A rope tow will be installed at the former Colby College ski area.
Tuesday, November 30, 2021, NewEnglandSkiIndustry.com
New England will have another ski area operating this winter, as the Waterville, Maine City Council has approved Quarry Road rope tow project.
The Friends of Quarry Road recently announced a successful $22,300 fundraiser for the project, which will receive $20,000 in matching funds from Bill and Joan Alfond Foundation.
A 400 foot long by 75 foot vertical 15 horsepower Towpro portable rope tow will be installed this winter to serve a slope and terrain park. The lift is expected to cost $32,904, plus $15,000 in installation expenses, and is expected to begin operating in mid-January. Existing nordic facility snowmaking equipment will be used to cover the slope.
According to the Friends of Quarry Road, the lift will operate on weekends with $10 day tickets and $50 season passes. Arrangements are being made for learn-to-ski lessons and rentals.
A future phase could include the installation of a T-Bar and construction of a lodge. The rope tow could be relocated in the future as well.
As reported in 2017, Friends of Quarry Road worked with the SE Group to see if it would be feasible to reopen the defunct Colby College ski area in Waterville. According to the Friends of Quarry Road, a rope tow was first opened at the hill in the 1930s. A 235 vertical foot Hall T-Bar was installed in 1963, debuting in January 1964. According to the New England Lost Ski Areas Project, the ski area closed in the 1970s.
