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Colby College

Home of the Mules

Sugarloaf Mountain

Sugarloaf Mountain

SUGARLOAF MOUNTAIN, located an hour away from campus, is a popular destination for many in the Colby Community, including the Alpine Ski Team.  Located in the heart of Carrabassett Valley, the mountain's origins are steeped in the history of the region, namely the logging industry, with trails, lifts, and buildings carrying names to honor the past efforts to combine hard work and outdoor recreation.  

*Photo above courtesy of Sugarloaf Mountain

sugarloaf, narrow gauge

The Narrow Gauge Trail is one of the best championship trails in the nation.  Homologated for international races in all four disciplines (Slalom, Giant Slalom, Super-G, Downhill), Colby athletes get a technical surface for daily training that prepares them for the highest level of competition. 

Everything a ski program could possibly need is at our disposal at Sugarloaf: full length GS and SL training, some of the hardest snow in the world, and terrain that has played host to NCAA Championships, US National Championships and Nor-Am Cup Finals. Our partnership with Sugarloaf is the very foundation of the alpine program at Colby because it prepares us better than anywhere else.
- Eric Harlow, Head Coach of Alpine Skiing
Sugarloaf, comp center
The Bill and Joan Alfond Competition Center gives Colby Mules a home away from home, housing a place to get ready for practice, tuning space, and features the Colby Room.
sugarloaf, colby room
The Colby Room is located on the second floor of the Bill and Joan Alfond Competition Center and serves as the coaches' office for video analysis, communication, and daily operations.
  • Summit: Maine’s second-highest peak at 4,237 feet; only lift-serviced, above-treeline skiing in the East
  • Base: 1,417 feet, with the Sugarloaf Resort Village at the base
  • Vertical: 2,820 feet—the most continuous in New England
  • Skiable Acres: 1,400 boundary to boundary
  • Developed Trails: 54 miles, 651 acres, 133 trails and glades; Green Circle: 34 trails, 26%; Blue Square: 40 trails, 31%; Black Diamond: 36 trails, 27%; Double Black Diamond: 21 trails, 16%; Glades: 17 (included in the above), 13%
  • Longest Trail: Tote Road—3.5 miles from summit to base
  • Snowmaking: 94% snowmaking coverage on 490 acres, with a 10-year annual snow average of 206 inches
  • Lifts: 15, including two SuperQuads, two high-capacity quads, eight doubles, one triple, and two surface lifts
  • Lift Capacity: 21,810 passengers per hour
  • Average Length of Season: mid-November through late April
  • Maine’s largest cities, Portland and Bangor, offer major airport service to Sugarloaf. Boston and Montreal are each four hours away.