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High school ski racers and their coaches inspect the course Tuesday prior to the start of the Class A giant slalom state championship races at Sugarloaf in Carrabassett Valley.

Sugarloaf Mountain ski resort is working on getting its operations back up after a transformer blew in December, knocking out several lifts and the snowmaking equipment.

In a news release this week, General Manager Karl Strand said a replacement transformer arrived and will be installed and tested in the coming days.

“We are actively working with CMP to source the proper connections, and once that is complete, installation will occur during evening hours,” Strand said. “We’re working toward a quick turnaround with the goal of having the system energized ahead of the weekend.”

Once the new transformer is in place, Strand said snowmaking will resume at the summit on the Upper Timberline and Gauge Extension trails ahead of the Martin Luther King Jr. Day holiday this weekend.

“Timberline lift will make its debut on Saturday, providing summit access to Tote Extension and expanding your terrain options for the holiday weekend,” Strand said. “Once the system is energized and tested, our primary electrical feed will be restored.”

As operations come back up, the Skyline lift will transition off diesel backup to standard operation and Double Runner lift will operate independently without generator support.

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“Our summit snowmaking booster pumphouse will be back online, allowing us to resume snowmaking operations focused on Upper Timberline and Gauge Extension,” Strand said.

Strand said parts for the SuperQuad lift had to be shipped to a contractor for repair, and he expects the lift to be back in operation by Saturday, Jan. 24.

For the holiday weekend, the mountain is continuing several operational adjustments, the release said.

• Whiffletree lift opens early at 8:30 a.m. for increased uphill capacity.

• King Pine will operate until 3:50 p.m. for more time on snow and condo access.

• Double Runner A & B will both run to support additional uphill capacity.

Shuttles are available at Base Lodge Guest Services to transport guests to Bucksaw Express. Additionally, skiers with First Tracks access can use Whiffletree and Skyline Lift on Sunday morning.

“We appreciate your patience and continued support as we’ve worked through these challenging repairs,” Strand said. “Your understanding and flexibility have meant everything to our team, and we’re committed to getting back to full operations as quickly as possible.”

Marla has been a journalist for the past 17-plus years at newspapers in Maine and Connecticut. She has been a writer, a designer, a photographer, a columnist and, for the past six years, the managing editor...

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