We just finished our first week of skiing at the now reopened and revitalized Saddleback ski resort. The new owners and team at Saddleback have done an amazing job, especially given the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Over the last five years of closure I have interacted with hundreds of individuals who, in some way, contributed to solving what was a seemingly intractable problem – opening a major ski area of vital importance to the community whose commercial value was far less than the liquidation value.

Of the ones I met and worked with – and you know who you are – there are only good and great people. To the Berry family and their team, to the Saddleback Mountain Foundation and their team, to Arctaris and their team and to Jimmy Quimby and Jared Emerson and their team of experienced operational folks who either stuck it out or came back; as well as to the good people of Rangeley and Franklin County and Maine and beyond, and to all of you Saddlebackers who played a role, thank you all from the bottom of my heart.

There is a tremendous amount to learn from the details of these past five years, learnings that have illuminated the flaws of a broken commercial ski industry – and a broken economy. But now is the time to celebrate the strength of our great community and what we have achieved, with great hope for the future.

Skifully,

Dr. Peter J. Stein
co-founder and first president, 
Saddleback Mountain Foundation
Sandy River Plantation

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