Ask many Aroostook County skiers when they love to start hitting the slopes, and they’ll likely say during the holidays.
That will be a challenge this year after the thaw from the Dec. 18 rain storm.
Large and isolated Aroostook County depends on winter activities to keep its economy going. That’s usually not difficult, as residents and visitors flock to the region’s ski venues and wide network of snowmobile trails. But recent warm, wet weather has laid waste to what snow there was, and put seasonal recreation in jeopardy.
Some of the big ski areas in western Maine were forced to close for several days this week because of road damage and snow melt from Monday’s wind and rainstorm. But the Sugarloaf, Sunday River and Saddleback ski areas have the ability to make their own snow and were planning to reopen by this weekend.
The Fort Kent Outdoor Center, a popular cross-country skiing site, reported on social media Wednesday that the rain damaged its trails to the point skiing isn’t possible, and urged people to do their best “snow dance.”
“People should snow-dance their hearts out. We need it,” said Josh Stahl, director of outdoor programming at the Presque Isle Recreation Department, which oversees the Nordic Heritage Outdoor Center. At the moment, no winter activities are possible at the center, he said.
Winter recreation brings abundant visitors and a huge economic boon statewide. Snowmobiling contributed $606 million to Maine in 2019, according to the most recent University of Maine data. Skiing brings the state about $1 billion a year, according to BigRock Mountain Ski Area in Mars Hill.
People visiting Aroostook spent nearly $161 million in 2022, up 13 percent from 2021, according to the Maine Office of Tourism. In both 2021 and 2022, more than half of those visiting Aroostook participated in outdoor activities.
Monday’s storm left hundreds of thousands of Mainers in the dark, felled numerous trees and caused flooding and other damage, with central and southern portions of the state faring the worst. Some Mainers are still without power. Gov. Janet Mills declared a state of emergency following the storm.
Aroostook County saw downed trees and experienced some power losses, but the area has recovered — except for the landscape. It isn’t white anymore.
Even a smaller amount of snow would help the Nordic center, Stahl said. A paved loop encircles the facility that doesn’t need a lot of snow to prepare it for skiing. That trail was open until Monday’s rain.
But most of the center’s trails are among trees and on grass, so in order to operate the large groomer without tearing up the terrain, the ground needs to freeze again and the area needs some serious snow, Stahl said.
“Whatever snow that was available has really been diminished for everybody, including the ski resorts, so that’s another challenge for those folks,” said weather service meteorologist Louise Fode.
There’s no snow anticipated within the next few days, Fode said.
Daytime temperatures are expected to fall into the 20s, then rise into the 30s starting Christmas Eve, according to the National Weather Service’s Caribou forecast. Those mid-30s are on tap through Thursday, and the next chance of snow is Tuesday night into Wednesday.
Christmas break is an important part of BigRock Mountain’s revenue and it’s a letdown they couldn’t have opened earlier, but sometimes Mother Nature isn’t on the same clock, said Aaron Damon, the ski area’s assistant general manager.
Fortunately, the mountain makes its own snow, and crews are preparing trails for an anticipated Dec. 27 opening.
“Everybody got a lot of rain, but we didn’t get the devastation it caused some of our fellow ski areas,” Damon said. “On the upside, it filled up our snowmaking ponds and that water will be turned right back into snow.”
The center is recovering more quickly thanks to some demonstration snow guns on site in connection with upcoming upgrades. Staff are testing them to see which ones work best, Damon said.
BigRock started its capital campaign two years ago to bring a new quad chairlift to the mountain. Thanks to an infusion of federal money and other grants, improvements will also add more snowmaking equipment and infrastructure improvements.
The next step will be putting out a request for proposal for the installation of the chairlift as well as snow making modifications and site improvements. The mountain plans to quadruple its snow making capability, which will allow it to open sooner and stay open later in the season, Damon said.
This isn’t the first time weather has stalled opening day. Two years ago, the ski area didn’t open until Jan. 1.
In the meantime, staff are packing trails, using their own equipment and testing demo guns, including a pole gun, which can distribute snow right on trails where it’s needed, Damon said.
“We’ve just got a great group of guys out there working and getting those guns running,” he said. “We’re hoping to be open for Christmas break.”
