More Openings & Better Snowmaking Weather Soon
Happy December, everyone, and welcome back to winter! The Midwest had a great week of skiing and riding, with several opening days held across four states. We have to give a massive shoutout to Alpine Valley in Wisconsin. They opened for the season last Wednesday but quickly said "hold my beer," and were one hundred percent open in just a few days!
Two of the three Iowa ski resorts spun their lifts on Saturday, and even lower Michigan joined in on the fun with a surprise announcement by Pine Knob only a couple of hours before the chairlifts started spinning on Saturday afternoon.
All said and done, we had twenty-four different resorts open across four states, meaning almost everyone was within a few hours of skiing and riding this past weekend. But will we see more resorts opening this weekend? (Yes!)
Now, unfortunately, the temps this week have been far less than ideal. We have had a couple of small snowmaking windows, but most nights have been well above the temps needed. However, a handful of ski resorts are still planning on joining the open club this weekend, including Boyne, Boyne Highlands, Nubs Nob, and Black Jack.
And despite not having ideal temps this week, looking at the following week- it looks like we will have much better snowmaking windows starting Sunday night, stretching until Wednesday. That said, we may see some resorts close during the week to make as much snow as possible, and we will likely see even more resorts open a week from this Saturday.
As always, keep an eye on our guide and pages for the most up-to-date information regarding openings and statues.
The World's First Park Build Entirely by Women
Do you want to ride the first-ever terrain park built entirely by women?
Well, you can at Trollhaugen starting this afternoon! This week Troll held what we will call one of the most impactful events the industry has seen in a long time. "Take the Rake" is an event that focuses on getting more women involved in the industry, especially on the operations side.
This week, women from all over the country came to Troll to design, build, and ride a park that women entirely crafted. It is an event that is the first of its kind, so be sure to check out it this weekend.
The park will be available for public skiing/riding starting Thursday, December 2rd. Massive shoutout to Marsha Hovey and the entire Take the Rake and Trollhaugen Team - we are excited to see more events like this in the future.
The U.S. Women's Team Is On A Roll
And speaking of women that are just crushing it, the US Women's Alpine team headed to Killington for another World Cup stop, and mother nature followed right behind them - the Giant Slalom event was canceled due to snow and high winds.
They were able to run the slalom on Sunday, and we are glad they did because both Mikaela Shiffrin and Paula Moltzan had some great performances. Shiffrin took home her 71st World Cup victory and 46th World Cup slalom victory, meaning that she has officially tied the record for most wins in a single discipline.
Paula Moltzan also had an impressive showing placing 7th on Sunday, and Again some great skiing coming from this team, and we are all looking forward to the Olympics, which are now only two months away!
This weekend, the alpine teams will be back in action with the Men's team at Beaver Creek and the Women at Lake Louise. You can check out the entire schedule on their website at www.usskiandsnowboard.org/follow/alpine
Nick Baumgartner Takes 3rd
The Upper Peninsula's own Nick Baumgartner placed third in last week's first world cup snowboardcross event. The event was held on the same course that will be used Bejing winter Olympics this coming February. That said, this three-time Olympian is someone you will want to circle on the Olympic schedule this year.
Nick grew up in Iron River, Michigan - just minutes from Ski Brule. The Midwest native just missed out on a medal at the last winter Olympics - taking forth back in 2018. So be sure to check out Nick's website, where you pick up an excellent "U S EEH" shirt. Add a couple of pasties, and you are on your way to becoming a yooper.
$99 Season Pass Sale Underway
And speaking of the yooper treats, if you want to pick up some piss pancakes this season, now is your time. Mount Bohemia's annual $99 season pass sale is officially underway. Considered by many the best value in skiing, this pass grants you unlimited Pow access to Mount Bohemia and has several other perks, including two days at Porcupine Mountains, Crystal Mountain, Big Powderhorn, and many more.
The sale ends this Saturday, December 4th. Day tickets will be priced at $85, and Saturdays will be reserved for pass holders only. That said, if you plan on visiting Bohemia this season… you should probably buy the pass. You can pick it up by clicking here.
An Engagement At The Top of Granite Peak
And I want to wrap up with a heartwarming story coming from the slopes of Granite Peak. Last week Jon, a long-time Wasau local, got on a knee and asked Joei to marry him. The couple went on their first date three years ago at Granite Peak, so Jon wanted to bring that magic back and surprised Joei on Sunday evening at the top of Granite Peak.
Congratulations to the newly engaged couple, and we ever see you on the slopes, we will happily treat you to a beautiful champagne glass full of PBR… because... Wisconsin.
But there you have it, your fix of Midwest ski news from the past week. If you want to check out last week's episode, we will drop a link below. But until next time, we hope all of you have a great week, pray for snow, and we'll see you guys out there!