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Granite Peak, Black Jack or Big Powder Horn

11K views 31 replies 7 participants last post by  Hurricane 
#1 · (Edited)
Background: I might have some extra money to throw at a longer snowboarding weekend trip for me and my 2 sons (17 & 16) this season, possibly Wed- Sun. Travel Wed, ride Thur - Sat and depending on the resort (travel distance) riding Sunday or need to travel home that day.

The last few years we have taken a long weekend and went to Granite Peak, 3 hr drive. I'm considering the UP of Michigan, about 6 hr drive.
GP is closer and we can stay longer and ride more days. Plus I get to ride with my buddy * Derrrrrrpppp * from the forum that lives there.

For those of you that have been to all 3 or any of these resorts can you share your thougths on them?
How does the riding experience of Granite Peak, Black Jack & Big Powder Horn compare to each other.
Worth the drive, accommodations (I'd love to stay on the hill and ride out my door to the hill) GP is a 5 minute drive from the hotel
I was to the UP in my late teens with buddies but it was at one of the smaller resorts up there and we didn't stay on sight, Ski Brule was the resort.

Do I try to go to a different resort, little farther away for a more mountain feel? Again there is differing opinion as GP has more vert than both those hills.

Well share any thoughts or experiences you had at any of these resorts. Really hoping for input from riders that have experienced all 3 would be best.
 
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#3 ·
It's pretty early so we may not get much traffic on this. I will be bumping this during the season as well.

Deacon, just throwing this out there in case you guys do a trip and we decide to stay at Granite Peak we can plan for the same weekend to all ride together if your interested. I think Derps wife is gonna ride this year. Mine doesn't ride. I have another buddy I might see if they want to come up as well. Again if we decide to do GP instead of the U.P. I haven't even asked the kids where they want to go, this may all be for naught, as they love GP
 
#4 ·
Right on. Just let me know when/if you hit up GP, it's only a 2 hour (or so) drive, so I'll definitely be cruising up there a couple times this season! I intend to ride at least 30 days this season, and I'd like to get 50... :D
 
#5 ·
While GP doesn't have true onsite lodging, if you stay at Rib Mountain Inn you can literally walk through a small set of trees and be in the parking lot near the base of Comet.

The boss tells me no lights over on Dasher this year. Not sure why, but I honestly believe it's to bank another years worth of money for a high speed on the Eastern part of the mountain.

The off season crew spent a solid 2 months in the glade areas. Did a ton of clearing, pruning, and improving. Really looking forward to hitting those.

Other than that the only changes I have seen so far have been cosmetic.

The wife and I will be representing GP at the ski/snowboard expo at MOA again this year in the middle of October. I'll have full details of everything by then.
 
#6 ·
While GP doesn't have true onsite lodging, if you stay at Rib Mountain Inn you can literally walk through a small set of trees and be in the parking lot near the base of Comet.

The boss tells me no lights over on Dasher this year. Not sure why, but I honestly believe it's to bank another years worth of money for a high speed on the Eastern part of the mountain.

The off season crew spent a solid 2 months in the glade areas. Did a ton of clearing, pruning, and improving. Really looking forward to hitting those.

Other than that the only changes I have seen so far have been cosmetic.

The wife and I will be representing GP at the ski/snowboard expo at MOA again this year in the middle of October. I'll have full details of everything by then.
I guess I'll see you there, then! :thumbsup:
 
#9 ·
I went to Granite Peak a few years ago and made my first foray into the UP this past January at Indianhead. Granite Peak has quite a few more trails but the trails at Indianhead seemed much longer to me. I live just north of Milwaukee so the 5 hour drive up to the UP is a killer for me so in the future I'll probably just go to GP. Although, if the drive time was the same, I'd probably go to the UP since there are more resorts there. As for nightlife, neither place is all that exciting but Wausau has to have more going on than Wakefield, Bessemer, or Ironwood/Hurley.
 
#10 ·
Ya we're probably gonna stick to GP as it is much closer and I can get some extra riding days in, instead of making those travel days.
Plus I ride with Derp from the forum and Deacon is gonna try to make it this year. If you want in here is my invite to ya. Always fun riding with friends.

I've got teenage boys so nightlife is of no concern to me. Plus I'm so tired after riding all day, hot tub, dinner and bed is usually my nightlife !!!
 
#11 ·
Bohemia all the way. 6 hours is really not that bad from Milwaukee. I have made the trip the past two seasons and it is nothing. Plus, the yurts are slopeside and actually pretty decent. No nightlife at the hill, but if need be Houghton is 45 mins and pretty decent since it is a college town.

I can't speak to GP as I have never been there, but if I am going 3 hours to Wausau I might as well go to the UP.
 
#12 ·
I guess it just depends on who you are with and what everyone wants to do. No park at Bohemia would be a bummer. Only 2 lifts would be a bummer too. I wonder what the lift lines are like there on weekends? That extra 6 hours round trip driving from Milwaukee could be a extra 6 hours of riding for me at GP :)

Granite is more of a family atmosphere where you can bring the kids and everyone can go off, do their own thing, and meet up at the chalet later.

Bohemia would be a place I'd take a few friends who I didn't have to worry about and just shred for a entire day. I bet the glades there are amazing.

Definitely biased though as GP is my hill and I'm only 10 minutes away from it. Way too many perks there for me to not have it be my favorite hill as long as I live in Wisconsin.
 
#17 ·
Lutsen is the "sister mountain" of Granite Peak and owned by the same person to some extent. Haven't been to Lutsen as it's 6+ hours for me, but GP sends some of their employees to help out at Lutsen from time to time and they all say that it's pretty legit there. Definitely better than anywhere in Wisconsin.

AFAIK Lutsen has no night skiing. That is a HUGE :thumbsdown: for me.
 
#23 ·
Yeah that's true I can see how the 7-8 hour drive would be a pain, especially with kids. It's really more of a destination resort. But the terrain is just so much better than anywhere else in the mid west (withe the exception of Bohemia). And it's dirt cheap, we did two nights ski and stay last year and It cost me less than $200 including gas and booze and eating out.
 
#25 ·
Well by nights I meant lodging, there is lights on one of the mountains, can't remember which one. They only ever use them for ski racing though. I'm sure it's more cost effective for them to close the mountian at night. I guess if your really into night riding then don't go to Lutsen, or anywhere out west either for that matter.
 
#28 ·
Slyder looks like we are going further north this year over the January 17 thru 21st. We are going to Mt Bohemia for 2 days and then will work our way back down south. Probably hit GP a day and cap it off at DH for their $65 room and lift on the last day so we have a shorter ride home.
 
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