🚨 It’s National EMS Week! 🚨 We’re giving a HUGE shout-out to our amazing Aroostook Ski Patrol — 26 dedicated men & women who volunteer their time to keep BigRock safe all season long. From outdoor emergency care to toboggan transport, these folks are true mountain heroes! 🏔️⛑️ 💬 Know a patroller? Drop their name or a thank-you note in the comments and show them some love! 👇 Thank you, Aroostook Ski Patrol, for always being there when it counts. We appreciate you! ❤️#NSP #skipatrol (fb)

We’re beyond honored to share that Big Rock Ski Area won the NSAA (National Ski Area Association) award for Best Safety Program! Here at Big Rock we are incredibly grateful to the amazing folks at NSAA for helping us be represented tonight—it’s an honor we don’t take lightly. This opportunity was made possible by the generous support of the Mountain Foundation Scholarship. As a community-run, nonprofit ski area, our mission is built on accessibility and youth development. One of the central focuses of that mission is our Ski4Life program—a highly discounted, multi-week program that introduces thousands of Northern Maine kids to skiing each season. Schools and rec departments from across the region participate, helping young skiers learn to ski for the first time and build a lifelong connection to the sport. With often more than 100 students from Ski4Life on the mountain at a time, we needed a clear, effective way to keep everyone safe—and help them grow. With a modest $500 grant from WinterKids —a nonprofit that shares our commitment to accessible, safe skiing—we launched a collaborative effort to guide beginners from our magic carpet to the top of the mountain as they progressed. That effort became the Ski4Life Button Program: 🟢 Green Pin: Complete beginner—limited to the magic carpet 🔵 Blue Pin: Novice—approved for the triple chair and novice terrain ⚫ Black Pin: Intermediate— ready for the summit and quad chair This simple, color-coded system gave structure and visibility to each skier’s progress. It not only made it easy for our staff to guide kids to the right terrain, but also allowed non-skiing chaperones to understand where their kids belonged at a glance. It became a tool for celebration and accountability—kids were proud to “level up,” and staff across departments worked together to support that growth. Under Snow School director Mark Shea’s guidance and collaboration with the ski patrol and the lift operations team, Big Rock created a united effort toward guest safety. This program not only transformed Ski4Life, but also strengthened our entire mountain team. And now, the young skiers who got their start here at Big Rock have a pin—and a memory—that marks where that journey began. To be recognized with this award, competing alongside some of the biggest and best ski areas in the country, is a milestone we will never forget. From all of us at Big Rock: thank you for believing in our mission! We’re just getting started. #BigRockSkiArea #NSAA #BestSafetyProgram #Ski4Life #WinterKids #SkiSafe #MaineSkiing #MountainFoundation #TeamWork #SmallButMighty #WhereSkiersBegin (fb)