SUNDAY RIVER RESORT GUIDE
Intermediate Guide
Itinerary - Barker Mountain, Spruce Peak, North Peak, Aurora Peak, Jordan Bowl
Overview
From South Ridge Base Area – Barker Mountain – Spruce Peak – North Peak – Lunch @ The Mountain Room – Aurora Peak – Jordan Bowl
1. 9-10:15AM – Warming Up on Barker Mountain
Start the day by parking at Barker Mountain Lodge, it's a lot less crowded than South Ridge. If you did park at South Ridge, it's easy to take Chondola to North Peak and follow Downdraft to Tourist Trap into the Barker Mountain Base Area.
Barker is loaded with intermediate slopes, but we recommend a warm up from the top along the winding Lazy River. Connect back with Tourist Trap and return to the Barker Mountain Express and take a few laps. Exit the lift to the left for Ecstasy or Jungle Road for your choice of Blues to explore. For classic cruisers, try Sunday Punch and Cascades, for more natural, often ungroomed terrain, choose Lower Upper Cut to Southpaw.
When you're ready to leave Barker and head to Spruce Peak, return to the peak and head looker's left for Jungle Road then bear left for Goat Path, a tight, but manageable traverse over to lower Lazy River. This New England trail gives you a feeling of being lost in the woods! Follow Lazy River to the bottom of the Spruce Peak Triple.
Taking in the views from Risky Business
2. 10:15-11:30AM – Two Blues with Views on Spruce Peak
Spruce Peak only has two blue trails, but you don't want to miss them — they are two of our favorite runs on the entire mountain. Exit the lift to the left first for Risky Business, featuring perfectly groomed steeps and unbeatable views of North Peak and the valley below. Next, head looker's right to American Express. Take your pick of corduroy down the middle or hit the soft, mellow bumps on either side. About halfway down, lookout for a sign to the skier's left for Overdraft to cut over to the top of North Peak.
From here, you have several options for a few laps off of the North Peak Express before lunch. Escapade is a favorite. Feeling a little more aggressive? Head over to 3D for a lap through the intermediate park!
Once you've worked up an appetite, head back up the North Peak Express. It's time for lunch at the Mountain Room.
3. 11:30AM – Lunch at the Mountain Room (see more on lunch options here)
This is a great opportunity to head in for an early lunch and be ready for a long afternoon ahead. Eat your fill from this delicious tapas-style menu.
4. 12:30-1:30PM – For a Long Run with Fresh Snow Head to Aurora Peak
It's time for a long run. Leave Peak Lodge and head straight to Peak Easy and follow it down to the Aurora Quad. From the top of the lift, head looker's right to Northern Lights. One of your longest runs of the day, Aurora Peak has relatively low traffic, meaning the odds of scoring fresh snow are pretty good, even in the afternoon.
Ready to tackle something a bit steeper? Test your skills on Airglow. This black run is not always groomed, but should provide a manageable challenge to intermediate skiers who are ready to take it up a notch. Once you've conquered Airglow, it's time to head over to Jordan Bowl. Take Northern Lights again, but this time hang a left towards the bottom onto Firestar and make your way down to the Jordan Express.
5. 1:30-2:30PM – Work Up Some Speed on Jordan Peak
You've now reached the far Western edge of the resort and your legs are probably burning! This is not the time to rest though, some of the best terrain on the mountain awaits. Onwards! At the top of the Jordan Express, two more of our favorite blue runs at Sunday River are at your ski tips. Excalibur and Rogue Angel – take them both – more than once. They're both a blast, whether you're pointing your tips straight downhill or carving big S turns all the way down.
Perfect corduroy on Airglow
Blind Ambition features wide open trees and deep snow!
6. 2:30-3:45PM – Quick Break at Sliders and Late Afternoon in the Trees
For a quick break, head into Sliders (located in the Jordan Hotel off of Lollapalooza) and grab a hot chocolate or a beer. One more challenge on Jordan Bowl awaits. Once you've rested the legs for a few, head back up the Jordan Express. Exit to the right and make your way down Lollapalooza, keeping an eye out for a sign on your skier's right for Blind Ambition.
This massive gladed area features 90 acres of widely-spaced trees that make a perfect introduction into tree skiing. This trail is rated Black, but most upper-intermediate skiers should be able to conquer it without much issue. Chances are that once you've done this once you'll want to do it a few more times, but eventually the lifts will stop turning.
Head back up the Jordan Express one last time, and take a long, relaxing cruise back to the South Ridge Base Area via Kansas (and a few other trails – just follow the signs for South Ridge).
Once you reach the bottom, head into the Foggy Goggle to celebrate. You've earned it.
Congratulations! You just toured 5 distinct peaks in one day! Time for some après at the Foggy Goggle.