Amie H
Angel Diva
Inspired by recent "Up North" ski reports from @Iwannaski and @shadoj , I left Thursday afternoon and drove from the NW burbs of Chicago to Wausau, WI (just under 4 hours.) Checked into my hotel, changed into my ski gear, and drove 5 minutes to Granite Peak. I've been there before. I was attracted by the $25+tax ticket for M-F night skiing. Only two lifts were open, but it was empty so I got a lot of runs in before my toes decided it was time to go in. I'd say an advanced skier might get bored here because the black runs are a short amount of steepness then transition into a flat runout. The run in this video, "Miracle," which starts that the top of the Cupid high speed quad chair, I enjoyed because the lighting was decent and the snow was good. It took me 1:34 seconds to get down it, if that gives you an indication of the length of runs. The big plus for skiing at Granite Peak is it's an "urban" resort - you have all the amenities of a small city right there. Downtown Wausau is charming. Plenty of dining and lodging options.
The next morning, I drove North on route 51 to Whitecap Mountains Resort. I was able to check in to my motel early, changed, and then arrived at the resort at 11:45, so I bought a half-day ticket for $50 plus a ticket for the next day.
I knew from a friend a bit about Whitecap: outdated facilities but great terrain and snow. The resort is in the Lake Superior "snow belt" and they got about a foot of fresh snow earlier in the week. One other huge plus is a distinct lack of crowds. When I drove in Saturday morning, I parked in the first row of the lot! I skied right on to every lift. Staff were friendly. The snow was PERFECT: dry, squeaky, super-forgiving, and plenty of it. I brought my older Rossignol Temptation 84s and though I used to not like them that much, they skied GREAT. Maybe, though, it wasn't the snow as much as I've just gotten to be a better skier with so many ski days this year...
Anyway, there are some clear pros and cons of this resort.
Cons:
- Lodging takes some effort to find (onsite resort lodge still in need of renovation, and is expensive)
- Chairs are older, all fixed grip, 2 with hard plastic seats, 1 with wooden slats (like a park bench!) NONE have safety bars (that may be a non-starter for some folks.) Not the slowest I've ever ridden, though.
- Not for newbies: NO magic carpet. Greens are mostly gentle, but run to get back to base is a tad steep for a true beginner, IMO.
- Long drive to get there. Can fly into Ironwood, MI but ground transportation limited/nonexistent. Only 2 hour drive from Duluth, though.
- Limited facilities at resort. Main lodge has indoor restrooms, otherwise on the mountain, there are porta-potties up top and at some of the lifts. (kind of a good idea, tbh.)
- Cannot wear backpacks on lifts - they are too shallow and no bars. Stow snacks/other stuff in pockets.
- Trails not well-marked. Really could use more signage. Although once I skied a few trails, I got oriented pretty quickly
Pros:
- THE SNOW IS AMAZING. Nice grooming on most trails, but some left ungroomed for those who like powder (see my video clip below!) Also loads of fresh powder in trees and just off the trails. Entire mountain is skied, not just frontside.
- Affordable lift tickets
- NO CROWDS
- Variety of terrain - great for snowboarding or skiing. Truly has challenging terrain for experts/adrenaline seekers (moguls on a cliff face, anyone?) but fun, long blues and greens, almost all meandering through the woods or otherwise twisting and turning at some point. The longest runs I've ever skied in the Midwest, outside of maybe Lutsen.
- The Wine Hut : a charming, cozy cabin that serves light snacks, hot beverages (hot mulled wine, hot cider, hot chocolate) and cold ones (full bar, pop.) Wood stove keeping it nice and toasty in there. Super-cute.
-On a clear day, you can see Lake Superior from the top of the lifts. Pretty views on the South side of the mountain too.
- Nice people, VERY unpretentious. Also, loads of people skiing on 1990's equipment. I spied so many pairs of skinny old planks and rear-entry boots, I wondered if the Divas would be shocked by it? Heck, Maybe next time, I'll take my old set up there for a few runs.
I will definitely plan a return, preferably with some friends so we can all go in on a rental home, because I wasn't wild about the safety of my motel (doorknob locks only) and just sitting alone in a tiny room (did have fridge & microwave, though so I made some tasty dinner.)
The next morning, I drove North on route 51 to Whitecap Mountains Resort. I was able to check in to my motel early, changed, and then arrived at the resort at 11:45, so I bought a half-day ticket for $50 plus a ticket for the next day.
I knew from a friend a bit about Whitecap: outdated facilities but great terrain and snow. The resort is in the Lake Superior "snow belt" and they got about a foot of fresh snow earlier in the week. One other huge plus is a distinct lack of crowds. When I drove in Saturday morning, I parked in the first row of the lot! I skied right on to every lift. Staff were friendly. The snow was PERFECT: dry, squeaky, super-forgiving, and plenty of it. I brought my older Rossignol Temptation 84s and though I used to not like them that much, they skied GREAT. Maybe, though, it wasn't the snow as much as I've just gotten to be a better skier with so many ski days this year...
Anyway, there are some clear pros and cons of this resort.
Cons:
- Lodging takes some effort to find (onsite resort lodge still in need of renovation, and is expensive)
- Chairs are older, all fixed grip, 2 with hard plastic seats, 1 with wooden slats (like a park bench!) NONE have safety bars (that may be a non-starter for some folks.) Not the slowest I've ever ridden, though.
- Not for newbies: NO magic carpet. Greens are mostly gentle, but run to get back to base is a tad steep for a true beginner, IMO.
- Long drive to get there. Can fly into Ironwood, MI but ground transportation limited/nonexistent. Only 2 hour drive from Duluth, though.
- Limited facilities at resort. Main lodge has indoor restrooms, otherwise on the mountain, there are porta-potties up top and at some of the lifts. (kind of a good idea, tbh.)
- Cannot wear backpacks on lifts - they are too shallow and no bars. Stow snacks/other stuff in pockets.
- Trails not well-marked. Really could use more signage. Although once I skied a few trails, I got oriented pretty quickly
Pros:
- THE SNOW IS AMAZING. Nice grooming on most trails, but some left ungroomed for those who like powder (see my video clip below!) Also loads of fresh powder in trees and just off the trails. Entire mountain is skied, not just frontside.
- Affordable lift tickets
- NO CROWDS
- Variety of terrain - great for snowboarding or skiing. Truly has challenging terrain for experts/adrenaline seekers (moguls on a cliff face, anyone?) but fun, long blues and greens, almost all meandering through the woods or otherwise twisting and turning at some point. The longest runs I've ever skied in the Midwest, outside of maybe Lutsen.
- The Wine Hut : a charming, cozy cabin that serves light snacks, hot beverages (hot mulled wine, hot cider, hot chocolate) and cold ones (full bar, pop.) Wood stove keeping it nice and toasty in there. Super-cute.
-On a clear day, you can see Lake Superior from the top of the lifts. Pretty views on the South side of the mountain too.
- Nice people, VERY unpretentious. Also, loads of people skiing on 1990's equipment. I spied so many pairs of skinny old planks and rear-entry boots, I wondered if the Divas would be shocked by it? Heck, Maybe next time, I'll take my old set up there for a few runs.
I will definitely plan a return, preferably with some friends so we can all go in on a rental home, because I wasn't wild about the safety of my motel (doorknob locks only) and just sitting alone in a tiny room (did have fridge & microwave, though so I made some tasty dinner.)
