Mount Abram is a medium sized family ski area located near the town of Greenwood, Maine about 2 and half hours from Sherbrooke, or 3 hours and 45 minutes from Montreal. The mountain offers a great variety of terrain for the beginner right up to the expert skier. There are 4 lifts serving 44 trails and a 1,150 foot vertical. There are 2 double chairlifts, 1 t-bar, and 1 beginner Magic Carpet. The trail ratio is 10 Easy, 21 Intermediate, and 13 Expert trails. There are 2 chalets, one located at the Main base of the mountain, and another located over on the West side of the mountain. The West side is mainly occupied by beginners and families wanting to have a safe place to ski, out of the way of the busy main base area. Most of the ski lessons are given in this area. The West side has 1 of the double chairlifts, and the Magic Carpet, while the Main base area is served by the other Double chair and t-bar. Hours of operation are from 9am to 4 pm Thursday to Sunday, and open for the week of Maine school vacation. They also offer a tubing park served by a surface lift.
The Mountain and the Ski Trails
Mount Abram offers a great variety of trails for all levels of skier. Some of the easier trails like Hay Road, Skyline Drive, and Mahoosuc Meadow would be found on the West side sector. The Intermediate and Expert terrain would be found at the Main base area. Nice cruisers like the Roundabout, Upper Easy Rider, and the Dudley Doo-Right are found here, and more difficult trails such as Rocky's Run, Fearless Leader, and the Lower Fractured Fairy Tales cater to the Expert skier. In the Main chalet you will find the cafeteria, bar, and ski school desk, and located in a separate building nearby is the rental and repair shop along with the boutique. There is a separate ticket booth outside beside the chalet to pick up lift tickets. You can purchase a full mountain lift ticket, or you can get a ticket for access to the West side only. There is a shuttle that runs between the Main base and the West Side Lodge for those who wish to use it. At the West Side Lodge there is the Daycare, Playground, and seating for families who bring their lunches. Both areas are served by older Hall double chairs, one affectionately called the Way Back Machine is found at the main base, and the other Hall double named the Skyline Chair is at the West Side location. The Ski Patrol are located at the summit of the Way Back Machine Double and at the base right beside the Main Chalet.
Unique Features
A very unique feature about Mount Abram are their 800 or so solar panels that cover an acre of the parking lot in the back. The energy that this "solar farm" produces offsets the majority of the mountain's electricity use. The chalet is heated with a wood pellet heating system. 2 E/V chargers are available behind the chalet for those with electric vehicles. They are dedicated to a Green Energy program and sustainable practices to provide energy to operate the mountain and to cut back their carbon footprint. They have a Low E snowmaking system that only requires 20-25% of the compressed air that a traditional snowmaking system would require to convert a given unit of water to snow. There is a special feature on their website that goes into more detail about the program.
Why visit Mount Abram?
If you are in the area, or should you be skiing at nearby Sunday River and would like a break from the crowds and rat race of a larger resort, Mount Abram would fit the need. The views from the summit of the mountain are beautiful in any direction you look, while at the same time, reducing your carbon footprint left behind by skiing at a "Green" ski area.
