| How many Lost Ski Areas can
be viewed from Interstate 95? You get a clear view of the
City of Bangor's old slope from the interstate, particularly from the
southbound lanes, just south of the Bangor Mall. The
60's-architecture base lodge for this upside-down area is plainly seen
at the top of the hill by the water towers. This area ran in the
60's and early 70's and was killed by the combination of bad snow years
and liability/insurance issues. It had a T-bar, the liftline and
a few components of which (including the drive shaft for the bullwheel)
are easily found on foot. The lift was probably 1200' long and
about 250' vertical. The main slope is easily seen from the
interstate below the lodge. It is genuinely steep.
It gets used for an annual whatever sled/tube "race" sponsored
by WKIT, the Bangor rock radio station owned by Steve King, and
throughout the year by mountain bikers as a side-by-side downhill
course. There is a handful of old ski trails that are fun to
explore that are also heavily used for mtn. biking. The City still
owns the land, so access is no problem--the "Essex Woods"
entrance has a sign from Essex Street. The Police Athletic League has
use of the lodge building.
Here's an aerial view of the slopes, note the water towers on top. |
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