As Michigan ski resorts eye later closing dates, who will stay open longest?
- Mount Bohemia and Boyne Mountain have a friendly rivalry over who can stay open the longest each season.
- Mount Bohemia officials predict skiing into May, while Boyne Mountain officials hope to stay open until Memorial Day weekend.
- Most resorts in southern Michigan have already closed, while others are preparing to do so in the next few weeks
Boyne Mountain in Boyne Valley Township and Mount Bohemia in Mohawk in the Upper Peninsula have a friendly rivalry over who can stay open the longest.
“Usually, the loser donates $1,000 to the charity of the winner,” said Mount Bohemia President Lonie Glieberman.
Last year, the bet was off because snowfall was so low, but Glieberman said 2023 went to Boyne, 2022 went to Mount Bohemia and 2021 was a tie.
He said he thinks Mount Bohemia will beat Boyne this year as, after a few years of mild winters, the 2024-25 season has seen a return of heavy snow.
“We have good snow and we have more snow coming,” he said. “They got a big snow pack, but we have Lake Superior and so we have confidence that we are gonna ski into May.”
It’s common for popular ski resorts in the US to close for the season in April. Jackson Hole in Wyoming expects to end on April 13. Vail in Colorado anticipates April 21.
Boyne Mountain in the northwest Lower Peninsula is shooting for the unofficial start of summer.
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According to the resort’s website, Victor Glacier — which houses an intermediate run that flows into the main resort village — had 245 inches of snow accumulation as of Friday. The website says the glacier “is set to carry us well into May. Memorial Day skiing? It's not out of the question.”
The resort has dedicated six Super PoleCat snow guns (think spotlights that shoot snow instead of light) to Victor Glacier alone, with the aim of extending the ski season.
No ‘dirty snow’
Ben Doornbos, the general manager of Nub’s Nob in Harbor Springs, said he doesn’t see the allure in trying to stay open as long as possible.
“Our goal is not to ski the last piece of dirty snow out there. Our goal is to have a great ski experience from start to finish,” Doornbos said.
The resort is planning for its usual last day, the first Sunday in April, which this year is April 6, even though Nub’s Nob patented its own snowmaking guns in the 1980s and has more than 300 on-site today.
Doornbos said Nubs Nob sticks to closing in early April because the freeze-thaw cycle of spring eventually makes the snow less than ideal.
“Even though you may have snow to ski on, the experience is no longer what we want to provide,” he said.
Plus, he said, there’s not really a market for it.
Some Michigan ski resorts have closed, such those in southeast Michigan (Alpine Valley, Mount Holly, Pine Knob and Mt. Brighton) and near Grand Rapids (Cannonsburg, Bittersweet and Timber Creek.)
Treetops Resort in Gaylord closed for the season March 16, while Caberfae Peaks near Cadillac expected to close for the season after the final run on Sunday.
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