Upson, Wisconsin — After years of turbulence, a Wisconsin ski resort has filed for bankruptcy.
Business Insider reports that Whitecap Mountains Resort filed for bankruptcy after a tumultuous few years. However, the management group believes that this won’t impact operations for the 2025-26 season. This is a Chapter 11 bankruptcy, meaning they’re trying to restructure their liabilities rather than enter liquidation.
Whitecap Mountains defines itself as the “snowiest ski resort in Wisconsin.” However, recent years have been a struggle. The 2023-24 season saw less than three feet of natural snowfall, a substantial drop from the 260 inches received during the 2022-23 campaign. Whitecap doesn’t have much snowmaking, making it difficult to open terrain when natural snow doesn’t arrive.
In response to a drop in revenues from that fateful winter, Whitecap Mountains (owned by Midwest Skiing Company) acquired a loan from Brighton Asset Management. However, another underwhelming winter led them to default on that $1.86 million in debt. Brighton Asset Management moved to foreclose on the property, prompting the the ski resort to file for bankruptcy.
About Whitecap Mountains Resort
Whitecap Mountains Resort features 43 trails, 6 lifts (an additional chairlift is standing but not operating), 400 skiable acres, and a vertical drop of 455 feet. During the summertime, the ski resort hosts ATV riders across its trail network and offers waterfall tours.
It was also at one point the largest ski resort in the state, but that title now belongs to Granite Peak. Whitecap Mountains is regarded as the snowiest ski resort in the state, averaging 200 inches of snow. However, the past several years have been tough sledding.
Situated near the border of Wisconsin and the Northern Peninsula of Michigan, its remote location has been one of the things they’ve had to contend with for decades. The other problem is with its facilities. In 2019, the base lodge was destroyed by fire. A new base lodge has yet to be rebuilt.
The ski resort was bought by David Dziuban in 2008. The Storm Skiing Journal did a great podcast episode with the owner back in 2023, which you can listen to here.
Image/Video Credits: Whitecaps Mountain Resort, Skiers and Snowboarders of the Midwest.
