Indianhead Mountain
| Indianhead Mountain | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Location | Wakefield Township, Michigan, United States |
| Nearest city | Wakefield, Michigan |
| Vertical | 638 feet (194 m) |
| Top elevation | 1,935 ft (590 m) |
| Base elevation | 1,297 ft (395 m) |
| Skiable area | 195 acres (0.79 km2) |
| Runs | 28 |
| Longest run | 1-mile (1.6 km) |
| Lift system | 5 chair lifts, 1 PomaLift, 2 T-Bars, 1 TowRope |
| Lift capacity | 10,131 skiers/hr |
| Terrain parks | Yes - 1 Big Chief Natural Terrain Park |
| Snowfall | 17 ft (5.2 m) annual |
| Snowmaking | Yes (90%) |
| Night skiing | No |
| Website | indianheadmtn.com |
Indianhead Mountain is located in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan in Wakefield Township, Gogebic County. Indianhead Mountain is in an area called "Big Snow Country", so named because of the annual 200-inch (5.1 m) average snowfall, courtesy of the lake effect from Lake Superior. The area is home to several popular ski resorts such as Big Powderhorn and Blackjack Ski Resort.
The roots of Indianhead Mountain Resort tie in closely with the past and current economy of the area. In the late 1950s, Jack English, an amateur pilot from Chicago, over flew Indian Head Mountain. After seeing the abundant snow and area conditions, he developed Indianhead Mountain Resort. This was the impetus for the local ski industry—in the following years, other resorts opened and the area became a skiing hotspot. English is credited with creating the ski industry in the area, and shifting the local economy away from the failing iron mines to one of the most popular ski destinations in the country. An indication of how important skiing has become to the region is Gogebic Community College's ski area management program, one of the few in the country.
The area offers snowshoeing, ice skating, cross-country skiing and other winter activities. The area is best known for downhill alpine skiing. Indianhead itself only offers downhill alpine skiing.
Indianhead features runs from very easy greens through double diamond. Over 95% of the hill is groomed, and although there is no official tree skiing, adventurous skiers manage it anyway. There are 10 Beginner Green runs (the largest, Voyagers Highway is in itself the size of many Midwest ski areas), seven More Difficult Blue runs, seven Most difficult Black runs, and four Expert Double Diamond runs primarily because of moguls.
The facilities normally found at the hill base are on top of the hill at Indianhead. This means that all skiing begins at the hill top, so your last lift ride for the day is up and off the hill. There are no accommodations at the base of the hill, but there are numerous trailside condos, hill top condos, and rental cabins in the area.
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Wikipedia