Indianhead Mountain facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Indianhead Mountain |
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| Location | Wakefield Township, Michigan, United States |
| Nearest city | Wakefield, Michigan |
| Vertical | 520 feet (160 m) |
| Top elevation | 1,760 ft (540 m) |
| Base elevation | 1,240 ft (380 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 Magic carpet |
| 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 | Yes |
| Website | bigsnow.com |
Indianhead Mountain is a fun ski resort located in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. It's in a place called "Big Snow Country." This area gets a lot of snow, about 17 feet (5 meters) each year! This happens because of something called the lake effect from Lake Superior. Indianhead Mountain is close to other popular ski spots like Big Powderhorn and Blackjack Ski Resort.
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History of Indianhead Mountain
Indianhead Mountain Resort started thanks to a man named Jack English. In the late 1950s, Jack was an amateur pilot from Chicago. He flew over Indianhead Mountain and saw how much snow there was. He decided to create a ski resort there!
This was a big deal for the area. Other resorts soon opened, and the region became a popular place for skiing. Jack English helped change the local economy. Before, it relied on iron mines, but now skiing became very important. Today, Gogebic Community College even has a special program to teach people how to manage ski areas.
Winter Activities
Indianhead Mountain is best known for its downhill alpine skiing. But the area around it also offers other cool winter activities. You can go snowshoeing, ice skating, and cross-country skiing.
Skiing at Indianhead
Indianhead Mountain has ski runs for everyone, from beginners to experts.
- Beginner runs: These are called green runs. There are 10 of them, and one is so big it's like a whole ski area itself!
- Intermediate runs: These are blue runs, and there are seven of them.
- Difficult runs: These are black runs, also seven of them.
- Expert runs: These are double diamond runs, and there are four. They often have bumpy sections called moguls.
Most of the mountain, over 95%, is groomed. This means the snow is smoothed out for a better ride. Even though there's no official tree skiing, some adventurous skiers still find their way through the trees!
A unique thing about Indianhead is that the main lodge and facilities are at the top of the mountain. This means you start your skiing day from the top. Your last lift ride of the day will take you back up to the lodge. There are many places to stay nearby, like condos and cabins.
Indianhead is a great place for families. Kids under nine years old can ski for free if an adult pays for their ticket.
Mountain Facilities
At the top of the hill, you'll find places to eat and drink. There's a large restaurant and snack area at the bottom of the hill too. You can also find a ski shop, rent skis and snowboards, and use lockers in the lodge.
The mountain has different types of ski lifts to take you up:
- Three double chairlifts
- One quad lift
- One triple lift
- One Poma lift
- Two T-bar lifts (mostly on expert runs)
- One towrope
Indianhead also offers NASTAR racing. This is a fun way to race against the clock. They have a special course set up for it. You can also take lessons at the ski school, either by yourself or in a group.
Summer Activities
Indianhead Mountain is not just for winter fun! It's also a great place to visit in the summer.
Hiking
Many hiking clubs and groups enjoy the mountain during warmer months. It's considered a challenging but very fun hike.
Wildlife
In May, the slopes become home to many whitetail deer. It's a cool sight to see them roaming around!
Waterfalls
The mountain is close to the Black River. This river leads to some of the most famous waterfalls in the Western Upper Peninsula.
Fall Colors
The views from the top of Indianhead Mountain are amazing in the fall. People travel from all over the world to see the trees change colors. Maple, Oak, and other trees turn into beautiful shades of red, orange, and yellow. Indianhead Mountain is part of many popular Fall Color Routes.
Location
Indianhead Mountain ski area is in northwestern Michigan. It's about 200 miles (320 km) northeast of Minneapolis St. Paul. It's also about 110 miles (177 km) from Duluth and just 1.5 miles (2.4 km) from Wakefield.
Photographs
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Trail Merge
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The Pomalift
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Part of the Terrain Park
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Guitar Playin' on the Slopes
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Cool shot of trees and run
