Winter Sport Activities Being Slowed in Maine by Brutal Weather Conditions

Snowboarding and skiing has been difficult in Maine this winter with uncooperative weather.

A skier walks past the main lodge at Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe south of Reno on March 1, 2023. / JASON BEAN/RGJ / USA TODAY NETWORK

Maine is one of the most popular winter destinations for people who enjoy spending time on the mountains skiing and snowboarding. However, there have been a lot of challenges in keeping trails maintained so that people can enjoy winter activities.

The staff at Hermon Mountain have dealt with a fire that ruined their pump house as one of many obstacles to overcome. Thousands of dollars worth of key equipment was destroyed, making an already difficult time that much tougher to deal with.

"I opened the back door and the sky was just an orange glow," owner Bill Whitcomb said, via Drew Peters of NBC News Center Maine. "You know, your engines, your pump and all that, if you don't have it, then you're not making snow," he finished with.

It may surprise some people, but a lot of the snow that is on mountains is manufactured at the pumping houses. Natural snow is certainly helpful, but the consistency is too soft to survive the amount of rain and warm weather that has persisted in the area.

Unseasonable warm temperatures and rain have led to Hermon Mountain having to be closed for days at a time already this winter. That has led to some major challenges keeping up with maintenance, but things have started to turn recently.

Progress is being made with a lot of support from the community wanting to ensure their snowboarding and skiing seasons aren’t derailed any further.

"When we get this trail done and one other trail, plus patching up from the weather, we'll probably be able to cut back to just daytime snowmaking," Whitcomb said, crediting the team's dedication and precise timing for keeping snow on the slopes. "We started at 9 o'clock last night, and we plan on going at least until Monday," he said.

Quarry Road Trails Ski Club in Waterville is experiencing many of the same issues. Snow is being washed away by the constant rain, but the team there is working tirelessly to ensure the mountains are covered appropriately.

"We're primarily making snow overnight and jumping on every opportunity we get with cold weather," program director Jeff Tucker said. "When Mother Nature's not complying, this is what we have to do to make a winter sport possible now."

Their extra efforts have enabled high school competitions to descend upon Waterville as other parts of Maine don’t have the necessary snow totals to host.

"I'm so glad they make snow here. Even Fort Kent didn't have snow, and we were hoping to go there over break," Frida Camacho, a skier on the Brunswick High School team, explained.

Reactions like that are what make all of the extra work and overtime that Whitcomb, Tucker and their staffs are putting in all the more worthwhile.