The Sunday River resort area is one of eight properties across the country owned by American Skiing Company. The resort area consists of a series of eight peaks, each with its own character, linked together by a network of 131 trails and 13 lifts. The resort has a 2,340 foot drop, one of the largest in New England. With terrain spread evenly between trails for "experts", "advanced", "intermediates" and "novices", this provides a good range for groups that include boarders and skiers at all levels. Sunday River is friendly to both skiers and riders, and a serious commitment to snowmaking makes this a very reliable New England destination throughout the winter.

This resort is popular with families, who take advantage of an excellent children's lessons program. Probably as a result, the resort has a family culture with limited nightlife. Some bars such as White Cap and the Great Grizzly offer music and entertainment on the weekends, but it seems that Sunday River visitors return to their condos to cook meals and hunker down for the evening with board games..

During the Winter break, Martin Luther King weekend and President's week, crowds really pick up, especially over the February break, since Sunday River attracts so many families during the kids' school vacations. For a weekend visit, you are better off financially and crowd-wise to avoid these busy periods.

The base lodge at South Ridge has a full range of amenities, including restaurants, lodging, equipment rental, and lockers. The resort operates its main lesson program here, with programs for children and adults. There is a busy cafeteria and a coffee shop. For sit-down dining, the Foggy Goggle pub on the top floor has an assortment of casual dining options and a great view of the slopes. Service here can be slow, but it's worth the wait to avoid cafeteria lines and find a table that isn't already staked out with duffle bags left by day-trippers.

To find relief from base crowds, head up-mountain to the cafeteria at the North Peak lodge, or drive or ski west to White Cap, to the Grand Summit hotel, or to the Barker Mountain Base Lodge which has a brew pub. If you cross all the peaks to the east over to the Jordan Bowl, you can dine mid-mountain in the Sliders restaurant in the Jordan Hotel. The trip down- slopes and up lifts can take a while. Watch out that you can make it back before lifts start shutting down in the late afternoon.

If you want to keep expenses down, one suggestion is to pack up the entire weekend's supplies for hearty breakfasts and dinners in large plastic tubs. This way, one person takes turns cooking at the end of the day while the rest of the crew runs off to the hot tub and pool, or just vegetates by the fire.

The resort offers ticket/lodging packages from condos to full-service hotels: call the resort at 800-543-2SKI or check their site at: www.sundayriver.com. Packages start at around $55 per person per night. If you feel adventuresome, you can find lodging accommodations on several websites where owners of ski houses or timeshares offer them for rent: try www.craigslist.org, www.redweek.com or www.tug2.net.