Midwest Upper Midwest 2020-2021

[MN_Drew]

A few weeks old but, some thought from Lutsen on their season:

"We really couldn't take more demand on Saturdays," said Jim Vick, director of sales and marketing for Lutsen Mountains. "But to have much bigger Tuesdays throughout the season — that's really helped."

Next week is the ski area's busiest week this year, which Vick said has so far yielded above-average earnings. He's hopeful the traffic will ultimately help Lutsen Mountains make up for the loss of last year's spring break season, which ended abruptly due to COVID-19. Some nearby resorts have already sold out for the Easter weekend.

Vick is also monitoring implications for the more distant future. He's seen a large number of skiers visiting Lutsen Mountains for the first time, or perhaps returning after 10 or 15 years away.

"I think there was a trend of folks who at one point decided they would do one ski vacation a year and it would be out west," he said. "That was too big of a travel commitment under the current circumstances.

"The reviews from those people have been really strong," Vick added. "Hopefully, we've done our job this winter to convert them to repeat their trips here."

Lutsen Mountains has enough snow stored away that it plans to remain open through the month of April, even as the temperatures rise. The unusually early spring weather has also allowed some businesses, like Duluth's Bent Paddle Brewing Co., to open outdoor seating more than a month ahead of schedule.

https://www.startribune.com/north-s...-restaurants-see-uptick-in-tourism/600037414/

 

[focker]

A few weeks old but, some thought from Lutsen on their season:



https://www.startribune.com/north-s...-restaurants-see-uptick-in-tourism/600037414/

I'd imagine someone who hasn't been to Lutsen in 10 years going back would be pleasantly surprised by the changes, maybe not so much with the pricing...

 

[Lift Blog]

Welch is removing two doubles and building a new Doppelmayr quad.

Another New Quad to Debut at Welch Village

Minnesota’s Welch Village has announced a deal with Doppelmayr for an Alpen Star quad chair. The fixed grip lift will replace the East Ridge double, also known as Lift 4. The new machine will…

liftblog.com

 

[wallyk]

Interesting that Welch is leaving the Sunrise triple...I get that Welch wants to increase uphill capacity and that the East quad, a skiing relic of days of yore, is better situated to compliment a new lift to the part of the hill that sees the most use.

Good for Welch. About time and I'm glad I bought my pass for $250 this year before prices rise

 

[focker]

Interesting that Welch is leaving the Sunrise triple...I get that Welch wants to increase uphill capacity and that the East quad, a skiing relic of days of yore, is better situated to compliment a new lift to the part of the hill that sees the most use.

Good for Welch. About time and I'm glad I bought my pass for $250 this year before prices rise

Yeah it's nice to see them doing this. Welch already had the best lift in southern MN and not they're adding another new lift. Pretty impressive. I like that they're leaving the current quad and replacing the double, as they'll have some nice lift redundancy for emergencies and also will be adding some good uphilll capacity to that side of the resort.

The Sunrise triple seems to only run on the weekend so I guess they thought it wasn't worth the $$ to replace.

I think removing the old double below chicken isn't a bad idea either. It almost never ran and was kind of in the way as you come screaming down off Chicken trying to keep enough speed to glide all the way back to which quad chair is open to get back up the hill.

 

[wallyk]

@focker.....great point about redundancy on the east side. As sketchy as the Sunrise triple is, no safety bar, the economics don't seem to make much sense. Think about the enhanced uphill capacity on the east side. Pretty impressive for a small area here.

 

[Beach Bum]

Would love to see more development, updates, and especially expansion at UP resorts, Chestnut, to name a few. But glad some others are doing it.

 

[focker]

@focker.....great point about redundancy on the east side. As sketchy as the Sunrise triple is, no safety bar, the economics don't seem to make much sense. Think about the enhanced uphill capacity on the east side. Pretty impressive for a small area here.

I can see myself skiing at Welch a lot more next year, especially with this new lift. I love the runs over there, but really only lap lookout and Bakky on the other side. This is perfect for me.

 

[focker]

I'd imagine Afton and Wild have to be feeling some pressure to put in a new lift now as well.

 

[Dwight]

MIdwest skier shows that Big Snow is under contract. That should be good news. (Indian Head/Blackjack)

Powderhorn was taken off the market. They had a good year last season.

 

[Beach Bum]

MIdwest skier shows that Big Snow is under contract. That should be good news. (Indian Head/Blackjack)

Powderhorn was taken off the market. They had a good year last season.

Good to know. Love BP, already booked for next season!

 

[Marker]

Currently visiting my mother-in-law in Cedarburg, WI, my wife took me by Little Switzerland outside of Slinger. That is where it all started for her back in the 70's. Without that, she may never have dragged me out to my first ski days in PA! She thinks they upgraded the lifts since she skied there.

 

[Dwight]

Currently visiting my mother-in-law in Cedarburg, WI, my wife took me by Little Switzerland outside of Slinger. That is where it all started for her back in the 70's. Without that, she may never have dragged me out to my first ski days in PA! She thinks they upgraded the lifts since she skied there.

Yes, newer ropes. But probably the chair too. Now it is also a good downhill bike hill in the Summer.

Welcome to Wisconsin Winter, I mean Spring.

 

[Dakine]

After a fantastic season, Nubs Nob is still upping their game.
The "Midwest's Best Snow" just keeps getting better.
They aim to please.
A separate Wintersteiger for custom race grinds only, now how many places have that?
If you are over 70, a season pass is $45 which has to be the best ski deal on the planet.
I had my first pass in 1962 and I still love the place.

​ ​ Summer Projects The Crew is hard at work preparing for next ski season, putting to good use many of the lessons we learned from the last: Continuing our focus on providing the Midwest's Best Snow we purchased a new Pisten Bully 400 Park Pro. In addition we plan to build 8 new snow guns this summer. The lodge is undergoing some remodeling, with new lodge chairs, updated bathrooms, and a larger entrance to the Winter Garden through the dining room. The Winter Garden itself will soon have in-ground heat to keep boots warm and create an even more inviting environment. The Tune Center is setting up a second Wintersteiger tuning machine. This machine will be used for custom stone grinding and sharpening. A magic carpet will also be added to Big Time to allow access to the slopes even easier for first timers and young skiers and riders. Rental will have a brand new fleet of skis and snowboards. Stay tuned for updates on our progress! Season Passes will go on sale late summer. Have a wonderful summer, -The Crew at Nub's Nob

 

[Beach Bum]

Glad to see some resorts reinvesting some funds.

I realize certain things like dining and liquor sales were down this past season, but I think most had significant bumps in ticket sales. Can't be cheap and hoard the cash. Not to mention many need it.

Hope for more great seasons ahead.

 

[Marker]

Yes, newer ropes. But probably the chair too. Now it is also a good downhill bike hill in the Summer.

Welcome to Wisconsin Winter, I mean Spring.

There were a lot of mountain bikers that day. My wife doesn't recall the chairlift. It has been a typical WI spring. I spent 6 years in Madison at UW, so am experienced!

 

[focker]

Glad to see some resorts reinvesting some funds.

I realize certain things like dining and liquor sales were down this past season, but I think most had significant bumps in ticket sales. Can't be cheap and hoard the cash. Not to mention many need it.

Hope for more great seasons ahead.

I think for a lot of these places they don't get many opportunities to get a new chair so when they have the funds like they do now they pull the trigger quickly on it. It's a good investment in their future.

 

[amjgt]

I forgot to check the latest SOPA report as it relates to Lutsen's application with the US Forest Service for a special use permit. Wouldn't say I missed much.



They've become pretty useless at this point. A new SOPA report comes out every three months and they just pushed back the "decision" and "expected implementation" dates by 3 months from the last one. Which is basically what they did from the one three months before that.

So, basically, no news.

I was up at Lutsen over Independence Day and just before that I found out that there's a "backcountry ski club" (for last of a better name) that a) opposes the Lutsen expansion, and b) uses the terrain that Lutsen wants to expand to for touring.

So, my father and I did a little exploring. More on that in the next post.

 

[wallyk]

Welch Village selling chairs from their soon to be extinct and way too old Hall lift......more scary than cool, that the lift which was added in 1973 was still running through this season. That's older that me!!!!

Hall Chair Sale

welchvillage.com

 

[pete]

Welch Village selling chairs from their soon to be extinct and way too old Hall lift......more scary than cool, that the lift which was added in 1973 was still running through this season. That's older that me!!!!

Hall Chair Sale

welchvillage.com

Are you gonna try and get one?