Standing outside the Black Mountain Ski Lodge are, from left, Deanna Kersey, marketing director; Roger Arsenault, chairman of the board of directors; Sherry Milligan of the board of directors, with Coco; and Jim Carter, ski manager. Bruce Farrin/Rumford Falls Times

RUMFORD — Black Mountain of Maine has received a $1.2 million grant that will enable the ski area to make snow faster and hopefully lengthen their ski season, according Roger Arsenault, chairman of the board of directors.

“This means better snow and earlier opening on everyone’s favorite trails. These upgrades will take our snowmaking capabilities to the next level. We’re talking a longer season with more snow coverage,” he said.

The work is expected to begin in the summer of 2025, with the intention to have everything in place for the 2025/26 ski season.

The mountain received $483,000 from Northern Borders Regional Commission to purchase 14 new snowmaking guns.

The second grant was $775,000 from Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS). The ski area is also going to at least double the size of the snowmaking pond so it will have an ample water supply to make the snow. Office manager Todd Reutlinger did the application work for these competitive grants.

Arsenault said they’ve wrapped up the required federal environmental review for the NBRC grant, signed on with Maine Land Development for the pond engineering, and started surveying. These are matching grants, and the board of directors has about 65% already committed out of the $150,000 needed.

He said the new fixed snow guns will be placed on the St. John and Allagash trails, which are the most popular at the mountain. “When there’s snow on it, that’s where everyone is. And when there’s snow on it, I think sales are good.”

Deanna Kersey, marketing director, said one of the questions she gets at the beginning of each season, before they announce the trails are open, is “Is the Allagash open? On an intermediate level, it’s a great way to get down (the mountain).”

Arsenault said that with this new expansion, “We’ll have what’s called power guns …When we’re all said and done, we’d be able to push a button and start snowmaking on the Allagash with less manpower than we need now. And we’d be able to cover that trail in a much shorter amount of time.”

Nine of Black Mountain’s 13 snow guns are lined up Oct. 14, in advance of the coming ski season. Next year the ski mountain will add 14 new stationary snow guns, increasing the ski area’s snowmaking capabilities.  Bruce Farrin/Rumford Falls Times

Also, the 13 snow guns at Black Mountain now can be fixed and not have to be moved around.

Along with the grant to increase the size of the snowmaking pond, Arsenault said Black Mountain will install brand-new snowmaking pumps and a state-of-the-art pumphouse, with one to three pumps and room for a fourth in the future.

“What we’ll have is adequate horsepower to do the entire mountain, and be able to make more snow quicker because of the pressure and the gallons per minute. We’ll probably use as much power, or a little more, but a heck of a lot less labor,” said Arsenault.

He said a longer season would add to Black Mountain’s bottom line and “change our financial picture. We’ll be more stable.”

But Arsenault cautioned that in the end, it’s a business that is still weather dependent.

Jim Carter, the ski area’s manager for 15 years, said the construction work over the summer will not affect events taking place at the ski lodge. He said that the season for the popular tubing park will also be longer, and it certainly will open earlier.

Arsenault added, “There’s a lot of calls for it (tubing) for Christmas vacation. Right now, that’s pretty much the last thing that gets open.”

Carter said, “With the new system, we’ll be able to produce more snow faster, especially during those colder nights.”

Arsenault said, “Even though the snow isn’t perfect in December, people are just chomping at the bit to get out. Two weeks before the holiday, and guaranteeing the holiday, weather permitting, is a big deal.”

A live fundraising auction is planned for Nov. 16 at the ski lodge, with proceeds going toward the capital campaign project, Kersey. “We’ve gotten a lot of donations for that.”

To donate, she said items can be dropped off at the mountain, or at Davis Florists on Congress Street in Rumford. Donations made by Nov. 1 are guaranteed a mention on Facebook about their business.

Examples of donations include gift certificates, rafting trips, fishing trips, art and handmade items.

Kersey said there is a place on the Black Mountain of Maine website to make donations, or donors can mail a check or drop it off at the mountain.

For this ski season, Black Mountain is planning for a Dec. 26 opening, which coincides with the schools’ Christmas vacation.

Arsenault pointed out the large trail (Androscoggin) directly behind the lodge, which is the first trail open for the season. “The reason is that on Dec. 15, we’ll try to do the (snowmobile) hill climb. It’s a profit center for us and also goodwill to the snowmobile industry when there’s no snow elsewhere.”

“We’re here for the community,” he said. “We appreciate the local support. We’re a nonprofit.”