FARMINGTON — The slope is covered in drying, late-summer grass. The lodge is empty and lacks the commotion of a winter day. It will be months before Titcomb Mountain welcomes skiers and riders for another season.
A new book by Megan Roberts, “Titcomb, a Mountain of Ski Memories,” will soon be launched giving those with any connection or interest in the mountain, ski history, or winter sports something more immediate to look forward to.
The 112-page hardcover book features the history of what locals call “The Friendliest Mountain Around.” It is brimming with 150 color and black and white photos depicting Titcomb Mountain and the Farmington Ski Club’s 80 year history.
The book is set to be launched Sunday, Oct. 14, at Titcomb from 1-5 p.m. Books will be available for sale and Roberts will be signing them and answering any questions. The cost of the book is $37, including tax.
Roberts noted the launch is scheduled in connection with Titcomb’s annual work party when volunteers will be getting everything ready for the upcoming season.
“I grew up on Titcomb Mountain,” said Roberts. “My sisters and I came here all the time. This is where I learned to ski.”
Life took Roberts far from Titcomb, but never far from a ski slope.
In high school, she competed in U.S. Ski Association races. She continued racing in college, where she majored in Physical Education and minored in Ski Coaching.
“After college I went out west. Friends dropped me off at the laundromat in Breckenridge, Colorado and they headed back east,” Roberts stated.
She kept close to the ski industry, taking on various positions in ski businesses across the country. She was a coach, an instructor and an administrator.
The desire to own property eventually drove her back to Maine; first to the coast, and finally back to Farmington.
“I love Maine. It is where my heart is and without this mountain, I wouldn’t have lived the life I had,” Roberts said.
In 2000, Roberts became manager of Titcomb Mountain, a position she held for four years. She returned again as manager in 2013 for another four year stint before retiring in 2017.
“Titcomb, A Mountain of Memories” was many years in the making, but Roberts began a serious push for a fall release this summer.
Roberts poured through 80 years of club meeting minutes; 3,000 pages in all. She interviewed people, spent hours researching, and collected stories and photographs in hopes of giving an accurate written and visual history.
“No story is ever complete. You always leave something out. The great news about this story is that it isn’t fading away like some of the other smaller ski areas,” Roberts stated.
Book signings are also scheduled at Farmington Public Library on Thursday, Oct. 25 from 6-7 p.m. and at the Titcomb Mountain Ski Sale at Mt. Blue High School on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 2-3.
The book will also be available at Titcomb Mountain or by contacting Roberts at 778-2964 or skionpublications@gmail.com.
dmenear@franklinjournal.com
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