Downhill skiing becomes more challenging if there isnt a way to get back up the hill for another run.Thanks to the Sand Creek Fire, thats the situation facing Maverick Mountain this coming season. The fire destroyed the top towe r of the hills only lift.The cable flung chairs hundreds of feet when it broke. Thats how lifelong Maverick Mountain skier Cory Birkenbuel described the destruction.WATCH FULL STORY HERE: Friends of Maverick Mountain begin fundraising for fire-destroyed chairlift.Birkenbuel calls Maverick the farm program for Montanas ski hills.Lots of current ski instructors learned to ski at Maverick. In fact, since 1955, the Dillon Jaycees Little Ski program has helped as many as 250 youngsters each year learn how to ski, with Birkenbuel being one of them.Birkenbuel says once the fire destroyed the lift, he went to work finding a way to raise money to build it back. He contacted the Dillon Jaycees. We have established the Friends of Maverick Mountain. Its a 501C3.Birkenbuel says there is an account set up at Stockmans Bank, and donations can be made to the Friends of Maverick Mountain through any Stockmans Bank in Montana.The Friends of Maverick Mountain fundraising campaign is for $2 million. According to Birkenbuel, Maverick had recently purchased a new lift, but installing it is expensive. He says its as much at $200,000 to string the cable, and the mechanical part of the lift runs about half a million dollars.Birkenbuel says the fundraising effort is focusing on getting the Little Skier program back on the hill. I learned to ski there, and theres a magic about this placeThe Maverick Magic that people hold on to.Donations can also be made through a new website: friendsofmaverickmountain.org. ...read more read less