CAMDEN, Maine — Imagine using the chair lift at the Camden Snow Bowl to access downhill mountain biking trails, attending a wedding or concert on the mountain, or taking a zipline ride to the next level with a “zip rail” experience.
These are among the potential items envisioned in the Camden Snow Bowl & Ragged Mountain Recreation Area Multi-Season Recreation Master Plan — a plan that is still a work in progress.
The goal is to improve the offerings at the Snow Bowl to make it a year-round destination for tourists and locals, increasing revenues to offset the cost of running the facility, which currently sits idle for most of the year.
Staff and consultants with the Snow Bowl have been working on the plan since at least the fall, work that has been funded through a grant.
Snow Bowl General Manager Jeff Nathan and representatives from SE Group and the Outdoor Sport Institute discussed the plan with the Camden Select Board at its July 8 meeting.
The plan includes a new and expanded lodge next to the existing building and retail space for sporting equipment, sales and rental. It also includes ideas for pavilions and trailheads to be added to the existing infrastructure.
In particular, the plan calls for an increased focus on mountain biking, which is seeing growing popularity and become a strong sport for Camden Hills Regional High School.
The hope is to have experts improve and expand trails for both mountain biking and hiking to accommodate different skill levels. Currently, the trails on the mountain are mostly suited to expert mountain bike enthusiasts. Biking amenities may also include a new asphalt pump track for cyclists where the tennis courts are now located.
The plan would also accommodate things like bike clinics, nature walks and summer scenic lift rides.
Another long-term objective being eyed is an adventure playground including treehouses, rope bridges and even zipline attractions.
Events including weddings, family reunions and concerts could be held at the expanded facility, further increasing year-round activity and revenue.
The Snow Bowl currently hosts a free summer concert series each weekend in August.
Other places with existing ski infrastructure, like East Burke, Vermont, and the Carrabassett Valley in Maine (home to Sugarloaf), have successfully invested in mountain biking to attract summer visitors, while Maine’s Moosehead Lake region is currently trying to follow that playbook.
Utilizing chairlifts for mountain bikers may mean needing to upgrade or replace it in the long term, however.
Select Board Vice Chair Alison McKellar asked questions about the potential need to upgrade the lift. Nathan said increased use of the lift during the warmer months would put more wear and tear on it and could lead to the need for an upgrade.
Another area of concern was the potential elimination of the tennis courts. Select Board member Chris Nolan questioned whether locals would use a pump track as often as they play tennis. It was noted, however, that the tennis courts need repairs anyways. There was also some discussion of possibly establishing tennis courts at Tannery Park.
Steve Kasacek of the Outdoor Sport Institute, a nonprofit organization, discussed the work that should be done on the trails and noted that it is a challenging area with lots of water and drainage issues, in addition to ledge, cliffs, boulders and existing infrastructure. That said, he also said he believes it to be a beautiful and worthwhile spot for trail development.
Kasacek said about 25 percent of the proposed trails would be for bikes only and the rest would have shared uses. The plan would provide extensive hiking opportunities.
McKellar asked if the group had considered other revenue-generating activities such as hosting campsites or RV parks. Ayden Eickenhoff of SE Group said constrained parking and the amount of staffing needed to run a campground had discouraged them from that path.
Chrisso Rheault said he had heard a lot of feedback from residents concerning the plan following the June 26 public meeting on it. He suggested holding another public meeting to allow for some of the questions he has been hearing to be addressed.
The next steps in the process will be to perform a complete financial assessment and provide market data to Camoin Associates for economic impact assessment. A draft plan is expected to be completed around the end of July.
As it was a discussion item rather than an action item at the Select Board meeting, no votes were taken.
This story appears through a media partnership with Midcoast Villager.
