Last season, The Highlands, located in Harbor Springs, celebrated 60 years of operation by opening the first 6-person high-speed Doppelmayr D-Line bubble chairlift in the region. For 2024-25, the mountain is wrapping up the installation of a new lift. The Interconnect Triple is set to open in December and will improve access to the North Peak region of the mountain. The new triple will be faster, increase capacity and be fully equipped with an RFID gate. Over the summer, the resort added 14 new HKD Impulse snow guns across Valley View and expanded snowmaking capabilities in the area.
Another Michigan resort update comes from Mount Bohemia. This 620-acre resort will be opening a new section of skiable terrain. Far East, located just past Middle Earth, will open at the start of the season. This portion of the mountain will contain 4 glade runs. These will be tricky and technical trails, so they’re perfect for those interested in sidecountry or backcountry riding. Note that they end at the bottom of the road so users will have to take the Bohemia Backcountry bus back to the front side of the mountain. Additionally, the Nordic Spa is expanding by adding a Cold Rain Mist Room, a Turkish Steam Room, and an Exfoliation Room.
Many of Ohio’s ski areas will also receive upgrades for the 2024-25 season. Alpine Valley and Brandywine will get new LED lights placed along select trails for increased night skiing. Boston Mills received new water lines, installed for better snowmaking capabilities, while Lift 2 will get an updated unload deck. Mad River Mountain’s Sundowner chair will get a new hail rope and the resort will have increased snowmaking technology and more strategic snowgun placements for better coverage.
Lastly, in North Carolina, Sugar Mountain is partnering with Skidata to widen Northridge and Gunter’s Way. The resort also made investments in new snowmaking machines, groomers, and LED lights for night skiing. One of the biggest changes for skiers and riders comes in the form of an RFID chip-based digital ticketing system. Each guest will receive a personalized card, which can be reloaded on future trips to the mountain, that will act as their lift ticket.
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Header credit: ©The Highlands
December 11, 2024
