Saddleback Ski Area Rocks. This mountain has the quickest lift lines, the hardest expert trails and the cheapest tickets for a big mountain in New England. Get there before they close on April 20th.

There are many ski resorts to choose from in the Northeast. In Maine, there's Sugarloaf and Sunday River but the one that is not on everyone's radar YET is Saddleback. In Vermont and Mass. there's Killington, Stowe, Sugarbush, Okemo, Mt. Snow, Jay Peak, Attitash, Cannon, Bretton Woods, Loon and Stratton. Without question, the best overall experience is Saddleback. To give you readers perspective, I consider myself an avid skier. I've been skiing since I was 4, on average of about 8 times a year and I'm 27 now. There are a number of factors I consider when looking for my ideal ski experience. I seek out great terrain, meaning challenging steeps and glades with great surface conditions. I also enjoy a nice cruiser with great scenic beauty when I want to give my legs a rest. And I also appreciate first rate facilities.

Saddleback excels in all these areas, among others. It's a legit mountain that has all the elements in place to build a world-class ski resort, especially for east coast standards. And there's a reason Trip-Advisor ranked the resort among the Top 10 Most Overlooked Ski Destinations in the country. First of all, it has true 4 season appeal, which results in some breathtaking views. The countless mountains and lakes are huge draws for people that enjoy outdoor activities year round, whether it be, fishing, kayaking, swimming, hiking etc. From a skier's perspective the west side of the mountain currently boasts some of the most challenging terrain in the East. Muleskinner was recently ranked the 4th most difficult trail in New England. Development in the near future will open new terrain that will supposedly be more challenging than anything they offer now. The combination of 4100+ elevation and 2000+ vertical (w/ a few hundred more after development) make it one of the most unique alpine experiences around. There are only a couple of resorts in the East that can claim those sort of credentials. The new base lodge is state-of-the-art. It's the nicest once I've been to. Down-east Magazine (Maine's premier magazine for you out of state-rs) rated the Pub at the lodge hands-down the Best Ski bar in the state for it's January 2008 Best Of issue due to it's great rustic atmosphere, great AND affordable food, and beautiful views.

By the way, I also like to ski afford-ably. They offer the the best value that I'm aware of. Full day lift tickets are $40 with many $25 mid-week specials, including $25 Maine Day on the first Sunday of every month.

There aren't many reason's not to ski this mountain, if any. Sure, the lifts aren't of the high-speed variety and some may look at that as a negative, but that's what keeps the prices down as well as less skiers on the mountain which results in better skiing conditions since it doesn't get skied off as quickly. On a side note, the lifts have been greatly improved and are much faster since new ownership took over. And this is the last year that the Kennebego T-bar will be traveling to the summit, as this will be replaced by a quad chairlift next ski season. The new south branch quad is below the base lodge and I've heard from many that it's the best lay out for beginners and families out of all the resorts they've visited.

What adds to the experience is the friendly atmosphere it exudes. The staff is very friendly and helpful and everyone will be calling you by name after spending just a couple of days there.

With $150+ million of expansions on the horizon, it will be interesting to see whether Saddleback can continue to deliver such a great experience. Based on what I've seen from the new ownership over the last couple of years, I'm confident it will. If you look at the same factors I do when seeking out a great ski experience, Saddleback is a must.

Have a great season!

A caveat: I am a novice skier, though an enthusiastic one, so I don't have vast experience at a gajillion ski resorts around the world.

That said, if there's a better place to learn to ski, I'd be amazed. The many green slopes vary from the super-easy to the almost intermediate, and the three plus mile circle trail, Hudson's Highway, takes you from the top to the bottom, a great psychological boost for this beginnner on my fourth day skiing. (The area is home to some of the best fly fishing in the state and all the trails are named for flies tied by a few of the local legendary fly tying artists.)

The lodge, a traditional post and beam building with the requisite logs, stained wood and gigundo fireplace is two seasons old, the food is good and the staff really polite, cheerful and friendly. (They actually say, "You're welcome," as opposed to, "No problem," or "Yuh," when you thank them.)

My five year-old and I started skiing the first weekend in March. We went up with our neighbors who took advantage of Maine Day. The first Sunday of every month Maine residents ski for $25. It has to be the best deal in the state. My boy took a lesson then headed off with the neighbors. I stayed in the lodge. After about an hour I was itching to try it, though I'm well into my 40s and had only ever cross-country skied.

Two weeks later we went again. I took a lesson this time and we've returned every weekend since.

Everyone, not just the staff, is friendly and helpful. Parents look out for your children as well as their own. Last weekend, my boy got waaay ahead of me and took a wrong turn coming down from the top. When I saw he hadn't come out on the central section, I was unfazed. I knew another family would take him under their wing and get him down safely. It helped that our neighbors and one of the instructors fanned out to look for him and that the only trails he could be on were Green or Blue. He was at my side in a matter of minutes looking both triumphant and relieved.

Though we live only two and a half hours away, we stayed at the Town and Lake Motel for closing weekend 14/15 April, featuring the final day of FREE skiing. $55 and great beds.

There is, according to my neighbors, plenty of Black Diamond challenge for expert skiers, too. They've skied every large and small mountain in Maine and have made Saddleback their skiing home.

Bring your smile when you come. You'll need it.

My family thoroughly enjoyed visiting and skiing at Saddelback Maine last week. We traveled to Rangeley for a mid-winter vacation with plans to do both downhill and cross country skiing, and to see a part of the USA we've never been to before.

It was colder than we're used to in Tennessee, but it was great! We really enjoyed the whole experience. We stayed at Rangeley Lake Resort for a whole week and did some sightseeing on the coldest days. One day was spent at the Rangeley Lakes Cross Country Trails Center learning nordic skiing, and we enjoyed it a lot, but we didn't get very good at it. Then we spent Thursday and Friday (Feb 1 & 2) on the slopes at Saddleback.

My wife preferred to enjoy the warmth of the lodge and watched while my 11 year old daughter, 15 year old son and I skied. I hadn't skied in over 25 years, but soon regained my balance. The kids had only skied once before, but my son was doing great in just a few minutes. My daughter learned how to control her skis by lunch the first day and was leading the way for me the rest of the trip. I did go up to the top and took the Hudson Highway trail once, but decided that I needed more practice and that my 48 year old knees would rather go back down to the "Cruising Slopes" for the rest of this trip.

Everyone we talked to around Rangeley was very complimentary of what has been done at Saddleback recently, and I was very impressed by the facilities and the friendliness of the entire staff. True, it was very slow when we visited and they had time to give extra attention, making sure our equipment was exactly right for each of us and providing helpful advice. This was true whether we were at the ticket counter, equipment rental, ski shop, snack shop, or at the lifts. In fact, everyone we dealt with in Rangeley was very kind and helpful.

Keep up the good work. I hope the rest of the skiing season brings good snow, good crowds and good reports for Saddleback Maine. I'll be telling all our friends that ski about Saddelback Maine, and I hope we can visit again soon.