Michigan’s Upper Peninsula is a land of dense forests, long winters and deep snow. With Lake Superior acting as a gigantic snow gun, the shoreline receives more than 200 inches of snowfall annually in a normal year. Last season more than 300 inches (25 feet) of the fluffy white stuff was dumped on the area.
“It was a pretty winter–lots and lots of snow,” said Ron Welton, manager of the nearby Porcupine Mountains Wilderness State Park. “But after a while, enough is enough. Our hiking trails were still clogged with snow in May. It was better skiing than hiking.”
History buffs may recall that the UP was Michigan’s consolation prize in a deal struck to attain statehood in 1837. In turn for giving up its valuable Great Lakes port of Toledo, the Territory of Michigan was given the “barren wasteland” of the UP. What a bargain! Initially it gave the state valuable mineral riches in the form of copper, silver and iron. Today its wealth is measured in its natural beauty.
Winter enthusiasts love its “mother lode” of craggy bluffs, miles of seemingly endless forests and deep, pristine snowfalls.
With five major ski resorts scattered along the western end of the UP, downhill skiing has long been the mainstay of winter tourism. But in recent years with the development of more than 2,000 miles of snowmobile trails and close to 200 miles of cross-country pathways throughout the region, these winter activities also have been drawing big numbers. Add to that mix snowshoeing, dog sledding and ski flying (jumping), and it’s easy to see that downhill skiing isn’t the only thing to do in winter.
However, as a destination for downhill skiers, it’s one of the best in the Great Lakes. Four areas (Indianhead, Blackjack, Big Powderhorn and Whitecap) grouped along the Michigan-Wisconsin border near Ironwood and a fifth (Porcupine Mountain) located along the Superior shoreline near Silver City collectively offer more than 100 runs.
Individually they measure up as some of the biggest in the Midwest, with three ski areas sporting at least 600-foot vertical drops, and the other two not far behind. There’s enough variety here to keep skiers happy for several days.
Porcupine Mountain Ski Area leads the way with a 640-foot vertical drop, stunning views of Lake Superior and runs more than a mile long. Located within Porcupine Mountain Wilderness State Park, the area is run by the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. With its cadre of DNR personnel acting as lift attendants, you won’t find a friendlier or more helpful staff.
“The staff is one of the reasons we keep coming back year after year,” said Bert Fischer from Bay Village, Ohio. “It’s a great place to bring the family, especially the grandkids. The lift attendants really pay a lot of attention to their special needs, helping them on and off the lifts.”
The state park with its 60,000 acres is one of the few large areas of wilderness tract left in the Midwest. Towering virgin timber, secluded lakes and miles of wild rivers and lakeshore make a visit to the “Porkies” a trip to remember. In addition to 14 downhill slopes that offer a nice variety of runs and views of Lake Superior’s ice floes, you can slip on a pair of cross-country skis to sample some of the 26 miles of groomed and tracked trails that cut through the heart of this pristine wilderness, or rent a snowmobile for a memorable ride up to Lake of the Clouds, one of the most photographed alpine lakes in the Great Lakes region.
The functional day lodge with its large fireplaces and wall of windows overlooking the slopes offers a nice setting for lunch or a rest break. A full-service ski shop offers rentals and repairs for alpine and Nordic equipment, and you can also sign up for a guided snowmobile tour complete with necessary clothing. Advance reservations are advised, especially on busy winter weekends.
You can stay in nearby Silver City, but many skiers choose to stay in the Ironwood area and day-trip up to the “Porkies,” about a 45-minute drive. Big Powderhorn, Indianhead and Blackjack are all located just east of Ironwood off U.S. Highway 2. Whitecap is just across the Wisconsin border west of Hurley.
Big Powderhorn, a favorite of both ski clubs and families, offers the largest bed-base in the area, with more than 300 chalets and condos, many slopeside. In addition to a variety of apres-ski activities, families love the wide variety of ski runs off the 600-foot peak. There are long, rambling tree-lined trails, open bowls and steep, narrow chutes to explore. Many of the runs are nearly a mile long, and Cannonball, 4,600-feet in length, is one of the longest advanced runs in the Midwest.
With the largest uphill capacity in the UP, nine chairlifts can haul 11,000 skiers per hour serving the resort’s 24 downhill slopes. You also can access the 7 1/2-mile Wolverine Ski Club cross-country trail from the top of the lifts. The nicely groomed system is quite hilly and caters more to advanced Nordic skiers.
Powderhorn boasts the best collection of restaurants in the area, from the upscale Powdermill Inn to the varied menus of the slopeside Alpen Inn and Caribou Lodge. The renovated day lodge offers a full compliment of skier services where you can also arrange for a guided tour of nearby Cooper Peak, the only ski-flying hill in North America, or take a dog sled ride and enjoy a picnic lunch along the trail.
Indianhead, an upside-down resort with its lodging and main facilities on top of the 638-foot hill, is popular with families and ski clubbers because of the many planned apres-ski activities that fill almost every weekend during the ski season. They range from demo days to beach ball, bikini weekends, senior sprees, costume contests, a family week in April and even a mountain bike race on April 13 to close the season.
Nine lifts with an uphill capacity of 8,500 skiers per hour serve 19 trails. Indianhead claims eight of these trails are “most difficult,” but in reality most are wide boulevards just made for cruising and long, lazy turns. The Winnebago Headwall offers a testy combination of steep-and-deep with some gnarly moguls for the advanced skier. A new double-black plunge off of Hiawatha lift is slated to open this season.
The lodge, converted from an old barn that was part of the original homestead dating back to the turn of the century, offers attractive rooms with a rustic decor and a good restaurant. It’s part of the compact development located on top of the hill that also includes a day lodge with full skier services, condos and an indoor pool and fitness center.
Blackjack, a picturesque resort overlooking the Black River, is just down the road from Indianhead. It’s appeal is to intermediate and advanced skiers. About 40 percent of its slopes are rated advanced–and deserve the rating. Aggressive skiers will have a ball exploring the wide, westernlike bump runs, or the narrow, twisting chutes slashing through the trees to the valley floor.
It has a limited number of condos available and a day lodge offering all the necessary skier services. However, it doesn’t have an evening restaurant on premises.
Whitecap Mountains, another family favorite, offers as wide a variety of slopes and trails as you’ll find in the upper Midwest. Its 36 trails, etched into thick virgin forests, slice and dice across three hills. Located in the heart of the ancient Penokee Mountain range, the scenery is very westernlike. On a clear day from the top you can see Lake Superior and the Apostle Islands in the distance. Six chairlifts and two surface tows with an uphill capacity of 8,000 skiers per hour keep liftlines short.
The recently expanded Yellow Brick Mall day lodge with its adjoining shops and restaurants, set in a delightful Old World atmosphere, is as nice a complex as you’ll find among Midwestern ski areas. Whitecap sleeps about 600 slopeside.
In addition to the Nordic opportunities at Porcupine Mountain and Powderhorn, Big Snow Country also boasts some fine Nordic touring centers, all within a half-hour of town. Johnson’s Nordic Center is the biggest touring center with more than 19 miles of single- and double-tracked trails with skating lanes that cater to all ability levels.
DETAILS ON THE UP
Adult lift ticket prices range between $25 and $33 on the weekends. Students can expect to pay about $5 less on the average, and most areas allow children (8 and under) to ski free when accompanied by a parent. Porcupine Mountain allows children 12 and under to ski free, and they don’t have to be with a parent.
All the areas promote special package plans throughout the season. An interchangeable multi-day lift ticket (purchased through the ski areas) is available in three- to five-day increments. The best deal, which can only be purchased at the Chicago Ski and Snowboard Show (Nov. 7-10 at the Rosemont Center), is an Adventure Card allowing a day of skiing at each of the five areas for $75.
Following is an additional list of phone numbers for places mentioned in the story: Big Powderhorn (800-222-3131); Blackjack (800-848-1125); Indianhead (800-3-INDIAN); Porcupine Mountain (906-885-5275); Whitecap (800-933-SNOW); ABR (906-932-3502); Johnson Nordic (906-224-4711); Milje (906-229-5267); River Falls (906-932-5638); and Watermeet (906-358-4766). For complete area attractions, call the Western UP Convention and Visitor Bureau at 906-932-4850.
