Handcut Sinuous Trails Wind Through The Forest at Shawnee Peak Ski Area Overlooking Moose Pond in Bridgton, Maine

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Handcut Sinuous Trails Wind Through The Forest at Shawnee Peak Ski Area Overlooking Moose Pond in Bridgton, Maine

Lights on for night skiing at Shawnee Peak overlooking Moose Pond in Bridgton, Maine

For over 70 years folks have been carving perfect turns on Pleasant Mountain while looking out over Moose Pond in West Bridgton. Lakefront property owners love the four-season appeal of this area.

Lakefront Properties For Sale on Moose Pond in Bridgton and Denmark



Skiing history dates back to the 19th century in Bridgton. According to the Bridgton Historical Society’s Bridgton, Maine 1768-1994, “As far back as the late 1800s, a few brave souls were pioneering ‘on boards.’ After a good snow storm, three young men of the town, Norman Libby, Richard Cleaves and Perry Murphy, used to climb Mt. Pleasant by way of the old carriage road on the west side and ski down. It was a half day’s venture but they considered it well worth the effort . . . By 1935 there was talk of a ski trail on Pleasant Mountain and the town bought the Douglass pasture on the northwestern slope for that purpose.”
In 1936 the Civilian Conservation Corps created the top to bottom “Wayshego Trail,” which is called Jack Spratt today. The following year adventurous locals and Bridgton Academy students built a 16’ x 32’ shelter. “A big boost to this enterprise was given in 1937 when a W.P.A. project, under the supervision of Claude Meserve, laid out new trials, improved the entrance to the slope and enlarged the parking area,” states the history book.
Pleasant Mountain Ski Area officially opened on Sunday, January 23, 1938 with a 1,100-foot rope tow. In 1943, ski enthusiasts Russ Haggett, Ray Riley, Luke Evans, Jack Spratt, Wes Marco and Sid Russell started the Pleasant Mountain Ski Club, which continues to provide children with ski lessons through after-school programs.
Russ Haggett became the general manager of the ski area in 1946 and continued in this position for over 30 years. It’s notable that Maine’s first T-bar was built here in 1953, followed by the state’s first chairlift in 1955. During Mr. Haggett’s tenure additional trails were developed as well.
No ski resort is complete without a ski school. Former European racing champ, Hans Jenni, headed the ski school in the ‘60s. He was followed by Ruedi Wyrsh, who with his assistant Bruce Cole, introduced freestyle skiing. Through their programs the careers of notables including Greg Stump and 1988 Olympian LeeLee Morrison began here.
Current General Manager Ed Rock took over in 1982. Mr. Rock’s accomplishments include the mountains first snowmaking system, modernized ski lifts and night skiing.
The ‘80s and early ‘90s were difficult financial years for the ski area. New owners came on board in 1984, but sold the resort to the Shawnee Group Companies in 1988. This group owned another ski resort in Pennsylvania and changed the name to reflect their holdings, thus Shawnee Peak Ski Area was born. Unfortunately, ownership of two resorts didn’t pan out and in 1992 the ski area fell under bank ownership.
Chet Homer, a former financial advisor at Tom’s of Maine in Kennebunk, purchased Shawnee Peak in 1994. Since then he has continued to make improvements including replacing chairlifts, cutting new trails and enhancing snowmaking. Probably Mr. Homer’s greatest accomplishments include his green initiatives and charitable contributions.
You won’t find big hotels, high-priced restaurants or glitzy shops at Shawnee Peak, but you will discover friendly people; it’s the kind of place where “everybody knows your name.” Charity races, children’s programs, family fun, special pricing–it’s all right here. Today the resort encompasses 240 acres, has 40 ski runs and serves over 135,000 skiers a year. Among its claims to fame, Shawnee Peak is the oldest continually-running ski and snowboard area in Maine and it’s known as New England’s largest night skiing facility.
To learn more about lakefront properties on Moose Pond at the base of Pleasant Mountain, just click on the green box above.
Condo options are also available at Shawnee Peak.
For more information about other ski areas in Maine, check out the links below:
Schuss Through Breathtaking White Pines at Lost Valley and Mt. Abram Ski Areas in the Sebago Lakes Region of Maine
Find Your True Escape in the Striking Setting of Sunday River Ski Area in Newry, Maine
Fabled Ski Runs Dot the Landscape in the Sebago Lakes Region of Maine

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