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February 02, 2010 -
CAMDEN -- It's small, it's local, it's cheap, and right now, quite frankly, kind of run-down.
But man, do the people of Camden love their Snow Bowl.
The Camden Snow Bowl is only a small recreation area, but with its history, character and legendary ocean views, locals have no doubt they'll raise $6.5 million to give this loved patchwork of hills and forest a big facelift.
The recreational area is now owned by the town, but it was run by a club for years after it opened in 1936, the same year as the first winter carnival in Camden. It is believed to be the only ski area in North America that overlooks the ocean besides Whistler Blackcomb Ski Resort, site of the 2010 Winter Olympics.
And it's got both character and history.
The Snow Bowl's 1941 winter carnival included the world's largest bobsled, the Miss Maine, which could hold 113 people.
Today's version highlights the toboggan chute, which was built in 1960. The site of the U.S. National Toboggan Championships, the chute draws a few thousand costume-clad enthusiasts every year.
The Snow Bowl lodge, built in 1968, is a classic A-frame ski hut dressed up with big windows and a quirky ship's wheel chandelier. The restrooms downstairs are old and few, and the main hall is small. Still, on any Saturday, one can find hordes of young skiers packed in around the snack bar.
This is why community members of the Snow Bowl are working to raise $4.5 million before asking the town to approve a $2 million bond. A survey of residents has indicated the bond will likely pass, said Jeff Kuller, Snow Bowl general manager.
The funds would build a new lodge, upgrade the lifts and snowmaking capabilities, and improve the network of trails and ball fields, among other things.
RECREATIONAL MECCA
Hundreds use the Ragged Mountain Recreation Area year round, and most of the roughly 1,100 Snow Bowl season pass holders live within 30 miles of the Bowl, Kuller said.
In the summer, there is mountain biking, hiking trails and ball fields at the Snow Bowl. In the winter, there's ice skating, tubing, the toboggan chute, snowshoeing, skiing and room for Nordic ski trails.
Despite the recession, Snow Bowl members such as Bob Gordon of Camden and Ollie Wilder of Rockport, both members of the redevelopment committee, believe the place will get fixed up.
Hard times in the ski industry in the 1980s threatened the area, but taxpayers still voted in a town meeting to fund it, Kuller said.
"They were four votes from shutting it down. It was that close," he said.
Today is a different story. For many, the recreational area promises reliable fun.
On a busy Saturday, the cafeteria was busy inside, and outside, folks heading off the deck were bound for the tubing park, lifts and snowshoe trails.
Michelle Demarchi brings her two children from Rockland.
"It's very family-oriented. It's a good place for them," said Demarchi, as she watched her two boys at the tubing hill. "They tube and snowboard. We come here pretty often. It's a little expensive. It's worth it. They can sled, snowshoe, ice skate or toboggan,"
For others, the Snow Bowl has been a weekly part of their winter lives for years, and a family pass is a given.
"I have three boys, ages 12, 15, and 17. They spend their lives here," Wilder said. "Since they were 7, I'd just leave them here. Everyone takes care of each other."
Jeff Walsh of Camden called the Snow Bowl an "amazing resource" because it's safe, it's confined, and it has something for everyone.
Walsh can leave his children in the tubing park or on the skating pond and search out the pockets of advanced terrain to get his ski fix. That's why Walsh volunteered for the ski patrol.
As he stood on a knoll looking out to the blue ocean, he talked of the Snow Bowl like a gem.
"I want to do my part to make sure this stays in the community," Walsh said. "I feel this is a community mountain, and the people in town are the ones who are going to make sure it survives."
Gordon is confident it will.
"In a perfect world, we'll do the bond in November 2010 or June 2011," he said. "People are really ready for this to happen."
By DEIRDRE FLEMING, Staff Writer, Portland Press Herald, January 31, 2010
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