RUMFORD – Lift chairs, steel towers and two nearly 12-foot in diameter bull wheels rest at the bottom of Black Mountain. And soon, work will begin on the installation of a new chairlift that will take skiers up the small, family-oriented mountain.

The last of the massive chairlift parts arrived from Bretton Woods in New Hampshire Friday afternoon. The 1983 model chairlift had been used there for four years. The existing T-bar will remain in place.

“Everything is falling into place,” said Black Mountain Manager Jeff Knight.

The new lift is a 1,200-foot double chairlift for novice and intermediate skiers. It’s a major change since the Maine Winter Sports Center purchased the mountain. The final paperwork to seal the deal happened about 10 days ago, said Peter Phillips, director of skiing.

Plans are to hire a lift-installer by Sept. 1. Installation is expected to take 45 days. Each part of the lift will be painted in the colors of Mountain Valley High School, blue and silver.

But at least as important as the arrival of the chairlift is the help of volunteers. That’s part of the requirements of the Maine Winter Sports Center. The nonprofit bought the mountain with a grant from the Portland-based Libra Foundation. But part of the deal is community involvement.

Knight said he has a list of about 100 volunteers willing to put in some hours to help renovate and rejuvenate the lodge, trails and to help with some of the many other jobs such as painting, carpentry and general fix-up. Later, volunteers will be needed to sell tickets and food and to serve on a ski patrol.

But more are needed. Eventually, Phillips said teams of volunteers will be formed to take on some of the many tasks at the mountain.

Some volunteers this summer, most from the Chisholm Ski Club, helped cut an Alpine trail. More preparation work to extend the vertical elevation of the mountain will be ongoing. It is hoped that an appropriate chairlift to reach the top of the alpine slope will be installed next summer.

Phillips said he will soon begin speaking to groups and civic organizations about the plans for the mountain and to look for sponsors for the the various components of the new chairlift. Businesses or organizations could sponsor a chair or a tower. With that sponsorship, they would get an advertisement of their firm or organization attached to the item.

A public informational meeting to update residents on progress at the mountain will likely be held sometime in autumn.

Anyone wishing to volunteer may phone Knight at 364-8977 or Phillips at 364-0882.

eadams@sunjournal.com

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