilities on the privately-owned Sugarloaf summit.
Footslogger
10-02-2008, 09:29
Thats too bad. It was a welcome haven for us last year when we got caught in a bad storm just as we came to the side trail. Made it to the ski lodge just before all hell broke loose and overnighted there. Ceiling leaked during the night and we had to be carefull where we rolled out our sleeping bags.
Did note the lack of a privy and thought sooner or later it would be an issue ...but there are a lot of places outside on the summit where you can "take care of business".
'Slogger
The AT hiker community needs to be extra careful to NOT abuse the priviledge of using the Bromley warming hut in Vermont.
If another hiker is doing harm to a warming hut or any AT shelter, we need to step in and stop that kind of behavior. Otherwise, we all lose.
Lone Wolf
10-02-2008, 09:42
The AT hiker community needs to be extra careful to NOT abuse the priviledge of using the Bromley warming hut in Vermont.
If another hiker is doing harm to a warming hut or any AT shelter, we need to step in and stop that kind of behavior. Otherwise, we all lose.
how exactly do you plan to " step in and stop that kind of behavior"?
LW, you were good to step in when you saw unacceptable behavior at The Place. I am saying that the good guys & gals need to step in when they observe abuse.
Lone Wolf
10-02-2008, 10:27
LW, you were good to step in when you saw unacceptable behavior at The Place. I am saying that the good guys & gals need to step in when they observe abuse.
i live here and can go there many times a day so it's easy to enforce rules
From the MATC
The Sugarloaf summit building is now closed to the hiking public and that no camping is allowed above treeline on the Appalachian Trail in Maine, signs were placed at the Carrabassett River bootleg campsite, the junction of the Sugarloaf side trail, the Sugarloaf summit building and at Spaulding shelter. This was in response to complaints of trash and human waste due to the lack of sanitation facilities on the privately-owned Sugarloaf summit.
I don't know where the MATC got this information from but I called Sugarloaf last we to verify this for our upcoming 2009 Appalachian Pages (http://www.appalachianpages.com) book. Danny Barker who is the head groomer and in charge of the summit house for Sugarloaf said the summit house is open and will remain open for hikers.
I anyone has been to the summit house this year and it was closed could you please verify this and let me know the dats because it was suppose to be open.
TJ aka Teej
10-02-2008, 13:44
I don't know where the MATC got this information from
MATC got it from the MATC's Dick Fecteau, the overseer of the Bigelow District.
http://www.matc.org/overseer.htm
Thank you TJ, I justed emailed Dick.
Footslogger
10-02-2008, 14:02
I don't know where the MATC got this information from but I called Sugarloaf last we to verify this for our upcoming 2009 Appalachian Pages (http://www.appalachianpages.com) book. Danny Barker who is the head groomer and in charge of the summit house for Sugarloaf said the summit house is open and will remain open for hikers.
I anyone has been to the summit house this year and it was closed could you please verify this and let me know the dats because it was suppose to be open.
==========================
If you talk to Danny Barker again I suggest you ask him to consider hauling up a couple porta-potties or to dig a hole and build a solid privy.
Another thing ...there is NO water on the summit at the ski lodge. Good news is that there is a spring about half way to the summit along side the trail. On our way up there last year we filled up a 4 Liter Platy that got us through dinner, breakfast and gave us a starting water supply as we set out in the morning.
'Slogger
Gray Blazer
10-02-2008, 14:03
MATC got it from the MATC's Dick Fecteau, the overseer of the Bigelow District.
http://www.matc.org/overseer.htm
Did you notice the part about the guy fording the Kennebec?
Christopher Robin
10-02-2008, 14:21
While thur-hiking this year I was told by another thru-hiker he needed to to stay in the lodge and the next morrning he was asked by a worker for Sugarloaf " did you sleep in the lodge last nite, because you could be fine for doing so." Of cause he said no.
TJ aka Teej
10-02-2008, 14:30
Thank you TJ, I justed emailed Dick.
So did I, he's gonna wonder what's going on! :D
TJ aka Teej
10-02-2008, 14:33
If you talk to Danny Barker again I suggest you ask him to consider hauling up a couple porta-potties or to dig a hole and build a solid privy.
That'd be a very good idea, hikers had soiled it and the area around pretty bad the last time I was up there in August (September?) '06.
max patch
10-02-2008, 14:39
==========================
If you talk to Danny Barker again I suggest you ask him to consider hauling up a couple porta-potties or to dig a hole and build a solid privy.
If Mr Barker is kind enough to let hikers use his facility, then it seems to me that the AT Community should ask Mr Barker for permission for hikers to do the aforementioned work.
Asking Mr Barker to do the work seems like a good way to lose this resource.
Pedaling Fool
10-02-2008, 14:44
That'd be a very good idea, hikers had soiled it and the area around pretty bad the last time I was up there in August (September?) '06.
I don't know much about this establishment, always passed by it never even seen it. But if I was a caretaker, or whatever, that would really piss me off and I'd probably close it. Hearing about this kind of stuff just erks me.
Footslogger
10-02-2008, 14:49
Asking Mr Barker to do the work seems like a good way to lose this resource.
===============================
You're most likely correct. It was just a thought because when I was up there last year that seemed to be the only thing missing in terms of it being a good overnight shelter.
'Slogger
I just got off the phone with Sugarloaf again and they asked that we list the summit house as closed. I am sure TJ will come back with the same information and confirm this.
The reason is due to lack of sanitary facilities. I asked about putting an privy or a port-a-poti and they said not at there expense and then went on and explained that they did not want a privy up there. They also said that the summit house will be torn down and rebuilt sometime in the future.
Pedaling Fool
10-03-2008, 10:27
...The reason is due to lack of sanitary facilities...
There's probably a lot of stories to go with that one sentence.
There's probably a lot of stories to go with that one sentence.
There may be but their explaination was pretty much lack of any type of privy and hikers not carrying out there trash. They were referring to not only thru hikers but all types of hikers.
fiddlehead
10-04-2008, 08:23
That's too bad ( closing )
I had a great experience up there and slept in there twice on thru-hikes.
Once, myself an another hiker had two girls hike up to bring us lobster and wine and had the place to ourselves for a candle light dinner.
The other time, the phone was working so i called an old friend from when i worked at Sugarloaf, he wasn't in so i left a message. He still worked there and knew the number and gave us a wakeup call in the morning to invite me to dinner at his house.
Bummer people have to ***** it up and ruin it. How many places has that been now that closed due to lack of respect.
Didn't know it is privately owned now. Or does that just mean that the ski area owns it?
If so, perhaps i can talk to my friend and see if he still works there. Haven't heard from him in over 10 years now though.
The summit is owned by the ski resort.
Kirby
One bad apple...............
According to the sign I saw this year, the summit changed ownership recently, and it made it soune like the new owners didn't want hikers sleeping up there for the lack of a privy, and they said there was black mold in the building.
Linesman
08-17-2009, 13:37
While hiking with a group from Rt. 4 to Sugarloaf this summer I saw signs along the way warning about lack of sanitation facilities and concerns about mold. We got to the top of Sugarloaf in the middle of an electrical storm so we booked it to the summit house and actually found it to be open. Inside its quite dirty and it looks like some work may already be underway to fix it up or tear it down. Its a good shelter in an emergency though.
SouthMark
08-17-2009, 14:49
There were signs posted in June by the MATC to the effect that it was closed to hikers due to mold and lack of sanitary facilities.
Hikers need to be extra careful to cleanup after themselves on private property.
The ski patrol hut on top of Bromley Mtn. in Vermont still allows hikers to use it. I worry that a few selfish hikers will ruin the privilege for everyone else.
The MATC and Sugarloaf are in discussions right now about tearing it down. Only time will tell what they decide.
I know this is a 4+year old thread, but I'll be hiking this section next week and wondered if anyone knew if this lodge was still standing and available for overnight if I hit bad weather.
Thanks to all for the PM's