Risk & Business Magazine F.A. Peabody Insurance Fall 2016 | Page 31

Big Rock
Ski Area

Happy Trails To You

B

Travis Kearney

ig Rock Ski Area in Mars Hill was established in 1959
when selected as the highest eastern location to raise a
flag in honor of our two newest states: Alaska and Hawaii.
With that notoriety the owner of the land, Wendell
Pierce, installed a Poma lift and operated Mars Hill
Skiway of Aroostook for the next 39 years. In the 1980’s, the name
was changed to Big Rock after a local naming contest. By 2013, Big
Rock transitioned to a local community non-profit group and is now
managed by Wendell Pierce’s grandson, Travis Kearney.
A ski area could simply not function without things that roll!
Snowmaking, grooming and lift operations all require wheels and
pulleys. In addition, mountain biking and tubing are new activities
that require the ‘Wheel’. Because seasonal businesses have a short
operating period, Big Rock is expanding its operating season to
increase revenue by promoting various year round events. In 2014,
the Mars Hill Mountain Challenge, a combined hiking & obstacle
race, was created and has grown to over 200 challengers. Another
popular event taking place in October is Rocktoberfest. This is a
daylong event with mountain races, silent auction, live music, dinner
and deals on ski passes. Corporate sponsorships and volunteers also
help meet its budget challenges.
Big Rock has also implemented a Ski for Life program, which
provides students in the fifth grade with transportation to the
mountain, ski tickets and rental gear for a very low price. The ski
area’s goal is to attract 17,000 - 21,000 skiers, snowboarders and
tubers in 2017. Travis and his staff are predominantly targeting the
12 to 30 age demographic. Travis runs a Facebook page and is now
incorporating a Big Rock Snapchat account to target that age group.
This all adds up to smoother trails for Big Rock going forward. +

BY: JULIE BRADSTREET CIC,
BRANCH MANAGER

Central Aroostook
Snowmobile Club
Always Well Groomed

M

aine has 14,000 miles of groomed snowmobile
trails including 4,000 miles of Interconnected
Trail System (ITS). The ITS trails connect the state
of Maine from Fort Kent to Kittery in a similar
fashion to the highway system. Maine’s trail system
is maintained by over 280 Maine Snowmobile Association Clubs
throughout the state by volunteer efforts. No state general fund
money is used to support the trail system; rather the funding is based
upon user pay revenues with a grant funding program. All funding
for trail maintenance is derived through a very minor portion of the
gas tax, snowmobile registration fees and donations.
The economic impact of snowmobiling to Maine’s economy is
staggering. In the most recent study, conducted in 1998 by the
University of Maine and Maine Snowmobile Association, it revealed
the economic impact of snowmobiling on the state’s economy to be
$261 million. That same study also showed 69,000 snowmobiles
were registered to Maine residents and 6,500 to non-Maine residents
in a year.
John Bailey, president of the Central Aroostook Snowmobile Club
(CASC) located in Mars Hill, is quick to point out that it requires
extensive volunteer hours to maintain trails. He stated “the
dedication level is very high in these clubs, with people grooming
the trails until 3:00 am after having worked all day only to return
to work the next day.” They do it for the love of the sport and
the recognition of the importance of snowmobiling to the local
economy. It’s also an expensive enterprise to maintain a club’s
buildings and grooming equipment. In 2015, CASC purchased a new
trail groomer and drag at a price tag just shy of $200,000.
The biggest challenge for snowmobile clubs remains weather
dependence, as witnessed by the extreme disparities in Maine’s past
two winters. Meeting that challenge is all part of staying on track.+

Julie is an agent for personal and commercial insurance and
branch manager for F. A. Peabody Insurance. She is a Certified
Insurance Counselor.

FALL 2016

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