Courtesy / Mt. Abram Ski Mountain
The four squiggly blue and green lines, starting from the top of the Skyline Chair on the right-hand side of this drawing, depict the mountain bike trails that Mt. Abram will create this summer.
May 28, 2019
Mt. Abram's mountain-bike park expected to be largest in Maine
Courtesy / Mt. Abram Ski Mountain
Mt. Abram Ski Mountain will soon begin construction of a new mountain bike park.
Mt. Abram, the ski resort in Greenwood, plans to kick off phase-one construction next month on what’s expected to be Maine’s largest mountain bike park.
The bike park is expected to stoke interest in the sport and bring in new participants, Greg Luetje, the resort’s business manager, told Mainebiz.
Phase 1 will include three miles of wide trails on a gradual pitch, a design intended to attract novice bikers, children and families.
Luetje said he also met recently with Maine Adaptive Sports & Recreation about facilitating adaptive cycling at the site.
The first phase will be constructed on the mountain’s west side, which has gradual terrain, he said.
The resort also plans to offer instruction and rental bikes, including pedal-assist electric bikes, he said.
“We feel it will get more people on bikes, which is just a good thing in general,” he said.
The resort has purchased equipment, like mini-excavators, for the work, and staffers will construct the trails. Construction includes creating smooth surfaces and removing stumps, and will take place along terrain where pristine habitats and natural water flow won’t be disturbed, he said.
Lift-served
“We’ve flagged four trails for the west side,” he said. The permitting process with the state Department of Environmental Protection and town planning board is underway, he noted.
It’s expected the first trails could be ready for a soft opening this fall. The grand opening will likely be in late May or early June of next year, depending on the weather.
The park’s total build-out will likely be 25 miles of mountain bike trails, he said. Phase 2 construction, expected to begin in the summer of 2021, will take place on the mountain’s steeper terrain and will accommodate bikers of all skill levels.
For folks who simply want a scenic bike ride, there will likely be a roundabout trail.
The system will be served by the resort’s ski lifts. The service is expected to attract people who love the downhill ride but don’t relish pedaling uphill.
“You’ll take a lift with your bike on the back of another lift or the or side of your lift, to get to the top of the mountain, then gravity-ride down,” he said.
There will also be a climbing trail for those who don’t want to take a lift, he noted.
Luetje noted that Mt. Abram is surrounded by a growing network of trails developed in surrounding municipalities.
Mahoosuc Pathways Inc., for example, oversees an extensive network of multi-use, year-round trails in Bethel.
“So it’s not just, ‘Come ride on Mt. Abram,’” he said. “We just want to get more people into the sport. We’re trying to get more young people and non-riders. If we can get more ridership, it makes it more feasible to build more trails.”
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