After @NewEnglandSkier13 mentioned it a few weeks back I had to find more info out about the ski hill out behind CHS because I had no idea it existed.
I finally got around to calling today and spoke with CHS’s Athletic Director, Evan Graves. The exact details were somewhat fuzzy, but the hill was constructed sometime around 2004 by a local construction company using some excess fill dirt. The owner of the company (I missed the name) has a background in skiing and racing and saw it as a way to help the school out. He also helped source the lift, which was/is a used O’Connor handle tow. The lift was installed the same year that the hill was created. Details on where the lift came from seem to have been lost to history, but Evan said he’d ask about the lift next time he saw him and get back to me.
Evan didn’t know offhand, but USGS topo maps show that the hill is approximately 80-85′ of vertical. I managed to find their tramway certificate using the state’s search under “Eastern Aroostook RSU 39”, certificate TT6864. That lists the installed length as 800′ and a 200ft/min speed. The hill is more or less the same 800′ length. The lift had a valid certificate beginning 11/03/2004 so presumably the hill was operational for the 2004-2005 season.
The hill is closed to the public and currently used for basically two groups: the school’s alpine race program and a “gate training” rec program that’s basically a “how to race” intro. The lift spins with no schedule, more or less spinning as needed by those two users or any other time a few of the volunteers want to get together and run it for a specific use.
The school/program has an older PistenBully that they use to groom both the immediately adjacent XC trails and the ski hill itself as needed. There are also a couple snowmobiles with drags that get used on the XC trails but have been used on the hill as well. All volunteer efforts.
They have snowmaking capability but haven’t used it in many years and it is currently natural snow only. The last time snowmaking was used it was to make piles to push out on the XC trails.
Just for some more info: the XC trails there are open to the general public and also serve as summer running trails. Apparently the Maine Winter Sports Center put quite a bit of money into the trails back when they were actively giving grants/around. The trails themselves are on 5 abutting landowner’s property that they allow the school to use and maintain.
I took the following pictures when I visited the hill… a while ago. Whoever maintains the NewEnglandSkiHistory site can feel free to use the pictures or info above if they’d like – I’ve found it an invaluable site in the past for Maine ski area info and I’m 99% sure it’s someone here.
Hill looking down from midpoint:
Hill looking up from midpoint:
Top drive of handle tow:
Bottom return wheel of handle tow:
Snowmaking equipment:
