By Pat Turner Kavanaugh
Photos courtesy of Shawnee Peak

With only five lifts - a quad, two triples, a double and a carpet, Shawnee Peak is the third busiest ski and snowboard resort in Maine, and offers more night skiing than anywhere in Maine, Vermont or New Hampshire.

Greg Sweetser, executive director of Ski Maine, said Shawnee Peak, in Bridgton, "is surprisingly big. At 1300 vertical feet, it's not a hill, it's a good ski mountain."

There are two separate base lodges, for instance, and "the trails are long."

Sweetser pointed out Shawnee Peak is only 45 miles from Maine's largest city Portland and 20 minutes from North Conway, N.H. with all its blandishments. It's 2 1/2 hours from Boston and a reasonable weekend drive from New York City, Hartford, Ct., Providence, R.I. and Montreal.

"Owner Chet Homer is very disciplined in his approach to running a ski area," Sweetser said. "They make a lot of snow, great grooming, good lift capacity and he makes improvements every year."

He also likes Shawnee Peak because the East Side gets good morning sun, and you can follow the sun over to the main mountain.

For this season the improvements he mentioned include an upgrade to the beginner Rabbit Run trail to eliminate a double fall-line; return of the NASTAR recreational racing program for all ages; an expanded Lil Pine surface lift and beginner area; 4000 more feet of snowmaking pipe; and fully-automated online tickets.

Further, Shawnee Peak has gone to 100 percent wind power to offset all of the fossil fuels used for snowmaking, heat and lights.

Also this season Shawnee Peak opened its first slope side, ski in/ski out condos on the East Side, a $10 million project which will offer 32 units in six buildings.

Shawnee Peak provides ski-and-stay packages with a variety of motels, inns, b&bs, houses and condos, from as little as $75 a night per person double occupancy.

There's also the Shawnee Peak House, a 10-bedroom self-service guesthouse which can sleep up to 44 people. If you have a large group you can rent Shawnee Peak House for $2200 a night, which gets you 22 lift tickets on weekends; or for $1500 a night with 22 lift tickets Sunday to Thursday, non-holiday periods.

Or you can rent a room for up to three people with lift tickets for as little as $149 a night midweek.

Shawnee Peak boasts a wide variety of bargains.

There's the Online Only Deal through which a different bargain is announced by e-mail each Monday for the coming weekend. Book online by 6 p.m. Wednesday and it's yours.

Monday is Carload Dayz, $59 for everyone in your car, minivan, SUV, pick-up truck or large SUV (not anyone in the trunk, though.)

Monday Night Madness is $12 lift tickets from 4 to 9 p.m.

Tuesday two people ride or ski for one price.

Wednesdays are for families. Buy an adult lift ticket for $34 and get a junior ticket, ages 6 to 12, for $5. Each additional adult is $15, juniors $10.

Thursday are State Resident Days with dates for citizens of Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Connecticut, $20 from 9 a.m. to close.

Ladies get Fridays - a lift ticket and voucher for $7 towards lunch in Blizzard's Pub at $32; lift ticket only, $27; rentals, $16; group lesson, $20.

Saturdays pay $135 for four family members - one of whom must be a junior. Date Nights on Saturday cost $50 per couple for two lift tickets and two food vouchers. Or Saturday Night Fever is $10 for a lift ticket, 7 to 10 p.m., with rentals for $12 more.

Sunday you can ski or ride, noon to 4:30 p.m. for $23, or all day for $33 if you produce a lift ticket from any other ski area the day before.

(There are holiday exclusions on most of these.)

Members of the military get $10 off any lift tickets and $12 rentals. Spouses and dependents of service men and women deployed overseas ski free.

Kids 5 and under ski free with a paying adult. Triple A and Canadian Automobile Association members get a break as do those who bought gas within 48 hours at two particular service stations.

Shawnee Peak has three double diamond gladed trails and one intermediate; a freestyle terrain park; a mini terrain park for beginners; and a 400-foot half pipe lit for night use.

In addition to skis, boards and helmets, the rental shop can send you out on K2 Snowcycle Revolutions or Snow Blades.

And if you're feeling really generous plunk down $4500 and rent Shawnee Peak for the whole day, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., lift tickets and rental equipment for hundreds of your closest friends or customers, school mates or employees. Available March 20-22 and March 26-30.