{"id":6466,"date":"2021-03-03T09:52:02","date_gmt":"2021-03-03T14:52:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wp.umpi.edu\/utimes\/?p=6466"},"modified":"2025-06-27T15:26:17","modified_gmt":"2025-06-27T19:26:17","slug":"escaping-to-the-mountains-amidst-a-pandemic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.umpi.edu\/utimes\/2021\/03\/03\/escaping-to-the-mountains-amidst-a-pandemic\/","title":{"rendered":"Escaping to the Mountains Amidst a Pandemic"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>Nestled in the heart of Maine\u2019s Lakes and Mountain region is Pleasant Mountain. The ski resort first opened its slopes to visitors in 1938, having only a 1,100-foot tow rope that served lower parts of the mountain\u2019s slopes. By the mid 1950s, Pleasant Mountain installed Maine\u2019s first T-Bar as well as the state\u2019s second chairlift. The 4,300-foot double chairlift brought skiers from near and far to the top of the north peak of the mountain, overlooking Bridgton\u2019s Moose Pond. By the late 1980s, new ownership of the mountain brought changes. Of the many improvements to the slopes, lifts and facilities, the owners also renamed Pleasant Mountain to Shawnee Peak.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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View of Shawnee Peak from Route 302 in Bridgton.<\/p><\/div>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Shawnee has worked diligently to meet and comply with CDC recommendations, as well as orders per Maine\u2019s Governor Janet Mills, in order to ensure visitors\u2019 safety. Sam Fleck has worked at Shawnee Peak for three years as a barback, working closely with the bartender. \u201cShawnee Peak has taken many precautions for the pandemic to keep both the customers and employees safe,\u201d he said. \u201cThe amount of people inside has been limited and only a certain amount of people are allowed in a room at a time.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Fleck shared several other changes Shawnee has made, including more food options offered outside and the Blizzards Pub deck being renovated to provide covered seating, complete with heaters. Bethany MacKay, 45, observed these changes on her recent trip to the mountain. \u201cThey\u2019re really trying hard to make it accessible in a safe way. I do hope that they follow through and continue that,\u201d she said. \u201cHaving that outdoor space makes it a lot easier and it\u2019s nice. People can gather within their own group and there\u2019s still plenty of space.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0The mountain\u2019s central location makes it a hub for school ski teams and families not looking to drive too far for a day of skiing. Maya Vanhise, 14, started skiing when she was in third grade. Vanhise enjoys Shawnee for both its size and its friendly atmosphere. Vanhise feels the changes made have had a minimal impact on the overall atmosphere. \u201cI feel like things are pretty similar,\u201d she said. \u201cLike, people are pretty nice just because we\u2019re all going through the same thing.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

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MacKay taking a selfie break mid run.<\/p><\/div>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Roderick MacKay, 74, felt similar about the overall climate. He\u2019s been skiing the mountain for nearly 60 years. \u201cEveryone\u2019s supposed to be wearing a mask and most people do most of the time,\u201d he said. \u201cPeople get away from the crowds, are by themselves and you know, drop the mask and get the fresh air. But they\u2019re putting up with it.\u201d He added, \u201cPeople are out there to have fun. They\u2019re skiing, they\u2019re going crazy on the hill and that\u2019s a good thing.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0As an employee, Fleck has observed unwavering enthusiasm in the crowds that do make the trip. \u201cThe atmosphere isn\u2019t altogether that different,\u201d he said. \u201cWe still get to see regulars, but it\u2019s certainly quieter than in previous years.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Maraia Nason, 20, grew up not far from Shawnee Peak. Nason\u2019s first experience snowboarding was in January 2021. As a first-time visitor to the ski resort, she said she was likely to be nervous, regardless of COVID-19. Even with these nerves about the unknown, Nason enjoyed herself. \u201cHonestly, when I was up on the slope, my mind was in a different place,\u201d she said. \u201cAll my worries disappeared when I ventured up that mountain. It\u2019s easier to let go of those fears because you don\u2019t have to think about them constantly when you\u2019re going down a slope.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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Nason and her friend, Abi Davis, posing for a photo after a run down the bunny slope.<\/p><\/div>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0There are people who still have reservations about venturing out.\u00a0 Numbers at Shawnee have shown a decrease. \u201cThe number of customers has certainly decreased rapidly amid the pandemic,\u201d Fleck said. \u201cI recall in previous years on New Year\u2019s Day there would be so many patrons it would be difficult to walk around the restaurant. This year\u2019s New Years was more akin to a regular weekday, rather than a huge holiday. Not only were there less people inside, but also less people on the mountain as a whole due to the pandemic.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0But others who have gone found nothing to be afraid of. \u201cI would tell them to go,\u201d Vanhise said. \u201cI feel like Shawnee is handling it very well. I don\u2019t want to say that Shawnee doesn\u2019t put up with people not wearing a mask. But they definitely point it out and try to advise people the best they can to pull up their mask. Most people wear masks anyways just because its cold and the closest you\u2019ll be to people is waiting in lines.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Fleck shared similar words of encouragement. \u201cOverall, it seems people are still happy to go to the mountain while so many other activities have been severely limited,\u201d Fleck said. \u201cOut on the mountain, people don\u2019t seem to have much of a problem social distancing. It\u2019s not like you\u2019re breathing on each other too much when you\u2019re flying down a mountain.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0Nestled in the heart of Maine\u2019s Lakes and Mountain region is Pleasant Mountain. The ski resort first opened its slopes to visitors in 1938, having only a 1,100-foot tow rope that served lower parts of the mountain\u2019s slopes. By the mid 1950s, Pleasant Mountain installed Maine\u2019s first T-Bar as well as the state\u2019s second chairlift. […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":93,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[7381],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6466","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-archives","et-doesnt-have-format-content","et_post_format-et-post-format-standard"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.umpi.edu\/utimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6466","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.umpi.edu\/utimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.umpi.edu\/utimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.umpi.edu\/utimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/93"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.umpi.edu\/utimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6466"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/wp.umpi.edu\/utimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6466\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8314,"href":"https:\/\/wp.umpi.edu\/utimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6466\/revisions\/8314"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.umpi.edu\/utimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6466"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.umpi.edu\/utimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6466"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.umpi.edu\/utimes\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6466"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}