Ohio — It may surprise ski bums that Ohio is home to a decently sized ski industry. While the season is shorter than in other major markets, Ohio is home to six active ski resorts. Four of them (three if you consider Boston Mills Brandywine to be one ski resort, which I don’t) are owned or operated by Vail Resorts. According to Vail Resorts, they’re working on various projects this offseason.
Alpine Valley is adding new LED lights for night skiing, meaning better visibility for guests on the slopes.
Boston Mills will see a couple of big improvements. They are receiving new water lines for snowmaking, making for a more efficient operation. Lift 2 is seeing some improvements, including a new unload deck and a regraded lift shack, leading to a smoother experience for novices. Lastly, the Boston Mills Bar Deck is being rebuilt, meaning that there will be a new, larger deck with additional seating.
Brandywine is getting new LED lights for night skiing and new water lines for snowmaking.
At Mad River Mountain, the Sundowner Chair has received a new haul rope. Snowmaking improvements are also underway, with them rebuilding their snowmaking pump and motor. In addition, their snowguns have been strategically placed to lead to more snow coverage and earlier openings.
It’s nice to see Vail investing in these smaller ski areas. Now, they need Mother Nature to cooperate, which wasn’t the case last winter.
Image Credits: Mad River Mountain, Alpine Valley, Boston Mills Brandywine, Vail Resorts
