Erik and Kristi Borge didn’t know a thing about running a ski area, but that didn’t stop them from going all in Maverick Mountain, Montana

Borge and his wife, Kristi, have worked hard to unlock some of the mountain’s potential since they purchased Maverick in 2015. The two were in their late 20s at the time, but have never harbored visions of getting rich or turning the mountain into a big, flashy resort. The changes they’ve brought have been minute, like commissioning a new trail map and bringing a youth ski racing team back to the slopes.  The Borges view themselves more as caretakers than owners, keenly aware that the mountain is as ingrained in the community’s DNA as baling hay and wrangling cattle.