Mt Abrams Cabin

If you aren't already familiar with Mt Abram, Maine...maybe you should be, because not only is it "Maine's authentic skiing and riding experience" but something special is happening there.  Mountain Rider's Alliance, an organization devoted to keeping skiing/riding an authentic experience, has recently announced its partnership with this ski area to make Mt Abram its first "mountain playground".  There's a lot of buzz with this new partnership also being featured recently such as on Powder Mag,  The Ski Channel, and  more.  And, so well said by The Ski Diva, Mountain Rider's Alliance is taking us "back to the future" of ski areas.

As explained to me by Jamie Schectman, Co-Founder of Mountain Rider's Alliance (whom I initially encountered during my research on a Patagonian ski house that he manages, which itself was a model of authenticity),  "Our mission is to bring skiing back to its roots by creating affordable, sustainable ski areas around the globe."   Since Mt Abrams was already focused on sustainability (as evidenced by numerous green initiatives such as their low-energy snow-making system, and their having won the National Ski Area Association's 2012 Golden Eagle Awards for Environmental Excellence), this partnership is perfectly logical.  The goal for Mountain Rider's Alliance is to keep the primary focus on the skiing / riding experience itself rather than the luxury resort lifestyle experience common to so many ski areas.  While that luxury lifestyle has its time and place, the authentic skiing experience is always right.  Mountain Rider's Alliance is striving to be responsible stewards of the environment (both the global and the local) as opposed to falling into that deep crevasse of corporate greed where "green" has an entirely different meaning.  And so it seems that, starting with Mt Abram, the Mountain Riders Alliance "brand" will signify authenticity, sustainability and integrity in a ski area.

Mt Abram is indeed a refreshingly authentic Maine skiing / riding experience without any pretentious attitude...and here's a ski house with that same vibe....an unpretentious, yet playful and welcoming log house where skiers/riders can walk out the door and cross the street to get on the lift up into this newly branded  "mountain playground"!  The Ski House of the Day is this cute cabin right across the street from Mt Abram:

Like Mt Abram, this cabin is affordable and unpretentious.  It's simply an authentic ski house with 2 bedrooms, and 1 bathroom.  The charming, rustic living room looks like a comfortable spot to relax after a day on the mountain...and that all wood interior has the feel of a walk (or "ride") in the Maine woods...

The kitchen seems beautifully up-to-date and complete...perfect for a skiers breakfast perhaps of locally-grown Maine blueberry pancakes....

(And speaking of food...if you have lunch at Mt Abram, be assured that the grease produced from your burger will end up as renewable fuel via Mt Abram's efforts and Maine Standard Biofuels!).

The cozy built-in kitchen table area looks perfect for sharing the adventure stories of the day with family / friends over a mug of cocoa or over a hearty dinner of pasta or maybe even Maine lobster:

There's one bedroom on the main level, and an attractive spiral stairway leads upstairs...

....to a compact loft area with a small tv and (ski?) games..... 

...and also upstairs, a second bedroom.  Most skiers/riders would recognize this as an authentic, real-life skiers/riders bunk-room area where it's more about everyone getting some comfortable, restful sleep after a day on the mountain, than it is about having a lot of luxurious but unnecessary space:

As a skier, it's nice to know that Mt Abram's future looks like it will continue to be green...the right kinds of green...and nice to know there are ski houses like this cute, authentic ski cabin, where, like the Mountain Rider's Alliance brand of mountain playgrounds, the experience is more about the skiing than the size of the house.