Midwest Upper Midwest 2020-2021

[wallyk]

dang, I'm in Iowa so unloved ...

What do you mean???!!! Can you hit Welch Village? I talk with a fair number of Iowan's on the lifts who make the trip. Obviously depends where you live but Welch has some decent, albeit short, terrain.

 

[BaconMeCrazy]

I talked to a rep from Welch on Friday, had to sign our waiver for the season, and was told that the snowmaking will commence in December.

Thoughts.......

I wouldn't be surprised to see the back bowl closed this year. I doubt the pond skip will happen. I wouldn't be surprised to see them hold off opening until the week before Christmas.

They need walk up sales, food and beverage sales, and rental revenue. I hope they make it through this one. Years have been tough before but this in a new challenge. I don't want to lose any local hills over this, Welch is where I spend my time.

If worse comes to worse, I'd hope the county could step in and help.

 

[BaconMeCrazy]

@wallyk , why are you not excited to ski Minnesota this year?

I certainly plan on doing more skiing in Minnesota and the UP this year

My plan too. It could be a busy year if it's anything like the golf courses. Midwesterners need to get outside somehow. I hope we get good coverage for the cross country skiers and fat bikers. I bet ice fishing is off the charts this winter.

 

[pete]

My plan too. It could be a busy year if it's anything like the golf courses. Midwesterners need to get outside somehow. I hope we get good coverage for the cross country skiers and fat bikers. I bet ice fishing is off the charts this winter.

good idea ... I keep wanting to take up Nordic and haven't yet but bought the gear at end of season 2 yrs back.

used to run regular but .. .kids and house gave me lame excuse not to.

 

[pete]

What do you mean???!!! Can you hit Welch Village? I talk with a fair number of Iowan's on the lifts who make the trip. Obviously depends where you live but Welch has some decent, albeit short, terrain.

I was just being a weenie ... moaning about anything simply due to circumstances of this year.

I do wish to hit the northern area but for me, I'm down near the U of I (Iowa that is) and thus the Chestnut, Sundown and then northeast into Wisconsin is a shorter drive. I can hit Wausau in about 4hrs ... Minneapolis is nearer 5.

I think however I would love to take time off of work and do a big loop around heading up into Wi, up into the UP and then back down Mn over a few weeks.

 

[wallyk]

I do wish to hit the northern area but for me, I'm down near the U of I (Iowa that is) and thus the Chestnut, Sundown and then northeast into Wisconsin is a shorter drive. I can hit Wausau in about 4hrs ... Minneapolis is nearer 5.

Yikes.......I didn't know you were that far south.....5 hours to ski Welch is too big of an ask!!!!!!

 

[Slim]

Yikes.......I didn't know you were that far south.....5 hours to ski Welch is too big of an ask!!!!!!

Yes, how far does that put you from Colorado resorts, @pete ?

 

[wallyk]

Hey @Slim what area is your local? Spirit? Given that skiing is not cancelled in MN, when we get some white stuff I'm open to doing the drive up there with my kids.

 

[Slim]

Hey @Slim what area is your local? Spirit? Given that skiing is not cancelled in MN, when we get some white stuff I'm open to doing the drive up there with my kids.

Yes Spirit. I have my location in my profile.
Defintely drive from the Cities to Spirit is worth it once all the runs are open. (I used to live in the Cities). They plan on opening Thanksgiving weekend, but I’m going to skip that. With current warm weather, snowmaking will be slow to non existent. So they won’t have much open.
I’ll wait for a quieter day on the WRoD with my season pass, and if I was buying day tickets, wait for the majority of terrain to be open.

let me know if you come up, maybe we can meet up. (I have two kids too)

 

[wallyk]

I like that idea......have mentioned the idea of doing a Minnesota/MinnieApple gathering and 2020/21 feels like the year for it. Meaning, I need to ski with some like minded people to get me out of my funk. @Dwight how far are you from Spirit and what do you recommend to do create a gathering? @Philpug any interest in driving across the country to Minnesota in the middle of winter to ski MAYBE 600 vertical??? Can do a trip similar to Plake's Down home tour.

 

[Dwight]

I like that idea......have mentioned the idea of doing a Minnesota/MinnieApple gathering and 2020/21 feels like the year for it. Meaning, I need to ski with some like minded people to get me out of my funk. @Dwight how far are you from Spirit and what do you recommend to do create a gathering? @Philpug any interest in driving across the country to Minnesota in the middle of winter to ski MAYBE 600 vertical??? Can do a trip similar to Plake's Down home tour.

I'm near Appleton, WI, Spirit is always doable. If I go there, I will have to go to Lutsen too. My brother would be pissed if I didn't, since he keeps asking me to go.

 

[focker]

Yes Spirit. I have my location in my profile.
Defintely drive from the Cities to Spirit is worth it once all the runs are open. (I used to live in the Cities). They plan on opening Thanksgiving weekend, but I’m going to skip that. With current warm weather, snowmaking will be slow to non existent. So they won’t have much open.
I’ll wait for a quieter day on the WRoD with my season pass, and if I was buying day tickets, wait for the majority of terrain to be open.

let me know if you come up, maybe we can meet up. (I have two kids too)

I agree that Spirit is worth driving up from the cities to ski for a day. We've done it several times. I will caution that hotels in Duluth are ridiculously expensive so it can lead to it being an expensive day of skiing if you want to go that route.

I like Spirit a lot. Great view of the Harbor, Nice high speed quad lift and a nice new lodge at the bottom of the hill. We tend to get bored after skiing there for about 4-5 hours however. While they have some nice long runs and a good amount of vert for MN, there's just not very many runs. This year we're skiing Spirit for a few hours on our way to Bessemer to ski Big Powerderhorn for 2 days. (Indy Pass hills)... We may do a day there on our way to Lutsen for our Spring Break trip in March as well.

 

[focker]

I'm near Appleton, WI, Spirit is always doable. If I go there, I will have to go to Lutsen too. My brother would be pissed if I didn't, since he keeps asking me to go.

Just make sure you do Spirit before Lutsen and not after. Trust me....

 

[Dwight]

Just make sure you do Spirit before Lutsen and not after. Trust me....

Yeah, I know. I just figured if I'm traveling 8 hrs to Lusten, what is another 8 and be in Colorado. Brother goes there a few times a year and instructs.

 

[Slim]

I agree that Spirit is worth driving up from the cities to ski for a day. We've done it several times. I will caution that hotels in Duluth are ridiculously expensive so it can lead to it being an expensive day of skiing if you want to go that route.

I like Spirit a lot. Great view of the Harbor, Nice high speed quad lift and a nice new lodge at the bottom of the hill. We tend to get bored after skiing there for about 4-5 hours however. While they have some nice long runs and a good amount of vert for MN, there's just not very many runs. This year we're skiing Spirit for a few hours on our way to Bessemer to ski Big Powerderhorn for 2 days. (Indy Pass hills)... We may do a day there on our way to Lutsen for our Spring Break trip in March as well.

Absolutely agree. If I lived in the Cities, I'd do a day trip. Drive , Ski 3.5-4.5 hours plus some breaks, Garb early dinner and head home. Or if you want to do overnight, use hotel points. their are also some quite cheap hotels, I see their prices on their sign. no idea what they are like.

or do half day downhill and half day cross country skiing.

 

[Dwight]

My local hill putting in the resources to try make this season work. Nordic, they also own Little Switz and The Rock.

 

[pete]

Yes, how far does that put you from Colorado resorts, @pete ?

Colorado while a drive is roughly 13.5hrs to the boat, our yearly family trip. Back when I was first told to learn to ski, Steamboat had all kinds of deals with the airlines and flying was the way to go. 10+yrs back we used to do the "kids fly free", buy 5, 6, or 7 day lift tickets and get the kids ski free, man it expensive but not crazy .. I'd say lifts and airfare for 4 (me, wife and two under 12) ran under $1700. Things changed, airfare alone in one year came out to be $2100, that's when driving became our preferred.

Worked out well given we stuck to a 7/8 days of skiing, an overnight out and back with museums and dinner which ignoring wear and tear on the car .. travel with the hotel out and back ran under $500. Too, air travel got to where we seemed to have one leg hosed up so travel time flying was typically 12-15hrs on either in or out .. and min of 6hrs given airport pre-arrival.

I'm near Appleton, WI, Spirit is always doable. If I go there, I will have to go to Lutsen too. My brother would be pissed if I didn't, since he keeps asking me to go.

Lutsen, bucket list. If I bought a Chestnut season pass, it comes with 2 days at Granite and 2 at Lutsen.

 

[wallyk]

I'm in the western suburbs and a 2.5-3 hour drive is easy....even easier for skiing. @Dwight @Slim @focker any interest in nailing down a date in January for a meetup for all that are interested?

 

[Dwight]

I'm really bad at locking down a date. I'm not sure when my youngest goes back to college but make sure it isn't around the 6th. Wife's birthday, skiing is not her number one.

 

[Slim]

I'm in the western suburbs and a 2.5-3 hour drive is easy....even easier for skiing. @Dwight @Slim @focker any interest in nailing down a date in January for a meetup for all that are interested?

Sure