by Mitch Kaplan

When you’re not the biggest kid on the block, you’ve got to play to your strengths. So it is with Maine’s mighty little Shawnee Peak.

Located in Bridgton, Maine, Shawnee Peak nestles comfortably amidst some major competition. But, the family-owned ski area is undeterred. It can satisfy customers in ways the big boys can’t.

"We see four elements that make up our strengths," says marketing director Melissa Rock. "Snowmaking, night skiing, being family owned, and a very convenient location."

Better Snow Means better Sliding

Face it - you can’t ski without snow, and in the northeast waiting on Mother Nature is never enough. Nor, for that matter is having state of the art snowmaking equipment. Something more is required. The human element. "We’ve got snowmakers here who have been doing it for twenty years or more," comments Rock. "Sure, we always install the more advanced technology, but it’s these guys’ dedicated to what they do that makes the difference."

And that difference carries over into grooming, as well. At Shawnee Peak, snow maintenance is a serious business. The groomers here will "reverse till" whenever necessary. That means they add a special attachment to the groomer and make an extra pass, chopping up the snow, before using normal grooming gear to create classic corduroy.

Explains Rock, "When you’ve been making snow and working with base snow, it’s wetter and more coarse, so you have to reverse till to get mid-winter conditions instead of ice cookies. We spend the extra time, money and manpower to make conditions the best we can because, frankly, that’s our bread and butter."

The farming produces high yields. Talk to most any Shawnee Peak skier and you’ll hear accolades about the snow surfaces. Even at night.

Skiing After Dark

Okay - I’ll reveal a personal prejudice here. I don’t night ski. I can’t see well enough and, no matter what the temperature, I’m always freezing. It’s psychological. No sun, no warmth.

But, plenty of people disagree with me. Just visit Shawnee Peak after dark for evidence. Nineteen trails are open at night, including two beginner trails to which lights have been added this season. It’s a "big hit," according to Rock, "especially with Portland so close." Many people are learning after school and at night and, with the Peak’s beginner terrain not only lit but isolated on the mountain so novices needn’t worry about high-speed traffic, it’s creates a great way to get started.

The night isn’t solely devoted to novices or just a couple of trails, however. The terrain park, halfpipe and advanced trails from the top are all illuminated until 9 p.m. most nights, and til 10 Fridays and Saturdays.

We Are Fam-ily

There’s only one new ski lift in Maine this season and, yes, it’s here at Shawnee Peak. Okay, it’s merely a 200-foot beginners’ surface conveyor lift. But, its installation perfectly illustrates the resort’s third aforementioned strength - family ownership. Family owned since 1994 by a Kennebunkport clan, this set up allows ski area managers to act quickly and adeptly to changing needs and conditions. "A lot of times, we decide things on the fly," says Rock, "like if we need grooming on a certain slope, it can get done. That especially true since our owner is here on most weekends and holidays."

The conveyor lift, she points out, resulted from ownership and management listening to customers. "We had a rope tow until this year on that beginner slope," she says. "One thing people said on our customer service surveys was ‘We love bringing our kids here, but could you get rid of the rope tow?’ So we did. You should see number of people on that thing now; everybody loves it. It’s a people-mover."

Location, Location, Location

And, speaking of moving people, getting people to move off the couch and onto the slopes is another Shawnee Peak forte. "Because we’re so close to Portland, and not that far from Boston, people can get here easily," Rock says happily. "And because we’re open til ten on Fridays and Saturdays, they don’t have to get up at the crack of dawn. They can take their time and still get eight hours of skiing, and they can enjoy it a lot more."

And, they can enjoy it affordably. Consider these two deals. The Family of Four Deal costs $133. It allows a family of four (one must be age 6 to 12) to ski all day and night - on any day or night, including weekends and holidays. And, non-holiday Wednesdays are Family Days. Buy an adult ticket (ages 13-64) for $34 and one junior not only skis free, but you can add another adult for $15 and/or another junior for $10, with all lift tickets valid until 9 p.m.

So, there you have it. A place with 239 skiable acres, 40 trails, two terrain parks and a 400-foot halfpipe that serve all abilities and are nearly fifty percent lit, where the core staff are dedicated, long-time pros, and where ownership is family all set up near major population centers. Other than gargantuan size, is there an ingredient missing? I think not. This "small" ski area more than holds its own with the surrounding big boys.