Sunrise
Ski Slope
Alexander,
ME
1950's-1974
Thanks to Nick
Malczyk, we first heard of this lost ski area that operated in
Alexander, ME on Breakneck Mountain. Here are his details:
Back in 1994 while in high school I went with a friend to his family's camp in Alexander, Maine. From what I remember there was an overgrown ski area across the lake from their camp. Unfortunately, I can't remember the name of the lake. I think the ski area was probably about 4-500 vertical feet and had about six trails, give or take. We also found another great source, Glenn Parkinson, who helped confirm this ski area: From First Tracks, by Glenn Parkinson: "I had never skied and wanted to learn," says Carleton Davis from Alexander, ME. "It was the mid 1950's and I had a hard time finding skis to buy, then I found some with only a leather toe loop for a binding. I owned a campground on Breakneck Mountain and decided to build a rope tow. My area was the first to see one in the country to see the sunrise so I called it Sunrise Ski Slope. I only charged 25 cents for a ticket in the beginning and never made any money. A couple of light snow years and the new sport of snowmobiling combined to close the area in 1974. The picture on the right shows the area, with the lift line still clearly visibly. |
While the area had only a rope tow initially, it could have had an additional lift added, such as a t-bar. With such a large drop, riding a rope tow would have been quite difficult.
Does anybody else remember this lost area?