Snowmobilers and backcountry skiers working together to revive lost Maine ski area

GBA operations nanager Colin Higdon places a blue blaze on the skin track at Burnt Meadow Mountain. (Andy Gagne Photography)

You have to see it to believe it.

That’s how the unlikely alliance between a snowmobile club and backcountry earn-your-turners came together in Brownfield, Maine, where — together — they are breathing new life into a lost ski area and creating shared human-powered and motorized winter recreational opportunities that are accessible for families.

The partnership between the Burnt Meadow Sno Club and Granite Backcountry Alliance coalesced this past summer at the site of the former Burnt Meadow Mountain Zodiac Skiway in Brownfield, located near the Maine-New Hampshire border. The small ski area — one lift, four trails and 700 feet of vertical — operated between 1971 and 1982 before several bad snow years and nearby competition forced its closure.

Revitalizing the ski area as an economic catalyst for the community has been the vision of Dick Norcross, chairman of the Brownfield Board of Selectmen and 50-year member (including 20 years as president) of Burnt Meadow Sno Club. The club has a five-year lease from the property owners to utilize and manage the ski area as it sees fit. They currently maintain the old ski lodge and more than 40 miles of snowmobile trails, as well as multi-use trails for non-motorized winter activities. (You can find complete information about the project at burntmeadow.org.) 

But reopening the overgrown ski trails for backcountry use was only possible after Norcross and Brian Desmarais, Burnt Meadow property manager and project coordinator, convinced GBA president Tyler Ray to visit the site. The GBA later held its board meeting at the base building, after which things really started to move. GBA volunteers showed up in force at the site for two glade days.

“Tyler and that group is just awesome to work with,” Norcross said. “They showed up with 80 people the first time to clear the trails, and I mean, that’s just amazing. For snowmobiles and skiers to get along … it’s never been that way. We all have the same goal of getting out in the snow in the winter, and I think it’s going to work awesome together. I just think this can be utilized for a lot of recreation for the townspeople.”

Desmarais, a lifetime snowmobiler, skier and snowboarder from Haverhill, Mass., and Conway, N.H., was an important catalyst to getting the partnership off the ground. Understanding Norcross’ vision, he helped the snowmobile club revitalize its brand and website to be more reflective of its multi-use recreational mission. He also helped set up the club’s non-profit status, opening the flow for donations to support the project. When a friend suggested reaching out to Ray and GBA, Desmarais knew little about what the alliance did.

“So, eventually Tyler got back to me and I think at first he thought we were riding snowmobiles on the mountain, like that was our system,” Desmarais said. “So, we went over it and I’m like, ‘It’s not what you think. You’ve got to come see it, it’s very different.’ Yes, we’re snowmobiles, but I see this whole other use of the mountain that has nothing to do with snowmobiling.”

In addition to clearing on the four existing trails, including one being rerouted away from the snowmobile areas, a new fifth glade was cut at the ski area. Some snowmobile bridges were also rebuilt.

“Really, without GBA coming in with that cut and getting this thing going, I don’t know how we would have got this done. If this whole Lemony Snickets of events did not occur and we didn’t get hooked up, we would just have this lodge sitting there with a mountain that can’t be used. But today, you can go ski it.”

The lynchpin for the whole project is restoring the base lodge, including reinstalling the missing sundeck across the back. “We’ve already got some good support for that,” Desmarais said. “We’ve got people who donated the windows. We’ve got people donating the lumber. We’ve got some people donating their skills.”

Some in town are showing up with original ski area memorabilia that will be displayed to highlight the local history. Members found the original rope tow pads, and the plan is to clean it and get the rope tow back open for the community to help teach kids how to ski, or to go tubing or sledding. Desmarais, who collects and refurbishes old snowcats, also hopes to fold in some vintage grooming demonstrations at Burnt Meadow to raise awareness about the history of winter recreation in the area. 

“The town’s been really supportive,” Desmarais said. “We’ve got plowed parking, we have a beautiful wood stove, we’ve got two cords of wood we just stacked in there. We’re just trying to let people around know that this is what it could be.

“Now, all we need is snow.”