To the editor:
Bigrock Mountain has been an important part of the winter culture of Aroostook County and western New Brunswick for well over 50 years, but it has recently lost its funding from the Portland-based Libra Foundation and continued operation is at risk.
The mountain was once called “Sunshine Peak,” because from early spring to late summer it is the first place in the United States to see the sun. I always liked the name “Sunshine Peak,” but by any name it has been where kids from the region have been introduced to winter sports for generations.
At 980 feet of vertical, Bigrock Mountain is the tallest ski area in northern Maine and the Canadian Maritimes. The Maine Winter Sports Center (MWSC) bought the mountain in 1999 with a grant from the Libra Foundation and together we have invested over $6 million in improvements. We added new beginner/intermediate terrain, serviced by a triple chair, a Magic Carpet lift in the learn-to-ski area, added glade skiing, dramatically expanded snowmaking capacity and lodge seating capacity, we’ve added a pub and paved a parking lot. We also started a new business model based on $15 day tickets and $150 season passes, designed to make skiing accessible to everyone and bring the mountain to financial sustainability.
This summer however, the Libra Foundation decided that after 14 years it wanted to focus on other priorities and has ended funding for the Maine Winter Sports Center’s two alpine ski areas; Black Mountain in Rumford and Bigrock Mountain in Mars Hill. Black Mountain was able to raise $200,000 this summer, leading the MWSC to give the mountain and all its assets as a gift to the non-profit board that has been running the mountain. They announced last month that they will continue operating this season.
The MWSC will not be involved with Bigrock Mountain beyond the middle of September, but before I need to step away I would like to make sure there is a plan, similar to Black Mountain’s, for long-term sustainability. To do so they will need your help. Over my careers with L.L. Bean and the MWSC I have been struck by how many people living in the Portland area, or spread out around the country, have direct ties to The County. I have also been struck by how strong your memories are of your time in The County. While you may have had to leave to pursue your career goals, the sense of community, hospitality and old world values of Aroostook County get into your soul and don’t let go.
Bigrock Mountain is a part of that community and for the families raising their children in the region; it is a big part of what makes The County special. For the hotels, restaurants, gas stations and shops of the region.
Bigrock is also a critical economic engine for the region. I hope you will visit the website www.bigrockmaine.com, enjoy your virtual visit and consider giving a generous gift to help keep the mountain open for the next generation. For a $1,000 gift, we will put your name on one of the mountain’s lift towers and send you one of the nostalgic Bigrock posters. If the mountain does not open you will get your tax-deductible donation back, but I hope you’ll agree that failure is not an option.
Andy Shepard
MWSC president/CEO
Yarmouth
