South Berwick, Maine- Last night, a ski hill in Maine, opened for the first time this season. No, this isn’t a shitty April Fools’ Joke, as I got that out of the way earlier this week.
A lack of snow this winter throughout the Northeast led some ski hills to open way later than usual. For example, the Mt. Eustis and Vermont’s Lyndon Outing Club opened for one day a few weekends ago following a significant dump. Over at Powderhouse Hill, they weren’t even able to open until last night due to insufficient snowpack. After a snowstorm left behind heavy snow, Powderhouse Hill announced that they were opening Thursday night for skiing and riding.
First opened back in 1939, not much has changed at the ski hill over the years. According to Seacoastonline.com, the 800-foot rope tow is “powered by a 37 horsepower Wisconsin engine mounted on a 1938 Ford truck.” Powderhouse refers to gunpowder, as this was where they had powder house building in the early 1800s. An arsonist lit the building on fire in 1851. The ski hill is owned by the town, and is run by volunteers.
Regarding their operating hours after last night’s operations, it’s unclear if they’ll be spinning the rope tow any further this winter. With the snow likely melting quickly, it’s good that Powderhouse Hill was able to operate for a brief period. We’ll update this post if Powderhouse Hill announces that they’re running the rope tow again.
Image Credits: Powderhouse Hill
