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| Bald Mountain |
| Dedham, Maine |
| Status: |
Lost/Defunct
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| First Season: | 1950s |
| Last Season: | 1972-73 |
| Vertical Drop: | 600 feet |
| Standing Lifts: | |
| Past Lifts: | 1 double, 1 T-Bar, surface lifts |
| Left: Skiing at Bald Mountain in the 1960s |
| Recent NewEnglandSkiIndustry.com News:
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Located outside of Bangor, 1,261 foot Bald Mountain in Dedham was once home to an alpine ski area.
PVSC Rope Tow
Lift served skiing at Bald Mountain in Dedham dates back to 1950, when Penobscot Valley Ski Club President Walter "Slim" Melvin moved a rope tow there from Kings Mountain in Orrington. A warming hut was constructed at the foot of the tow two years later.
Early in the morning of April 11, 1961, an Air Force F-101B Voodoo en route to Dow Air Force Base in Bangor crashed into the Kench Mountain subpeak of Bald Mountain. A search and rescue party, hampered by rain and two feet of snowpack, found the bodies of the pilot and radar intercept officer later that morning.
Expansion and Debt
The 1971 Bald Mountain brochure |
After operating for nearly two decades as a rope tow area, a major investment was made for the 1967 season. A $337,000 Farmers Home Administration loan was obtained, funding the installation of a Hall T-Bar and double chairlift, the latter climbing 456 vertical feet. Funds were also reportedly used to expand parking and construct a three million gallon pond for a future snowmaking system.
Notable trails included the 'narrow, twisting challenge' named Bumper Scraper and the novice 1.5 mile Scenic View run. Circa 1969, Gilbert Roderick took over as General Manager.
Another major investment was made for the 1970-71 season, when a $140,000 Linde snowmaking system was installed on the night skiing trails. Despite promising a season from early December to April courtesy the 'latest and most sophisticated' system from the German manufacturer, the installation reportedly had significant issues.
Foreclosure
Bald Mountain in 2014 |
Unfortunately for the ownership, the added debt soon took down Bald Mountain Corp., resulting in the Farmers Home Administration foreclosing on the $400,000 in debt. Bald Mountain likely closed in 1973.
Former Ambassador, IBM World Trade Corporation President, Smugglers Notch owner, and Camden resident Arthur "Dick" Watson bought the foreclosed property from the Farmers Home Administration in the spring of 1974 and donated the lifts to the Camden Snow Bowl. The lifts were installed on the Snow Bowl's lower mountain in 1975.
Since then, the Bald Mountain base lodge has been torn down and the abandoned slopes have gradually grown in. The ledgy mountain ridge remains a popular hiking destination.
Image Gallery
Lifts
Click on lift name for information and photos
Maps
Year by Year History
Adult Weekend Full Day Lift Ticket; Adult Full Price Unlimited Season Pass. Window price, including RFID fee and taxes when known.
| 1970s |
Ticket Price |
Season Pass Price |
Pass Payback |
Opening Day |
Closing Day |
Skier Visits |
| 1972-73 | $5.50 |  | | | | | | | | | | 1971-72 | $5.50 | | $80.00 | | 14.5 days | | | | | | | 1970-71 | $5.00 | | | | | | | | | | | 1969-70 | $5.00 | | | | | December 20 | | | | |
| 1960s |
Ticket Price |
Season Pass Price |
Pass Payback |
Opening Day |
Closing Day |
Skier Visits |
| 1968-69 | $5.00 | | $80.00 | | 16.0 days | | | | | | | 1959-60 | $2.50 | | | | | | | | | |
Visitor Memories
External Links
Bald Mountain (Dedham) - New England Lost Ski Areas Project
Bald Mountain - Bangor Lost Ski Areas
Bald Mountain - FranklinSites.com Hiking Guide
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Last updated: May 7, 2019
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