SAM Magazine—Polaris, Mont., Aug. 17, 2026—Maverick Mountain’s only chairlift will likely not operate for the 2026-27 season after sustaining extensive damage from the Sand Creek Fire, according to an Aug. 14 update from the ski area.

The fire moved through Maverick last week, damaging the Riblet double chair and other infrastructure, including a ski patrol shack. However, all structures in the base area, along with the ski area’s snowcats and other equipment, were spared.

“It was a miracle that anything survived,” JC Knaub, father of Maverick co-owner Kristi Borge, told Explore Big Sky.

Maverick owner and operator Erik Borge said in a Facebook post that the ski area remains committed to rebuilding. “The terrain will not be quite the same but we will embrace new turns,” he wrote.

As of Aug. 17, the Sand Creek Fire had burned 31,652 acres and was 1 percent contained. Crews continued suppression work near Maverick Mountain, including constructing direct handline west of the ski area toward Old Tim Creek.

Maverick has not yet said what the lift damage or expected outage will mean for operations during the upcoming winter. 

“At this point, our road forward is undefined, but we will keep our commitment to our local communities, the kids, families and other passholders that make up the MavRat family,” said Borge.