NEWRY, Maine — Fall foliage chair-lift rides and pandemic preps for the upcoming ski season are underway at Sunday River in Newry.
The mountain's communication director Karolyn Castaldo said they have been preparing for the winter months since March when COVID-19 initially hit the state in March.
The chair-lift rides are the most action the mountain has seen since Spring.
"One of the best ways to take in foliage in Maine is from a chairlift," Castaldo said.
It's peak foliage season at the mountain. The rides are happening one more weekend. So far, the response has been great and Castaldo said the experience is something for everyone.
"You have the option to take the chair up and then hike around the mountain and hike your way down," Castaldo said. "Or, you can ride back down the lift once you're done taking in the scenery... so it's a really great activity for all ages and abilities."
While the chairs slowly being added back into the lift's rotation is nothing new, Castaldo says something else is: radio frequency I-D gates being added to their lifts.
"This allows our guests to go direct to lift," Castaldo said. "They can load their tickets online and it really cuts down on the guest to team member contact in the lift line."
In the meantime, the chair lift foliage rides will give the mountain a chance to test its model. Giving them a better idea of what other changes need to be made before the snow flies.