RUMFORD – A new lodge is in Black Mountain’s future.

Following a meeting of the Maine Winter Sports Center board and Libra Foundation representatives last week, a decision was made to remove the current structure, which is more than 40-years-old, and replace it with a larger, more modern facility, said the director of skiing for the mountain, Pete Phillips.

Although details have yet to be worked out, he said a spring razing is planned, along with paving of the dirt parking lot.

The Maine Winter Sports Center, with the support of the Libra Foundation, bought the family-oriented ski area last year. Other plans for the next year or so include extending the Alpine ski trails and installing two chairlifts.

Phillips said meetings with the architects will reveal the size and style of the new lodge, which will be built in time for the 2004-05 ski season.

The current lodge is not only too small for the expected growth of the mountain, but also would be too costly to bring up to code. “The cost to remodel would be too much,” said Phillips.

Although the exact location of the new lodge has not yet been determined, Phillips said it will likely be built in the vicinity of the old one.

Community help with the new lodge will be needed, said Phillips, although the type of help has not yet been determined.

The Maine Winter Sports Center relies on community help and participation along with funds from the Libra Foundation to bring new life to small ski resorts. They also operate several small ski area in other parts of the state, including northern Maine.

During the past few months, volunteers from the Chisholm Ski Club and other community members have been busy clearing new trails at Black Mountain, fixing up the old lodge, rebuilding the footbridge between the parking lot and lodge, and accomplishing a variety of other tasks at the mountain.

By next season, an additional 700 feet of vertical drop will be added to the 400 feet now. Installation of a new chairlift for novice and intermediate skiers will also be in place, replacing the T-bar lift. Installation of the lift is going on now by a New Hampshire contractor. Several new connecting trails have also been added to the 30 kilometers of cross country trails.

The Black Mountain ski season generally runs from mid-December through mid-March.

eadams@sunjournal.com

Copy the Story Link