Saddleback, Rangeley ME

Ode to the Kennebago T-Bar:

O Kennebago....
I long for your long gentle, quiet whisk up the hill
where only the sound of my skis on the snow is heard
and the only sight is of snow laden evergreens bowing to winter

work in progress ....

With its natural wood, the most beautiful ski lodge in New England resides at Saddleback. But Saddleback's greater claim to fame was home to the once world renowned, Kennebago t-bar. Yes, the highest altitude t-bar in New England.

My first encounter with the Kennebago t-bar was fraught with indecision. Upon reading the 17th warning sign, my friend and I, having spent considerable amount of time working for insurance companies, timidly turned away from the practically vertical venerable t-bar.

While boarding the lower mountain, I kept furtively glancing toward the top of the mountain. Finally I gave in and trekked back to the car and switched snowboard for skis. After a chairlift or two and a couple of runs later, I found myself at the base of the daunting t-bar. This time, chin up, I confidently skied up to the t-bar and was whisked away. Ahhh. The hand of God once again gently guiding me up the hill. With the evergreens drooping with snow and muffling the world except for the swooshing of snow beneath my skies and yes, the occasional clanking of the bar...such paradise... until I spotted my disembarkment destination glittering in solid ice. Egads.

As I let go of the t-bar, it shot away like a human cannonball making a terrifying whizzing sound. After some fancy footwork and ill-performed ski ballet, I found myself safely situated on snow not ice.

I rode the lift a couple times more in pure joy but alas there will be no more encounters with Kennebago for last summer it was dismantled to make way for a fancy quad...