Even now, as all other areas (except Afton) are closed for the season, Buck still has great snow. I don't know how they do it, but generally the snow is always better at Buck Hill.

Headed out after the 3/2/2007 storm dumped some fresh snow on the hills. This was my first outing to snowboard in the Twin Cities. My regular slopes are in Colorado! Buck Hill is by no means a mountain, but it kept me occupied for a good three hours knitting together runs to make the time on the slope last longer than the time spent on the chair. Lifts are fast, staff is friendly and there is enough tucked into the hills to make for an enjoyable outing of a few hours. I was surprised that crowds were light on a Saturday morning even after almost a foot of good fresh snow had fallen. Conditions were decent though it is obvious that the grooming and snow making results in an icy base. Powder "stashes" resulted in some clever out of bounds activity on my part ;-)

The crowd was mainly younger skiers and snowboarders of varying skills. Terrain park is small but offers a good amount of variety. NASTAR racers were actively running sets on the two slopes available for races. Buck Hill seems to have a dedicated audience for each of its features. Even though you are on a hillside overlooking a highway with pop-up condos all around, this is a decent spot to strap on your sticks and get a taste of the snow, practice your turns and tricks.

Buck has really made some nice upgrades this year. The new lift is great. The terrain park is the best in the twin city area. The snow is always great (better than welch or afton), and the grooming is usually the best around.

Buck is a bargain for close in skiing. The runs are groomed and well maintained and with the addition of the new quad chair the entire area is easily accessed. Three generations of my family have learned to ski and skied Buck for over thirty years.

Buck is not the best hill around but is still a great place for a quick trip. The hill is somewhat undersized but is easily beats other hills around when it comes to incline. Not as good as highland but better than afton if you want to ski in the minneapolis-st. paul area.