Conference noted::bicycle

You can ride on many of Sugarloaf's XC ski trails. Maps are available at the
bike shop in Sugarloaf Village. There's a loop you can ride that starts at 
the base of the high-speed quad, follows some service roads down past the
golf course and crosses the highway. Once across the highway, you pick up an
abandoned railroad bed and follow the Carrabasset River east (or is it south?).
After a few miles, there's a bridge that crosses the river. You then cross the
highway again and pick up the trails at the XC Center. There are trails there
that lead you back to the village at the ski area.

There are also miles of logging roads and other trails in the area. Someone
in the bike shop can probably help you with maps/directions.


Steve

    Brian,
    
    I thought I remembered reading something about mountain biking at
    the 'loaf this winter while I was up there skiing.  Ofcourse I couldn't
    remember what I'd read and I'm famous for misquoting, so I didn't reply
    here.  However, as luck would have it I received something in the mail
    from Sugarloaf yesterday and here is what it says:
    
    		       "Mountain Biking Fun"
    
    "This summer, come on out and enjoy Maine's largest mountain bike park
    right here at Sugarloaf/USA!!  The 53 mile park is spread over 7,000
    acres of spectacular terrain.  Sugarloaf's Bike Shop, conveniently
    located in the Village, carries a large line of rental mountain bikes,
    and is a full-service repair center.
    
    Son't forget sugarloaf's Widowmaker Challenge, a three-day mountain
    biking extravaganza featuring a downhill, cross-country and slalom
    races.  Adding to the excitement, Sugarloaf's own Peter Webber, Jr.,
    presently the nation's fourth ranked professional rider, will be back
    to defend his title as Widowmaker Champion.  A Kids' Race also will be
    part of the events held August 11-13.  Spectators welcome!  For more
    information, call (207) 237-2000."
    
    
    Sugarloaf also has a homepage.  I don't have a pointer right here, but
    you could probably get some good info. there.  They also post all kinds
    of bargains, only available if you read about them online.  Have fun!!
    
    Kristen

    Thanks for the replies!  We are going up Friday night and hope to get a
    ride in Saturday AM before our tee time in the afternoon.  I'll post
    any impressions I have (or leave!).  
    
    Brian 

    Sugarloaf was okay.  We only had time for a ride on Saturday AM but
    found some decent trails and one not so decent trail.  There is a bike
    shop in the village which is the lower lever of the ski shop.  They
    have maps which they will kindly sell you for $2.00.  Many of the
    trails listed are either off limits, not recommended or accessible only
    by lift which they are not doing anymore.  According to the guys in the
    shop, they will be starting a pick up service wherer you can bike from
    the mountain down into the valley quite a ways and they will come and
    get you so you don't have to make the climb back up.  
    
    We selected a loop that we supposedly could do in about 2 hours if we
    didn't dawdle.  Starting at the base lodge parking lot we headed west
    past the new super quad and bucksaw chairs and immediately into the
    woods.  The trail was a combination of rough maintenance road 
    which eventually turned into single track.  This traversed across the
    mountain for about 1.5 miles and emptied out onto a dirt road near the
    golf course.  A quick right down the road and left into the Village on
    the Green development for aboiut 1/2 mile on well maintained dirt road.  
    
    Going behind the Village on the green, staying left, brought us onto
    the golf course briefly (watch for carts) before heading into the woods
    again.  This is a combo of cross country and snowmobile trails heading
    down the mountain.  We crossed a fairly large stream which was not
    really rideable.  Eventually this brought us out onto Rt. 27 near the
    access road to Sugarloaf.  
    
    A quick left up 27 and a right immediately after the bridge took us
    into a small ramshackle development down a dirt dual track.  This
    headed off into the woods again and though some meadow.  Flat, no real
    obstructions, a little mud.  This turned into an abandoned rail bed
    that was a very slight downhill for about 2.5 miles (?).  This
    parallels 27 heading east.  This is a really fast section, smooth, hard 
    packed dirt, straight and only one tree to get over which was rideable.  
    We turned right at the first available large trail, well marked BTW, and 
    headed back towards 27 and across the Carabassett River.  Good
    opportunity to swim if you wanted to.  This comes out near the Cross
    Country Touring Center.  
     
    We headed uphill into the touring center and around the backside of the
    main building.  This skirts around a pond/bog and back into the woods. 
    We were on trail #7 which was supposed to be rolling terrain, part off
    the cross country race trail.  There was a lot of mud on the lower
    section though rideable.  The upper section was not however maintained
    or rideable for most of it.  The uphill was not bad but the mud was
    8-9" deep and very heavy.  I think it is meant to be ridden down :-). 
    This was a shorter section fortunately and emptied crossed trail #1
    with a wooden bridge and kept going up.  Apparently there is a good
    loop on this part of the mountian with a lot of side trails which we
    did not explore.  
    
    We took Trail #1 west and back to the lower mountain where our condo
    was.  This was a good traverse with some gradual uphile, well
    maintained trail, nice scenery before crossing the ski slopes.  It
    eventually turned into a maintenance road and emptied out onto the
    access road.  We headed uphil earlier and came out next to our condo
    conveniently enough but lower down the mountain from our car.  A lift
    to the base lodge to retrieve the car and we were done. 
    
    9.8 miles in under two hours with a couple of side hills thrown in for
    good measure (or bad map reading :-) ) made for a good workout.  
    
    Brian   
    
    P.S.  I highly recommend the Porter House rest. in Eustis, about 15
    mins north of the loaf.  Great food and atmosphere!
    
    
    
    

    Brian, is it me or do I detect a less than satisfied feeling from your
    ride?
    
    How were the bugs?  :-)
    
    Chip
    
    P.S. I got the TREK Y22! What a trick ride!

    
    
    Chip, nice choice.... ;-)
    
    Shaw

    Chip, yeah, congrats on the new ride!  Sounds trick! 
    
    As for the 'loaf.....
    
    Saturday was quite hot.  We had a pretty good time with the exception of 
    the one very muddy uphill section that was not well maintained or well 
    travelled.  I would have opted for a steeper, rideable climb.  The trails 
    were very well marked for the most part.  There wasn't as much terrain 
    open as we were led to believe in here and as advertised.  The map showed 
    quite a few trails that were either off limits or under construction.  
    What we saw was not very technical which in retrospect was okay as it made 
    for a faster ride.  All in all it is a decent place to ride, would like to 
    explore the Widowmaker Challenge which is supposedly quite technical and 
    steep.  There was a lot of terrain to the east of the touring center that 
    we did not explore.  Total change in elevation was about 300' or so.  I 
    give it a thumbs up but found Leominster State Forest and Barre Falls Dam 
    to be more demanding and technical compared to what we were on.  The rail 
    bed was a lot of fun and you could really blast through there.  The 
    scenery was quite nice too.  If I were to do it again, I think I would opt 
    for the Widowmaker Challenge down to the touring center and explore that 
    area and head back up and across to finish the way we did.  
    
    There must be other areas to ride as well off mountain but we did not
    know enough to ask or explore on our own.  The ride down to the valley
    and pick up service might be interesting when they start that up.  The
    nice thing was that we had the trails virtually all to ourselves.  I
    saw very few tire tracks even.  
    
    The worst part of the ride was the bugs.  A bumper crop of black flies,
    skeeters, and deer flies made the muddy section quite miserable.  I have
    renewed the lumps on all exposed flesh despite bug spray.  That was
    definitely a bummer :-(.  Then again, that's why they call it mountain
    biking isn't it? :-)
    
    Brian
    
    

  Can anybody tell me how long it would take me to get to Sugerloaf, ME from
 Worcester, MA? or any place in close proximity.

         thanks,
             Mike

    A long time :-).  Seriously, on the order of 4.5 hours depending upon
    stops etc.  Hot footing it will reduce this a bit but there is a lot of
    ground to cover once you get off the Maine Turnpike.  The road is
    mostly two lane from Lewiston/Auburn to the Carabassett Valley (and
    beyond).  Take 4 to Farmington and pick up 27 once you are off the
    Maine Pike (exit 12).  
    
    We stopped in Freeport and went to Augusta and then North from there. 
    All in all it was about a 6 hour ride from Acton.  
    
    Brian