shredding gnar snowboarding blog

Over the last week I gave a brief evaluation of the various season pass offerings, prices & benefits at ski resorts all across Michigan (Metro-Detroit, West Side, Northern Lower Peninsula, and Upper Peninsula). Well, it seems I missed a few, errr, eight, so I’m going to make up for that.

My opinion on this list of misfit ski areas is that Timber Ridge takes the cake, you don’t see very many 50-footers in Michigan, the park looks respectable and their season pass prices are awesome.

Anyways, here’s the ones I left out:

Apple Mountain

Located in central Michigan (Freeland), Apple Mountain is one of the smaller ski areas but daily lift tickets go for $25 or less. They haven’t posted season pass pricing for 2010-11 yet, but I would estimate something in the $300 range for early bird pricing (before October 31).

Challenge Mountain

Challenge Mountain in Boyne City is “a non-profit organization dedicated to helping the physically impaired, mentally challenged, and at risk youth achieve their maximum potential through adaptive outdoor recreation”. No season passes or general public admission, skiers/riders must make appointments in advance.

Hanson Hills Recreation Area

The first downhill ski area in Michigan, Hanson Hills is a public park in Grayling, Michigan. Open Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Christmas week, it’s not a full-service area, but they run some good deals. On Fridays all season long beginning January 7, 2011 you can get $1 lift tickets and rentals . At that price, who needs a season pass? If you want to spring for the season pass, they are $125 or $85 for residents.

They have a small terrain park that occasionally hosts comps.

Hickory Hills

Located in Traverse City, Hickory Hills is only 240′ on 8 trails serviced by rope-tow only. Part of the Traverse City Parks & Rec, it’s a public hill. The TC website doesn’t say anything about it.

Mt Zion

At only 300 feet it’s small for the UP. Located in Ironwood, dirt cheap $18 lift tickets and $175 season passes were the going fare for 2009/2010 season. Local community college students and seniors ride or ski for free.

Mulligan’s Hollow ski Bowl

On the state’s West coast in Grand Haven, at only 150 vertical feet, Mulligan’s Hollow ski bowl is a tiny (even by Midwest standards) winter park. Open Thursday-Sunday, Tuesdays for 18+ only, school holidays and snow days, prices are low enough that you probably don’t need a season pass: $10 Tuesday, $12 Thursday/Friday, $14 Saturday/Sunday/Holiday. No season pass is available, but a season discount card is available for about $65, which entitles you to $5 lift tickets. Discount cards are only available before Christmas.

Pando Winter Sports Park

The smallest park in Michigan, Pando winter park in Rockford is only 125 feet top-to-bottom so it looks like an option if you want to take your kids out for some lessons or snow-tubing. Otherwise, there are several larger alpine facilities in the Grand Rapids vicinity. Lift tickets are cheap, season passes not an option.

Timber Ridge Ski area

Midway between K-zoo and South Haven you’ll find Timber Ridge Ski area is another one of those sub-300 vertical foot hills that you find scattered across the midwest. Season passes are available beginning at $239, with progressive discounts for multiple passes, so it’s an affordable option for you west-siders.

Like many of the smaller areas, Timbe Ridge seems focused on maintaining decent terrain parks, which include features like 50′ kickers, log-slides, quarterpipes and a brand-new 28′ double kink handrail.

Earlier this week I took a look at season pass offerings in Michigan for Metro-Detroit area ski resorts and also some of the smaller resorts on the state’s west side .  There are many ski areas and full-service resorts a few hours to the north, within 4 hours from Detroit, 5 from Toledo, Indianapolis and Chicago.

No matter where you live in Michigan’s lower peninsula, if you have the time (i.e., college student or high school dropout) I would go this route as opposed to staying local. The “mountains” still aren’t real mountains, but they’re bigger and they get more natural snow. I still regret that I didn’t do this when I was in college, only about 2 hours from most of these places.

Bittersweet

Like most Michigan “mountains” Bittersweet (in Otsego, MI) doesn’t have much to offer in the vertical foot department, topping out at 350 top-to-bottom.  But you can get a season pass there for about $400 which beats the annual dues you’d have to pay to join the Otsego Club’s private ski resort.  Only twenty runs and a few chairs, but the terrain park gets its own dedicated chairlift.

Boyne Mountain / Boyne Highlands

The Boyne family of resorts offers several options for their season passes. The bronze pass is $269 for adults and has the most blackout dates/restrictions, the silver pass at $429 has a few blackout dates at the Mountain, but not at Highlands and the gold pass is $699 with no blackout dates or restrictions, and the most perks.

The bronze pass is not valid during holidays or on weekend days (except night/twilight) so keep that in mind.  For most riders and skiers, the silver pass is going to be a good bargain except it’s not good during the Christmas Holiday, MLK day and President’s Day weekend, incidentally these are also the most crowded days on the mountains so it’s best to stay away.

If you’re planning on an extended trip to Boyne during one of those blackout periods (Christmas in particular) the gold pass might be more up your alley, but otherwise I don’t think it’s worth it unless you use it at participating “sister” resorts including Big Sky (MT), Brighton (UT), Crystal (WA), Cypress (BC), Loon Mountain (NH), Sugarloaf (ME), Sunday River (ME), and Snoqualmie (WA).

Crystal Mountain

Located 30-40 minutes from Traverse City or Cadillac, the family-friendly Crystal Mountain Resort & Spa is offering great early-bird pricing on season passes: buy two or more and they’re only $249 each. If you’re looking for a great bargain, buy your season pass in March (usually for about $225) and ski or ride until the end of the season and all of the following winter.

Regular pricing is $369 each, so compared to many of Michigan’s resorts, it’s still a great price either way.  Crystal boasts several peaks and terrain to accommodate all skill levels. I find the park area kind of lacking, but if weather & snowfall permits they build a 15′ halfpipe and they have gladed runs and two small “bowls”.

Crystal has a great resort atmosphere, plenty of on-site lodging and dining options but few off-site lodging/dining options.  A great place to bring the kids to learn how to ski or ride is also its downfall, tends to be very crowded with groms and gapers on weekends and holidays.

The Homestead

The Homestead Resort in Glen Arbor limits the sale of lift tickets to 95% of the designed capacity of Bay Mountain, and these are reserved for members and guests lodging at the resort. I have never been to The Homestead, but it is supposed to be a family-friendly, full-service resort.  Season passes may not be available.

Mount Holiday

Located in Traverse City, Michigan, Mount Holiday is a small “locals” ski hill. It’s not a tourist destination, but they offer the cheap season passes, at only $249 for a single pass ($169 if purchased before August 31). At only about 240 vertical feet, it’s not much of a mountain, but “Holiday Hill” doesn’t have the same ring to it. I would consider this option if I lived within a few miles of the area but not otherwise.

Nubs Nob

Nubs Nob is in Harbor Springs, just a few minutes from both Boyne Resorts.  Their season pass pricing is competitive, and they have some additional options if you’re looking to save money. All passes are subject to a 10% discount if purchased before October 1.

The unlimited pass is $585 and has no blackout dates.

The limited pass is $440 but carries more restrictions than I like to see. Standard restrictions are the week or two between Christmas and MLK weekend in February, but this pass also is not valid on Saturdays between December and mid-March.

The bargain pass is $280 and is significantly restricted.  It cannot be used on Saturdays, but otherwise is good for either one full day per week, or two 4-hour sessions per week.  This is probably the best option for the locals who have day jobs, because you can get two evening sessions in each week, all season long.

Otsego Club

The Otsego club is a private resort in Gaylord, Michigan. Unfortunately that means you have to be a member (or friends of a member) to ride there, and membership ain’t cheap ($1,000+ per winter, more for family passes).  I think the family winter membership is doable, kind of, ($2,500) if you have a few kids running around and too much money, but for an individual, it’s too expensive for most.

You do get access to a very respectable (by Michigan standards) “mountain” and because it is private, it is never crowded.  I’ve ridden there 5 or 6 times and I’ve never waited in line for a chairlift. And you get the O-Park. The O-Park is probably the best terrain park in the state.  Their superpipe was used by many of the visiting olympic athletes in the weeks preceding the Vancouver games in 2010.

If you can’t spring for a membership (and I can’t blame you!) be on the lookout because last year they opened to the public on Thursdays and Fridays, they may do something similar this year.

Schuss Mountain / Shanty Creek

Voted best downhill terrain in the midwest, at 450 vertical feet the Schuss Mountain/Shanty Creek resort is another northern LP option.  Two resorts in one with intra-resort shuttle service all day, your lift ticket is good at both!

It’s been several years since I visited, but it’s where I first learned to ski when I was 10 years old. Rates for 2010-2011 season haven’t been published yet, for more information try calling them at 866.901.3149.

Treetops

Also located in Gaylord, with 23 runs and a beginner/intermediate oriented terrain park, Treetops only has a 220′ vertical but it may be a great place to take the kids for their first lessons.  Their 2010 season pass prices have not been posted yet, but last winter adult passes went for $360, teens for $270 and kids under 11 only $190.

Stay tuned for the next installments of Michigan Season Passes!