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Nub's Nob
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Location Michigan, United States
Nearest city Harbor Springs, Michigan
Coordinates ACoordinates: Longitude could not be parsed as a number: W
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Vertical    427 ft (130 m)
Top elevation 1,338 ft (408 m)
Base elevation    911 ft (278 m)
Skiable area 248 acres (1.0 km2)
Runs 53
Longest run 0.87 miles (1.4 km)
Lift system 3 quad chairlifts,
4 triple chairlifts,
1 double chairlift,
1 surface lift
Lift capacity 18,275 skiers/hr
Terrain parks Yes
Snowfall 123 inches (310 cm)
Snowmaking Yes (240 acres covered by 292 snow guns)
Night skiing Yes
Website http://nubsnob.com

Nub's Nob is a fun ski area in Michigan, United States. You can find it close to Harbor Springs. It was started in 1958 by Norman and Dorie Sarns. What began as a small ski hill has grown into a big place with nine lifts for skiers and snowboarders. The name "Nub's Nob" comes from Norman Sarns' nickname, "Nubby."

How Nub's Nob Started and Grew

In the mid-1950s, Norman and Dorie Sarns lived near Lake Michigan. They built a small ski hill for their friends and family. But the snow near the lake was not always reliable. So, they looked for a better spot further inland.

They found the perfect place about 5 miles north of Little Traverse Bay. In 1957, they started cutting trees and building a lodge. They also installed their first chairlift. The ski resort officially opened in 1958. It had three ski trails and one chairlift that could carry 65 people.

For the next winter season, they quickly added five more runs. This brought the total number of trails to eight.

Expanding the Ski Area

By 1977, Nub's Nob had grown quite a bit. It offered fourteen trails and had four chairlifts. This included two new double chairlifts and a Pomalift. That same year, Dorie Sarns sold the resort. The new owners were The Pleasantview Ski Corporation.

The new owners, Walter and Alfred Fisher, continued to make the resort bigger. In 1979, they opened a new section called Nubs South. They also started working on a special snowmaking gun. They even got a patent for their unique "Nub's Nob snowmaking gun" in 1985. By 1981, the ski area had 21 trails and five chairlifts.

New Trails and Features

Nub's Nob began to clear areas in the woods for skiing, called glades. The first glade, Southern Comfort Glade, opened in 1995. In 1997, a new area called Pintail Peak opened for skiing. This added twelve new trails and a quad chairlift. Pintail Peak is about half a mile south of the main hill.

A year later, in 1998, they added night skiing to Nubs South. This meant people could ski on many more trails after dark. In 2008, a second chairlift was added to Pintail Peak. This brought the resort to its current total of eight chairlifts and one rope tow.

The ski area kept adding more runs. Panda Land opened in 2012, and Outback Jack Glade opened in 2015. Now, Nub's Nob has 53 runs in total. Most of these are intermediate trails, which are great for many skiers. There are also some expert runs, mostly on the front side. Beginners can find their trails mainly on Nubs South.

What to Do at Nub's Nob in Winter

Nub's Nob offers lots of fun winter activities. You can enjoy cross-country skiing, alpine skiing (downhill skiing), and snowboarding. If you want to try other things, you can find them nearby. These include Snowshoeing, ice skating, snow tubing, and snowmobiling.

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