Blizzard Warning Closes Ski Hill

Spirit Mountain, Minnesota was closed this past Sunday and will remain closed through today due to blizzard warning for the Duluth area.

Due to the dangerously high winds and subzero temperatures, they will not re-open until Tuesday the 16th. At that time they will resume regular hours.

3 Day Winter Storm Watch

Wow, I don’t think I have ever heard of a winter storm watch that lasts for three days in the Midwest but those are the conditions for Upson, WI.  Where is Upson you ask?  To be honest I hadn’t heard of Upson either despite visiting there several times over the years.  Upson is home to The Whitecap Mountains. 

In what appears to be an effort to offer a better over all opening experience, Whitecap has changed their resort opening plans.  They will now be opening on Wednesday, December 17th.  The plans call for 4 lifts to be open, along with 17 of their 43 runs available. 

I just checked out The Weather Channel and reviewed the 10 day forecast.  The forecast looks about as promising as possible given that 9 out of the 10 days calls for snow.  Whitecap should have no problem expanding the number of available runs in a short period of time.

Crystal Mountain in Michigan Gets Dumped On!

Only when discussing skiing does it seem like a good thing when using the term “dumped on”.  In work it’s not good, when dating it’s not good, etc. Enough of digressing.

On YouTube, the Crystal Mountain update for 12/10/08 has outstanding powder shots that look like it’s straight out of Utah, not Michigan. Over the last week they have received over three feet of natural snow.  Check out the footage.  If that isn’t enough to get you out the door, I don’t know what is.

Sundown-Dubuque Iowa

The openings continue to roll in.  I must admit that I somehow over looked this one.  This past Friday, Sundown Mountain opened. They apparently opened at about 30%, but have some new snow making equipment that they have been using to improve their conditions. They shut down this week after the past weekend and will re-open again on Friday. This will give them the full week to continue to build upon the already open runs. With the continued forecast to be cold, there is no reason they shouldn’t be able to keep the snow guns running.

Sundown is my former home mountain and where I first learned to ski. I skied it last year for the first time in over 10 years and I quickly was re-introduced to why I enjoyed skiing there. The runs are long for Midwest standards and have a nice vertical as well.

Its nice to see so many hills get an early opening. Choices continue to grow and I expect more to open up in time for this weekend.

Whitecap Mountain Prepares To Open

One of my personal midwest favorites, Whitecap Mountain, has sent an email notifying that they plan to open on December 11th., weather permitting of course. Though the vertical is a bit shorter and the runs can be less challenging, they do tend to get a lot of snow. Given their proximity to Lake Michigan, they have the advantage of seeing regular lake effect snow falls. They received a fresh fall of 6 inches yesterday and are already reporting 33 inches for the year. Apparently from December 11th to December 18th, you’ll be able to take advantage of the low season lodging rates. Check it out and maybe I’ll see you there soon.

Illinois Resort Bravely Schedules Opening Date

Midwest ski conditions can be very tough all season long, not to mention the first initial conditions of winter.  Chestnut Mountain in Galena, IL however feels confident in the current conditions and have announced that they will be opening this Friday, November 28th. Tickets will only be $10 each day for the holiday weekend and can then be used as a $10 coupon for your next visit. It doesn’t sound like too bad of a deal if you are looking get your legs re-introduced to skiing. Unfortunately there is no mention of how many runs will be open.

Simple Way to Check Ski Conditions

Believe it or not, but Microsoft may help you decide this year where you want to ski for the day.  This was launched last year and was so popular that it has been brought back again for the season.  Instead of searching around to get snow conditions at your favorite resort, you can simply enter the word “snow” and then the name of your favorite resort into their search. This means that when you are on MSN.com, Live.com, or any other Microsoft powered search page you can quickly find conditions for resorts that you are interested in.  This works not only for the major resorts but also the local hills too.  I did a quick search and found the results for Afton Alps and got the result shown below.

Keep in mind that this service only works for resorts that are currently open.  If a resort or hill is not open, then you will not get the results.  There are some good additional links if you are looking for more information.  You get a link for access to the full report along with access to the homepage for the hill too.  When you are ready to make your decision on where to go, simply click the Map Resort link to get directions.

Granite Peak Opens on Saturday

Good news for Wisconsin skiers, Granite Peak is set to open this weekend.  On Saturday Novemeber 22nd, and will be open from 9AM to 9PM.  On Sunday they will be open from 9AM to 4PM.  As stated by the Wausau Daily Herald, they plan to have five runs open. Those five runs are; Birch, Miracle, Sugar Maple, Stone’s Throw and Mystery. After reviewing the trail map, it appears that these runs are a mix of blues and greens. Not bad for a early season start. This gives everyone the opportuntiy to get their legs re-introduced to skiing.

The weather forcast for the area continues to look good for snow making. With that being said, Granite Peak hopes to have all the runs open for skiing by Christmas time.

First Post of The Season

The snow has officially started to fly here in central Wisconsin. With that being said, it’s time to start talking about the upcoming season. I have started a Facebook group (Midwest Skiers and Snowboarders) as well so feel free to join and share the latest information with those who are most interested.

Often when thinking about the regional resorts, the image is typically of outdated hills. This actually is not the case. Every year these resorts are making changes to stay competitive with other regional hills, whether the updates are made through new services or equipment. This year is no different and it actually may become more important now than ever before. Given the current economic environment, I’m sure many family’s and individuals will give second thoughts this year to where they ski or board, whether it be for a long weekend or for a full week stay.

The Chicago Tribue recently posted an article with many of the area improvements. The full article can be read here here.

Chestnut Mountain (chestnutmtn.com) in Illinois apparently put together a special snowboard rental program with Burton. They will be offering special boots and boards that they believe will improve boarding in the first day. Devil’s Head (devilsheadresort.com) in Wisconsin has improved their magic carpet service for kids.

Granite Peak (skigranitepeak.com), owned by the same family that also owns Lutsen Mountain in Minnesota, has added a 10,000 sq. ft. chalet. They also improved the outdoor seating with heaters and an outdoor grill.

In the UP of Michigan, Indian Head (indianheadmtn.com), Powderhorn (bigpowderhorn.net) and Black Jack (skiblackjack.com) have merged so that you will be able to ski between all three resorts on the same ticket. Boyne Mountain has added a new quad chairlift and has added a daycare center to what seems to be the hottest trend in resorts, their water park known as Avalanche Bay.

Whether skiing regionally because of today’s economy or out of convenience, your expectations won’t be compromised. You will still get great snow conditions and runs that will meet everyone’s skill levels. And if you need a break, there will still be plenty to keep you occupied while on holiday.