Big Moose Mountain (Big Squaw)

Friends of the Mountain describes itself, per its own website, as "A non-profit 501c(3) community ski area since 2012," serving "citizens and visitors to Maine's Piscataquis County." The operator's own site states, "We offer lift service on a triple chair to the lower mountain and a beginner conveyor lift for our newest skiers," while its Upper Mountain VIP Card includes "one (1) passenger cat ride to the summit of Big Moose Mountain, full uphill access," for named backcountry trails that "are not accessible by chairlift service." According to New England Ski History's Big Moose Mountain page, "on March 7, 2004, a chair grip on the upper mountain double chairlift failed, resulting in four injuries. As a result, lift served skiing on the upper mountain ceased." The same source states that in August 2010, owner James Confalone offered Piscataquis County a $1 per year, 30-year lease; the county declined, and the area did not operate in 2010-11 or 2011-12. Starting in 2012, "a group named The Friends of Squaw Mountain procured a $1 per year lease from Confalone and worked to reopen the ski area with many donations and volunteer labor," and after sitting idle for two seasons, the mountain "reopened with its triple chairlift on February 10, 2013," logging 70 days of operation the following season. In October 2023, NewEnglandSkiIndustry.com reported Friends of the Mountain had entered into an agreement to acquire a 13-passenger snowcat from Parshall, Colorado, noting the upper mountain had been without chairlift service since the 2004 accident. In December 2024, per the same publication, Friends of the Mountain announced a partnership with the Moosehead Lake Region Economic Development Corporation, aiming "to raise $5.95 million to acquire 1,716 acres featuring the ski area, building on the $1.2 million previously raised for reopening and improvements"; campaign leader Amy Lane said, "Only by placing this mountain in nonprofit hands will we be able to attract funding and build a financially sustainable ski destination for generations to come." The same report states a separate $75 million resort redevelopment proposal was cancelled in November 2022. As of this writing, per the operator's own homepage, its fundraising banner reads "$2.6 Million Raised" against the "Save the View, Save the Mountain" campaign's $5.95 million goal, and the site thanks supporters for helping "make our 14th season such a success." The operator's own pricing page states 2026-2027 season passes are "Now on Sale," with published prices including an Adult pass at $450 and a 1st Grade-College pass at $400. Its address, per the operator's own homepage, is 447 Ski Resort Road, Greenville Junction, ME 04442, an unincorporated village within the Town of Greenville.