Maverick Mountain Ski Area — one of Montana’s oldest community ski hills, operating since 1946 — lost its only chairlift and a third of its terrain to the Sand Creek Fire this month. The Dillon Jaycees, the nonprofit organization that has managed Maverick’s youth ski program since 1955, needs help rebuilding. The organization is trying to raise $2 million to get Maverick Mountain back up and running as soon as possible.
The Sand Creek Fire started Aug. 1 south of Wisdom. Montana, and reached the ski area, which is home to one chairlift, 24 runs and 2,020 vertical feet of terrain, on Aug. 10. The fire destroyed the recently built ski patrol building at mountain top as well as the resort’s communications infrastructure. It also burned through a third of the resort’s terrain and caused major damage to the only chairlift, the Maverick Double.
Firefighters managed to save a large portion of the ski area, including the base lodge and grooming machines.
As of Aug. 24, the fire had burned approximately 33,088 acres and was 14 percent contained. Evacuation orders remain in effect for Maverick Mountain and Elkhorn Hot Springs.
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“If I have anything left, I’ll be coming back to a mess,” Maverick Mountain co-owner Erik Borge told Montana Free Press. “Right now, it’s about taking care of our community, taking care of our people. Then it’s a matter of putting the pieces back together.”
To essentially rebuild, Maverick must replace approximately 11,000 feet of the chairlift’s haul rope, at least 18 lift towers, top and bottom terminals, 120 quad chairs, the AC drive and electrical and communications lines. Depending on helicopter time, the estimated cost of the fixed-grip chair installation is $2 to $2.5 million, while the estimated cost of a new chairlift is $4.5 million. Fire insurance will offset part of the cost, but will fall significantly short of the total.
The Dillon Jaycees, which runs Maverick Mountain’s Little Skiers program, bringing about 250 local children to the mountain every season, is heading up the fundraising effort, Friends of Maverick Mountain.
The Friends of Maverick Mountain aim to rebuild the ski area as quickly as possible. Donations can be made to friendsofmaverickmountain.org.