Downtown Rangeley bustles with tourist traffic as the summer season gets underway, a stark contrast to last winter when a lack of snow and a closed Saddleback ski area kept seasonal visitors away.

Lupine is in bloom at the base of Saddleback. The future of the ski mountain remains uncertain after the resort remained closed this past winter and has announced no new updates on if it will open next year.

There's no word yet on what will happen with Saddleback ski area in Rangeley, which didn't open last winter, but the town's residents and business people remain cautiously optimistic as the summer tourist season gets off to a strong start.

Saddleback ski area's lifts were empty last March. The resort stayed closed all winter. Combined with a lack of snow, which kept snowmobilers away, it was a harsh economic blow to the town.