BDN staff photo/Anthony BrinoMARS HILL — After last year’s mediocre winter, Bigrock Mountain is open early this year with a bounty of natural snow, pent-up-demand from alpine skiers and a new snow tubing hill.
Bigrock Mountain opened five days ahead of schedule on Saturday Dec. 10, with all of its 35 ski trails open — the first time that’s been the case in years, according to Manager Travis Kearney.
The early, snowy start is good news for downhill skiers and snowboarders in northern Maine and New Brunswick, and for Mars Hill and Bigrock, which employs about 50 people, Kearney said.
On its first weekend, the mountain brought a strong turnout, and this Saturday, Dec. 17, Bigrock will be opening access to a new snow tubing hill created this summer to have more gentle rolling speeds than a previous snow tube slope, Kearney said.
“It’s nice to see everything open early,” said Evan Kearney, Travis’ brother and likewise a life-long skier and snowboarder. “Hopefully the snow keeps coming and we’ll get a nice long season. The community could use it. Last year was tough.”
Kearney grew up in Mars Hill and started skiing at a young age, and this year he was was at opening day with his kids, including 6-year-old Warren, who was skiing there for the first time.
Warren got demonstrations of the basics of slowing, stopping and turning in the forgiving learner’s area, the Magic Carpet Ride, and took some slow runs on the lower slopes.
“He’s learning and he’s picking it up pretty quick,” Kearney said.
