| Route 66 | Cities | Beaches |
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The Mountain is where it all began. It's actually not a true mountain, but a long ridge positioned just off Lake Michigan, where winds blowing across from Minnesota and down from Canada pick up moisture, then drop it as they have to rise to get over the higher land. Boyne has been a pioneer in chairlifts, but until recently never bothered much with snow making machinery because it was unnecessary. With global warming, they have reluctantly begun installing the familiar hoses and guns, but old timers still look on them with disdain. This is a big resort. There are a lot of trails, and they're longer than their counterparts down in West Virginia and Pennsylvania. With a few exceptions, they're twice as wide, and although a huge number of people ski here, you rarely feel crowded. |
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The rambling old lodge has been here for a long time and looks it, but it's been beautifully maintained and has all the services you could ask. It contains an excellent food service, well equipped stores, a very efficient equipment rental outlet, lots of fireplaces, comfy armchairs for relaxing, and enough nooks and crannies everyone can find a little privacy. We've always found the staff here among the best of any ski resort. They seem especially interested in helping families and youth groups enjoy their visits. The office suite is centrally located and accessible and always staffed. |
| The traditional part of The Mountain operates 37 trails, seven chair lifts, three warming houses and outlying food service. The greens, blues and blacks are separated much more clearly here than at the Ohio Valley resorts. Unlike most places, the greens are long and wide, some coming all the way down from the top of the mountain. A beginner here, by the second day, can feel like they're a big time skiier, not relegated to short boring runs on the edges of the action. There are two terrain parks and a broad, hospitable ski school area. The school itself is an Austrian model which became the model for many other American resorts. |  |
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The recent expansion, Disciples Ridge, is furthest from the lodge but contains seven outstanding trails carving through dense woods, and its own lift. From the bottom of this area is where the cross country skiing trails go out. There are also 100 slope side chalets and a more compact townhouse/condo neighborhood at the bottom. These trails can be empty at times, especially in early morning and just before closing. On a warmer, sunny day, you can have a special experience packing some food and thermos, stepping out of your skiis, and eating lunch sitting back in the trees. |
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