BEAVERHEAD COUNTY, Mont. — What started as a single rope tow in the Grasshopper Valley near Dillon in 1946 grew into Maverick Mountain, a ski hill with one chairlift and 24 trails on the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest. But the summer of 2026 brought some of that to an end.
The single chairlift was destroyed by the fire, along with the ski shack and unload ramp at the top of the hill. The fire also burned some of the forest around the runs.
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The Sand Creek Fire crested the top of Maverick Mountain on Aug. 8 and changed the ski hill forever. Erik Borge, who has owned Maverick since 2015, spoke to MTN News about the incident.
“I didn’t sign up for building a mountain — I signed up for running a mountain," he said.
Cory Birkenbuel learned to ski at Maverick. His home is across the valley from Maverick, and he watched the fire as it topped the mountain. As a self-proclaimed "Mav-Rat," he helped organize the “Friends of Maverick Mountain," a group that has been fundraising to bring the hill back to life.
“I’ve skied here my whole life and I’m going to ski here for the rest of my life. You know that’s the goal but it’s going to ski different,” Birkenbuel said.
Borge bought a lift system from another hill a couple of years ago. That was going to be an addition to Maverick, but thanks to the Sand Creek Fire, that lift will now become Maverick.
WATCH: FRIENDS OF MAVERICK LOOKING FOR DONORS
“We have that lift that we intended on putting in at some point, obviously that timeframe has been rushed in a situation out of my control,” Borge said.
There will be no skiers on Maverick this year, but work is already underway to bring them back on the new-look Maverick next season. Borge says that while he would normally be getting Maverick ready for the season this time of year, he is instead focused on 2027.
“The chairlift was essentially like my first kid. And so watching it go down was pretty — it was heartbreaking. Kind of know where I’m at is obviously, I see a big project ahead and I’m looking towards the future,” Borge said.
WATCH: FULL INTERVIEW WITH ERIK BORGE
The Friends of Maverick Mountain have set a $2 million goal for the rebuild. Donations have already come in from far and wide. Other ski hills in Montana have offered assistance and local establishments have been hosting fundraising efforts since the August fire.
Borge says the community has left him feeling “humbled” because of their generosity.
“Maverick will never be the same but the future of Maverick is going to be really cool,” Borge said.
Borge also owns the nearby Elkhorn Hot Springs. The fire came within just a few feet of damaging some of the cabins in that area. Borge says that, thanks to the efforts of firefighters, Elkhorn is only dealing with smoke damage.
The pool is currently open, but lodging and food are waiting for the insurance investigation to wrap up.
The Sand Creek Fire burned more than 35,500 acres and closed the Pioneer Scenic Byway for more than two months. It was the largest fire in Montana in 2026.
