Any Downhill Skiers?

[jforrest]

I just came back from skiing in the Upper Peninsula last Friday. Let me first say I love the U.P.! In the summer its awesome and the winter is even better. I think they even keep the roads cleared better than here in NW Indiana. Went to Indian Head the first day and got 8" dumped on us while we were skiing Then we went to Mt. Bohemia...lets just say if there was a heaven on earth this would be it. I was there for 2 days and still didn't ski everything. WARNING: Mt. Bohemia is for advanced skiers only. Website ---> Mount Bohemia - Extreme Skiing - Upper Peninsula of Michigan With a vertical drop of 900', an average slope of 35 degrees, a max slope of 75 degrees, no green runs, 95% black runs with even a couple triple black! No grooming just powder, and with 270+ inches of snow per year, there is plenty of snow. Finally my favorite part, Trees, yes where most places are out of bounds you are free to ski at Mt. Bohemia. All the small trees "whips" have been removed leaving a wonderland to ski through. So I think any confident skiers that can tackle anything around the Midwest with no problem should head up there. You will be amazed.

Anyone else ever been there to back my opinion up?

 

[melensdad]

Yup, I ski downhill and X-country. I rarely get to the U.P. but do make it out to the back bowls outside of Park City and some of the more remote areas. Some of my friends run private snowcats into some of the Colorado back country too. Best skiing is the virgin snow in a deep powder bowl.

Worst thing is my daughter is afraid to ski. My wife took her up onto Sandia Peak tramway in New Mexico skiing and it frightened her. So now she's a bunny slope girl while we hit the diamond trails.

My avatar shows my snowcat on the top of a Scottish mountain that is famous for downhill skiing. We can get it into places that others only hear about!

 

[38special]

I only ski uphill.

 

[WabashMX5]

Anyplace worth going in the Michigan mainland? For my tastes, the UP is too far to drive for a quickie weekend trip. The stuff around Traverse City any good?

 

[cosermann]

Yes, there a some nice resorts in the northwest LP.

 

[Fletch]

I'm a downhill skier in the same sense that a sea lion is a land animal. We can get around, but it's ugly to watch.

 

[jforrest]

Yup, I ski downhill and X-country. I rarely get to the U.P. but do make it out to the back bowls outside of Park City and some of the more remote areas. Some of my friends run private snowcats into some of the Colorado back country too. Best skiing is the virgin snow in a deep powder bowl.

Worst thing is my daughter is afraid to ski. My wife took her up onto Sandia Peak tramway in New Mexico skiing and it frightened her. So now she's a bunny slope girl while we hit the diamond trails.

My avatar shows my snowcat on the top of a Scottish mountain that is famous for downhill skiing. We can get it into places that others only hear about!

Yea many people say Mt. Bohemia is a snapshot of the many places out west. It has everything out there just not as much of it. I can't say for myself since I haven't been out west yet, but someday I will make the trek out there.

 

[jforrest]

Anyplace worth going in the Michigan mainland? For my tastes, the UP is too far to drive for a quickie weekend trip. The stuff around Traverse City any good?

I don't know many places in LP Michigan. The only place I frequent is Bittersweet. Its about an hour and a half past the border of Indiana. Much further and I'll just drive up to the UP and ski Bohemia lol. To me one day skiing there is worth the 17 hour round trip.

 

[antdog/zook]

nothing like colorado skiing! and the fresh powder, kneedeep, melensdad mentioned is just a whole other experience!

 

[theturtle06]

It's been a few years since I last went skiing but I was an avid skier at one point. Been to a number of places in Colorado - Winter Park, Copper Mountain, Breckenridge, Vail, all extremely nice. My favorite place was Big Sky in Montana. A good resort in Michigan is Boyne Highlands, it's about an 8 hour drive from Indianapolis. LINK
I went there twice a year with my family for 10 or so years and it is probably one of the nicest places to ski in the midwest.
But as others said nothing compares to out west.

 

[NWIeng]

Been skiing Michigan, Utah, and Colorado.

Skiing anywhere is fun, but if you can get on a trip out west, either Utah or Colorado, it puts Michigan to shame.

 

[langb29]

Used to go to the UP every year for skiing. Blackjack is a lot of fun, Whitecap is a huge hill, lot of runs but not really exciting. Indianhead is smaller but became our favorite.
Granite Peak in central Wisconsin is a decent place, for an 8 hour drive from Indy. Tyrol Basin in Mt. Horeb is not bad either, for a 6 hour drive from Indy. Never tried Michigan, but it sounds like it would be worth a trip.

 

[WabashMX5]

That's my problem -- my in-laws are fairly frequent skiiers. So, I learned at Snowbird and Deer Valley in Utah, then joined them the next year at Copper Mountain in Colorado. Leaves my expectations a bit skewed....