Down East Ski Club

The Down East Ski Club was formed in the fall of 1948 from a social activities club at the YMCA. Not only do we ski together from our ski lodge at Shawnee Peak, we also participate in other activities including hiking, biking, canoe, camping and ski trips, which are planned and organized by our members. Although we are a private, non-profit club, we welcome potential new members.
Club meetings are held monthly to plan and organize events, and are run according to Robert’s Rule of Order. Meetings are held at our lodge at Shawnee Peak during ski season and the Barron Center in the off season, 1145 Brighton Ave, Portland, the 2nd Thursday of each month, at 7pm (with the exception of our Annual Banquet, which is typically the end of April and occasional off-site meetings during the summer). If you have questions about ski club, or want to find out how you can become more involved, please contact info@downeastskiclub.com you’d like membership information please visit our MEMBERSHIP page.

We hold the Annual Down East Ski Sale and Winter Expo, helping to make skiing more affordable by offering new and used ski equipment at fabulous prices. The sale is held at the Portland Expo, Park Ave, Portland. New England Ski shops bring thousands of new ski and winter sports items and last years overstock to sell. The general public is also invited to enter their used equipment into the sale. Go to SKI SALE for more information about the sale, how to sell your used equipment, and directions to the Portland Expo. Always held the Saturday after Thanksgiving!

Scholarship Race:
We hold the annual Russ Haggett Memorial Scholarship Race, a family fun race held at Shawnee Peak to raise money for Russ Haggett Scholarship. Two $1,000 scholarships are awarded annually to members of the Lake Region High School, in memory of Russ Haggett, owner and manager of Pleasant Mountain ski area (now Shawnee Peak)for over 40 years. FMI about the race please visit the RACE page.
Donations:
We support many other ski related events in the community. To make a ski related donation request please download the PDFDonation Request Form and present it at a Down East Ski Club Board Meeting.

Hut:
The heart and soul of the DESC is often thought to be our lodge at the base of the Shawnee Peak ski area. The “hut” is open during ski season Friday night through Sunday afternoon and on long holiday weekends or school vacation weeks. Saturday nights a community meal is organized by the hutmaster on duty for the weekend. Hut use is limited to members in good standing, having fulfilled membership commitments.