TABLE OF CONTENTS: Midwest
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By: Nicole Birkhold
The Midwest is not exactly the premier place to launch a skiing road trip, the Rockies being a single day’s drive away. However, if you do happen to find yourself in the greater Great Lakes area and are looking to find some decent places ride, we’ve mapped out a road trip for you that will help satisfy your craving. As the great Stephen Stills once said, “If you can’t be with the one you love, love the one you’re with.” So grab your buddies, pack warm and enjoy the road trip.
We’ve started your trip in the heart of the Midwest: Ohio.
From Ohio, you’ll want to take Highway 80/90 to Toledo where you’ll jump on 23 North toward Ann Arbor. Stop by the University of Michigan and grab a beer or two on Church Street if you’re so inclined. Stay north on 23 until you reach Mt. Brighton. You may wonder why you’re visiting Mt. Brighton. Recall, if you will, the opening scene of Aspen Extreme. TJ Burke is walking up a ski hill in the fall to talk to his best buddy Dexter Rutecki who is hard at work restringing chairs at a small ski resort in Michigan called… you guessed it, Mt. Brighton.
Next, move west along Highway 96, stopping at one of the greatest college towns of them all, East Lansing, home to Michigan State University. Go down to the Riv and say hello to Joe the bartender before moving on to Cannonsburg Ski Area just north of Grand Rapids. Rare Air Fest should be going on right around January 20, where you can test your skills at the slopestyle event that could qualify you for the bigger and better Jeep Terrain Park Challenge held in Boyne the following weekend.
Speaking of Boyne Mountain, that’s where you’re heading next. Highway 131 will take you all the way up to the fingertips of Michigan. On the way you’ll pass signs for Caberfae Peaks Ski Resort, Crystal Mountain, Mt. Holiday, Shanty Creek and others. But you might as well hold out for Michigan’s premier resort, Boyne Mountain. The state’s only superpipe, 500 feet of vertical and the nation’s first six-pack chairlift combine to make Boyne the best of the Midwest.
Boyne Highlands, a few miles up the road, boasts a whopping 52 more vertical feet than its little brother. Right across the street is Nub’s Nob, another of the greats in Northern Michigan.
Travel across the Macinaw Bridge into the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and say hello to the Yoopers (UP residents, for those not familiar with the term). Not a single major highway runs through the UP so turn the cruise control down a bit. Country Road 28 to 94 will take you to Marquette, yet another college town on your journey. The Northern Michigan Wildcats will welcome you to their home turf of Marquette Mountain where three terrain parks with over 20 rails and three wall rides await on the 600 vertical feet.
From there, head to the newest area in the Midwest,Mount Bohemia. Mt. Bohemia has no snow-making and no grooming. But with 250 inches of snow up in the Keweenaw Peninsula, snow is never a problem. Over 900 feet of vertical makes Mount Bohemia the highest ski area in the Midwest. This season there are 17 new trails that are accessed with snowcats to help you navigate the terrain.
From Michigan, head down through Ironwood into Wisconsin. But don’t stick around, we’re going into Minnesota and up next to Lake Superior to visit Lutsen Ski Area. Four mountains are included in the resort with over 1,000 total acres (for comparison, A-Basin has 900). An all-new terrain park is opening this season on Mystery Mountain. The area is home to the Midwest’s only gondola and is considered a Four Season resort. Some of the most beautiful views in the Midwest can be seen at the top of the mountain overlooking Lake Superior.
From Lutsen, cruise down to Eveleth, Minnesota, and check out the US Hockey Hall of Fame at 801 Hat Trick Avenue.
For the last leg of the road trip, venture down 53 to 94 in Wisconsin towards Madison. Yup, one more opportunity to party like a Midwest college kid. Swing by Devil’s Head Resort for one last rendezvous with a chairlift and then move on down to Madison to close the trip with a blow out on State Street.
