The first thing I did when planning my trip to Saddleback Maine was to punch the address into my maps AP and click “Go.”

Five hours from my South of Boston home. Is a winter ski trip to a northern Maine resort worth that kind of effort, I wondered? Shouldn’t that kind of travel be reserved for a “destination” resort?

Probably, but here’s what I learned by going: “Destination resort” isn’t as much about villages and shopping or snowcat tours and yurt dinners as it is about pure experience. I took the ride back to Saddleback and discovered – to my delight—it was more than a journey; it was a journey worth taking.

Saddleback sits in the middle of one of Maine – and perhaps the nation’s – most lovely spots: the Rangeley Lakes area. It’s been a ski destination since 1960 when a single T-bar lift was installed. Since then, it’s had its share of challenges including an Appalachian Club battle that stalled expansion for nearly three decades and most recently a multi-year shutdown as it awaited new ownership.

But it’s back, operating since December 2020. My first visit since that reopening reminded me of one simple truth: Saddleback, in its simplicity and beauty, is a trip worth taking.

I headed out my first morning – a quiet Wednesday – clicking into my skis just outside the door of my adorable slopeside A-Frame in a brand-new little hamlet tucked into the lower part of the mountain.

I carved down to the quad that takes lower mountain guests up to the base and doubles as a lovely beginner area lift. As I rose toward my ski day, sun in my face, I didn’t mind the slow lift. What lay ahead of me, after all, was all sunshine, corduroy and joy. Anticipation can be fun.

The new owners have upgraded most of the lifts and I found the Rangeley High Speed Quad, your direct route to the upper mountain, quick and seamless.

Saddleback’s trails date back decades, for the most part, and that means they’re designed in a way I – a semi-old-school skier –  love. There are two main sections to ski, each with a kind of boulevard/show off-trail down the middle with winding, narrower, woodsy trails branching out on either side of them.

Those trails alone make it super fun to ski. You can take the same right or left off the lift time after time and find unique ways to take each run. It’s like a cool puzzle that fits together in oh-so-many different ways; creating a new picture each time. I love it, and on this windless and sunny day, I lap, lap and lap.

It’s a special day in that way. The sun is warm but the air is cold enough to keep the snow crisp. The trees are thick with glistening white in a way I’ve seldom seen. I’m told that a fog a few days back had formed moisture on the trees, freezing a new layer each day. It looks like the way we think the North Pole should look.

Under my edges, the snow is pristine. I’d seen the groomers up all night. Their work was impressive: Nearly 100 percent open, trails groomed just right and here and there, natural snow to play in. It’s delicious.

Someone had told me to take “America” first; a meandering trail off the Kennebago Quad. I obey and am immediately thrilled. While it’s not a nailbiter of a trail, it’s a must-do not just for its winding beauty, but for its perhaps unmatched views.

I spot Mount Washington in its white-topped glory at one point, and I can see the trails of Sunday River so clearly I try to wave to my friend Marti who I know is skiing there.

I stop and soak it in; wildly shaped white glistening trees; endless views of snow-covered lakes, white peaks and rolling Maine mountains, and I breathe deep. A man who’d stopped next to me smiled.

“Wow,” I said to him, his helmet stickers telling me he’s a regular. “This is a once in a lifetime day, right? How lucky are we?”

He smiled at me and pushed off to take on the run, saying over his shoulder, “At Saddleback, we call this Wednesday!”

Now that’s a destination.

It’s too great a day to spend too much time in the base lodge, but I recall that Saddleback’s is a favorite of mine, so when it’s time to rest, I’m glad. The huge stone fireplace still crackles with a real wood fire, and while seating is somewhat sparse, I find a spot. Surrounded by locals and racers for the day’s downhill event, I’m in the thick of the loyalists. They’re noshing on ham sammies brought from home. I’m snacking on cookies freshly baked by the adorable Kate’s Bakes Desserts in the base lodge. They are just right with my warm coffee.

This being a weekday, I never wait in line for a lift. But I’m told that even on busy weekend, when the lines may stretch a bit, things spread out on the trails -where it matters. Saddleback utopia for tree skiing, with easy spots to start in and gnarly spots to prove your worth. Skiers scatter throughout, even on busy days.

Are there things Saddleback needs? Sure. The baselodge could use more seating. Their on-snow signage needs updating (I’m told that’s coming soon). But those are tiny little things that don’t come near overshadowing the beauty of it all.

Heading home, that same long drive, rather than sigh at the time needed, my husband and I plot our return.

Charm, beauty, great snow and nice people. Saddleback, despite its rural setting, is destination skiing at its best.