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8.17.07
Bikers Ride Again At Sunday River
The popular ski resort in Bethel, Maine, opens its trails to
mountain bikers.
.jpg) Sunday
River’s new owners didn’t wait long before making a splash at their new
resort. On August 10 —
just two days after acquiring both Sunday River and Sugarloaf resorts in
Maine —
Boyne USA Inc. reopened Sunday River to mountain biking.
Under previous ownership, the resort closed its trails to mountain
bikers three years ago because it wasn’t able to draw a large enough
crowd of riders. That was because the trails were set up mainly
for advanced riders instead of appealing to riders of all abilities,
according to Alex Kaufman, Sunday River’s Director of Communications.
But the new owners want Sunday River to be a four-season resort, and
they worked with the resort’s staff prior to the acquisition so that
mountain biking would be ready to roll when Boyne USA took over.
The resort opened 20 miles of trails. Downhill trails including Grease
Monkey, Moose Tack and the Crater Trail wind their way down from the
summit of North Peak. Kaufman says most of the open trails are currently
for hardcore riders. “Right now it’s set up for people who like the
adrenaline rush,” he said. But, he added, the resort will expand their
trails throughout the season and will have more runs that appeal to
families and novice riders.
Kaufman said the resort plans to have lifts to scenic trail rides that
should be popular among riders during the fall foliage season, which
peaks in the area during the last two weeks of September and the first
week of October. The mountain bike trails will be open through Columbus
Day Weekend. And, Kaufman said, as the resort expands its trail system,
the progress will be posted on the resort’s website at
www.sundayriver.com.
-D.M.
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