Powderhouse Ski Hill is all wired up and ready to rock the upcoming winter season, needing only the cooperation of Mother Nature.
A large tree felled by a storm in the spring necessitated updating all electrical wiring on the hill to keep the ski tow operational, according to Nicole Drake, Recreation Department director.
The tree fell on the wires at the top of the hill between the engine house and the so-called “mouse house” where the tow operator sits.
“The wires between (them) were buried to prevent this type of incident from happening again,” Drake said.
All the aging operational wiring from the bottom to the top of the hill also was replaced. The hill has lighting for night skiing.
“We should be able to test it all, and plan to get the rope up during our Powderhouse work day scheduled for Nov. 2,” Drake said. “This keeps us on schedule to get our licensing inspector down here during the month of November so we can apply to the state for our 2025 tramway license.”
A tramway license is required for operation of a tow rope.
Most of the $15,000 expense for the wiring project was covered by a combination of a Federal Emergency Management Agency grant and town insurance, said Drake, with about $1,000 coming from the Powderhouse Hill revenue account.
The hill is owned and insured by the town, and operations are managed by the Recreation Department. Powderhouse Hill Ski Club is a program of SoBo Central, and members volunteer to run the day-to-day activities.
South Berwick enjoys the distinction of having the smallest operating ski hill in Maine and one of the five smallest in the nation.
