WAPITI, Wyo. -- Downhill skiers near Yellowstone National Park will have a lot to be thankful for this winter if plans work out to reopen a historic ski area by Thanksgiving.

Sleeping Giant, located in the Shoshone National Forest about five miles east of Yellowstone, is one of the country's oldest ski areas, but has been closed for four winters after U.S. Forest Service managers determined that it required extensive repairs.

Bringing Sleeping Giant out of hibernation won't be cheap or easy, and the self-imposed deadline that backers have set is ambitious, with much work left to be done before Thanksgiving.

But at a time when small, independently run ski areas in national forests across the region are closing without a hint of soon returning, Sleeping Giant is already beating the odds, just by having a plan to resume operations.

Standing on the ski hill Wednesday, mountain manager Gary Zollinger was reviewing a water supply line being installed for use in snow-making operations, but he was also running through a list of several other improvements set to take place within the next 100 days.

"I'm optimistic," Zollinger said with a tight grin.

Crews should begin work this month pouring concrete and setting towers for a new west ski lift that will extend the hill's vertical run by 400 feet -- a project made even more challenging since all the heavy lifting will be done by helicopter.

"That's the only way to get it done," Zollinger said.

Because Sleeping Giant is in the middle of prime grizzly bear habitat -- and home to other sensitive species ranging from bighorn sheep to cutthroat trout -- work must be low-impact and as environmentally friendly as possible.

Zollinger said managers from the Shoshone National Forest have been good partners on the project so far, and cited early consultations with the Greater Yellowstone Coalition as helpful in building consensus on environmental goals.

Backers are planning to operate Sleeping Giant as a community-run, nonprofit organization, with nearly $3 million in rehabilitation costs and working capital covered by a fundraising campaign that they hope will help ensure the venture's long-term sustainability.

Jim Nielson, Jay Nielson and Tom Fitzsimmons, who work together at the Cody oil and gas management firm Nielson & Associates, were key early investors. They have set up the nonprofit Yellowstone Recreation Foundation to operate Sleeping Giant.

"We really are viewing this project as good for the whole county and the Bighorn Basin," said Garrett Growney, a former executive at Shoshone First Bank who is now working to lead the Sleeping Giant capital campaign.

Growney said the ski area will provide some local employment, but more importantly, it will help revitalize winter recreation in the 50-mile corridor between Cody and Yellowstone, and serve as an attractive amenity for new businesses and workers.

Initially established as the Red Star Camp in 1936, the ski area got its first "up-ski" lift in 1939, installed by the Shoshone Alpine Club of Cody.

The Cody High School ski team trained there from 1964 until 1987, and many locals have fond memories of learning to ski on the hill.

"I learned to ski up there," said Tim French, a Park County commissioner and farmer who lives near Heart Mountain.

"I had great fun up there over the years - me and my friends. It always had a lot better snow than Red Lodge. It's great to try to get it open for this season," he said.

Plans call for the ski area to offer free or discount lift tickets, lessons and gear to area students, working with middle schools to bring special ski programs to sixth-grade classes across the Bighorn Basin.

Lift tickets will cost $26 for adults, $20 for older students and $14 for kids ages 6 to 12. Kids younger than 6 can ski free. Season passes and discount multiday passes will be offered, but fees have not been set, Growney said.

If all goes according to plan, skiers will be welcomed by a refurbished east lift, a new west lift and, in place of the old T-bar, a new "magic carpet" beginner's lift that skiers stand on to be pulled up the hill.

The lodge will see renovations to its kitchen and other areas, and first-timers can learn on brand new rental boots, skis, poles and snowboards, Zollinger said.

While the relatively small hill's six major runs will focus on family-friendly skiing, the 400-foot vertical expansion will offer great glade skiing for the more advanced, he said, adding that there are also miles of Nordic ski trails nearby and to the west.

Zollinger, who has lived in Cody and Vermont, recalls hiking the hill to ski it when lifts were closed.

"I'm happy to be here and see it going again," he said.