Sunday, February 8, 2015, NewEnglandSkiIndustry.com
While it looked like Mt. Eustis was set to defy the odds by coming back from the dead after three decades, a broken generator prevented the portable rope tow from opening to the public as scheduled on February 7. Volunteers quickly scrambled and arranged snowmobile rides to the top for skiers, while the ribbon cutting ceremony was conducted as planned.
According to a Facebook post, "Well the bad news is that the fuel injection pump broke on the generator that runs the rope tow this morning, so we never got it running. The good news is that board member JJ brought his snow machine by and gave everybody a ride all the way to the top of the hill, who wanted one. The ribbon cutting ceremony was awesome!"
A follow up post read: "We are hoping to have the rope tow back up and running by next Saturday but in the mean time...tomorrow we will have the snow machine taking people all the way to the top from noon - 2!"
Located in Littleton, New Hampshire, Mt. Eustis served local skiers for nearly three decades until shutting down in the 1970s. In recent years, local residents and business owners have been working to reopen the ski area. In 2014, the operation received 501(c)(3) non profit status, furthering its ability to raise funds. In addition, Bretton Woods donated a snow cat to the operation, and volunteers and donors helped construct a new warming hut. More recently, new lights were tested, allowing for future night skiing operations. A snowmobile corridor, once climbing directly up the main ski slope, has been remedied with a new eastern reroute. A small portable rope tow has been installed to serve the lower portion of the slope this winter.
