MARS HILL, Maine — Though opening day at Bigrock Mountain is still months away, officials are hard at work as the summer maintenance program is in full swing.
“We currently have been working on building maintenance, getting the hill mowed for the first time, and our regular lift maintenance,” said Ryan Guerrette, operations manager. “We have also been working on our events calendar.”
Bigrock’s next fund-raising event will be the Mars Hill Mountain Challenge, a 5-kilometer adventure/obstacle race. Scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 13, the challenge features the alpine terrain of Bigrock Mountain Ski Area with a variety of natural and man-made obstacles over the course with plenty of elevation gain.
“If you’re looking for an event that will push you to the limit, this is for you,” said Guerrette.
“This will be a great use of the facilities during the off season, and has the potential to be good fundraiser,” said General Manager Bill Getman, noting that the race is Bigrock’s version of the Sunday River Tough Mountain Challenge.
Getman said while Bigrock is in a better place financially, it’s not yet where it needs to be in order to be self-sustaining.
“To get there, we continue to aggressively control expenses. We are doing a lot of maintenance this summer, with much of the work and products being donated or discounted,” he said. “In addition to controlling expenses, the Mountain will need to continue to fund raise, and the continued support of the Bigrock Nation.”
Two years ago, Bigrock incorporated an aggressive pricing structure with the goal of attracting more skiers to the mountain that would, in turn, generate more revenue, and hopefully lead to breaking even or making a profit.
“More skiers did come to Bigrock, but the Mountain ended up losing almost $250,000 during the 2012-13 season. The future of Bigrock was in serious doubt, as it was clear that the Mountain was going to lose its funding, and was moving toward an independent entity that would be locally controlled,” said Getman. “The Friends of Bigrock was established to keep the Mountain viable, and through the incredible generosity given by local businesses and individuals, over $200,000 was raised that allowed Bigrock to open for the 2013-14 season.
“Last year we reluctantly moved away from the aggressive pricing of the prior year to close the operating losses that we had been experiencing,” he said. “The area was blessed with a great snow year, and the Bigrock Nation responded in kind by frequenting the Mountain often. This current year we will have a deficit, but it is manageable, and we are getting close to break even.”
Getman said, as in any business, the work never ends.
“The outpouring of support and generosity of last year has allowed Bigrock to remain open. The Mountain has been an icon of the area for over 60 years, and is striving to be a self-sustaining area icon for the next 60 years,” he said. “The support and generosity of the Bigrock Nation has gotten us to this point, and we invite everyone to get involved in our journey moving forward.”
In addition to the Mars Hill Mountain Challenge, the second annual Rocktoberfest will be held Saturday, Oct. 18. Last year’s event raised more than $10,000.
“We will also be selling chair and tower sponsorships that will go toward our groomer/equipment fund to help cover the expensive maintenance that is required on these items,” said Getman. “We are pursuing a way that will allow us to reconfigure and reopen the tubing park. Other fund-raising ideas are being explored that we think will keep Bigrock relevant and viable well into the future.”
Bigrock Mountain will open for another ski season — weather permitting — Saturday, Dec. 13.
For more information on Bigrock and the Mars Hill Mountain Challenge, log onto www.bigrockmaine.com or call Guerrette at 227-8165.
