Chair lift burns, base structures safe
EBS STAFF
The Sand Creek Fire caused significant damage at Maverick Mountain Ski Area after moving through the resort and surrounding Grasshopper Valley.
Owner and operator Erik Borge said Friday, Aug. 14 in a Facebook post that all structures in the base area, snowcats and other equipment were spared.
The mountain’s only chairlift sustained extensive damage and will likely be out of operation for the upcoming ski season. The structures with the most damage were the bull wheel shack and ski patrol shack, according to JC Knaub, owner Kristi Borge’s father stated in an interview.
“It was a miracle that anything survived,” Knaub said.
“The terrain will not be quite the same but we will embrace new turns,” Borge wrote on Facebook, adding that the owners are committed to rebuilding.
The damage came as the Sand Creek Fire ripped through the area. Firefighters had worked to protect Maverick Mountain and Elkhorn Hot Springs, using water, retardant and overnight crews. Initial reconnaissance at Elkhorn Hot Springs found minimal damage.
The fire was estimated Thursday, Aug. 13 at 27,576 acres and 0% contained, with 527 personnel assigned to the Sand Creek and Bobcat Lakes fires.
“They’re still working, no one’s going home yet,” Knaub said of the firefighting personnel on the scene.
The nearby Elk Horn Hot Springs, also owned by the Borge’s, was protected thanks to fire proofing methods of saturating the grounds and maintaining a wet atmosphere around the buildings with sprinklers.
The Beaverhead County Sheriff’s Office said Friday that residents only in the area immediately below Maverick Mountain could return between 9:30 a.m. and noon to retrieve essential belongings and check their property. The limited access did not lift evacuation orders for the broader Grasshopper Valley area.
Community support has also grown, with the United Way of Beaverhead County establishing a fire relief fund for those affected by the blaze; a Rebuild Maverick Mountain Fund has also been established.
