Sugarloaf Homecoming Weekend & The Narrow Gauge Trail

What a weekend. Laura and I have been taking advantage of the wonderful autumn weather and have been traveling back and forth, across the state. This past Sunday, we stopped by Sugarloaf mountain for their homecoming weekend. And if that wasn’t enough, when we left there, we walked for a bit on the Narrow Gauge trail. We learned a few things and if I ever wanted an ATV, it’s now.

I’ve got a whole bunch of pictures for you, so I may as well get going with them. I’ll try to write some descriptions as I go.

Whenever we go to these types of events at ski mountains, it’s a gamble whether or not it’s going to be jam packed with people or not. Luckily, we went on Sunday and Saturday was more popular. The vendors at the show told us there were many more visitors the previous day. This is good because it left a lot of room on the roadways for folks like us. Even though it was overcast up until about 5PM, the weather was perfect.

If you ever decide to visit Sugarloaf mountain, you’ll most likely be in awe from its size. It’s not until you turn around in the parking lot that you get a view of Bigelow Preserve across the Carrabassett Valley. Talk about mountains. Geesh.

While the primary event for the weekend was an art show in the base lodge, there were many people hanging around outside. Also, the lift was operational and transporting people to the top of the mountain. The zip lines were open and the Segway tours were in full effect.

I swear, if I still had my snowboard, I think I’d head up to Sugarloaf this winter. I’m not sure what I would do up there, but it certainly would be an excuse to get out and enjoy nature. I think it would be pretty cool to stand on snow that’s like twenty feet deep.

This is a photo (obviously) of the chairlift. Laura and I usually go for a ride up these things, but unfortunately, we didn’t have beer in our hands. Also, with the light disappearing so fast this time of year, I didn’t want to spend all day at Sugarloaf. I wanted to do a little walking on the Narrow Gauge trail as well.

I’m not sure how far the Narrow Gauge pathway (a.k.a. Carrabassett River Trail) runs, but I’ll tell you, it’s a gem. It’s great for walking, riding bikes, snowshoeing, cross country skiing, whatever… And the best part is that the trailhead offers access to both the walking (pedestrian) trail as well as the snowmobile and ATV trail system. It’s all right up there and it’s all legal. I’m still in disbelief that cops don’t try to hunt you down up here when you’re riding ATVs. It’s a foreign concept.

There are a few signs hanging around the area. Some tell you how far the walking trail is and others tell you how to get to and how far away the huts are. Check out Maine Huts & Trails for information on that. If you like back country hiking and riding, they’re probably for you.

I’ll tell you, there was a lot of picture taking while walking this pathway. It was slow going. The nice part is that the sun came out just as we rounded the half way mark. What a difference a little light makes with these autumn leaves.

Just as the pathway begins heading up hill, there’s a small sign tucked away in the woods. It reads “The Caboose.” It’s at the beginning of a small mountain biking trail that leads through the thick, towards the Carrabassett River. If you’ve never seen the Carrabassett River, it’s quite the spectacle. Tons and tons of huge rocks and when it’s running, it’s really running. Luckily for us, it wasn’t running very fast.

The mountain bikers require wooden walkways. We hikers don’t need them, but they’re nice anyway.

I used this photo as an example editing project for my other website. If you’re interested in how to edit in Adobe Camera Raw, you should check out that post. If you do, you’ll see how I go about making these photos the way I do.

I’m not sure if this is Laura’s shot or mine. Either way, I’m sure this is part of the reason why people come visit northern New England in fall.

This one is definitely hers. She had the better lens and was able to capture nice, up close shots. I had the wide angle lens, which was good for some, but definitely not as much.

This is the footbridge that crosses the Carrabassett River. Right across the bridge is where we parked the car.

Last, but not least, we’ve for the Sugarloaf Regional Airport. We parked right at the northen end of this airport, directly behind Moose Alley bowling and the J.V. Wing Snowmobile Club. Pretty awesome access, if you ask me.