WE HAUL THROUGH THE TOP OF MIDDLE EARTH BEFORE CONTEMPLATING WHETHER THE DENSE TREES OF GANDALF OR FRODO OFFER THE BEST LINES. ONE OF THE THINGS I LOVE MOST ABOUT TREE SKI-ING IS THE CHOOSE-YOUR-OWN-ADVENTURE NATURE OF IT. CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT “A snow-swept U.S. Route 2—with its tourist traps, pasty shops and gas stations selling smoked white-fish—welcomes us to the Upper Peninsula.” Photo: Colin Clancy “I awoke on a frigid February morning in a Depression-era cabin built by the Civilian Con-servation Corps and run by the Keweenaw Mountain Lodge. This was during a spell of days well below zero degrees. We were dressing for a storm-skiing day at Mount Bohemia while wondering how many layers of down we'd brought. Every windowpane was covered in beautiful frosty designs that hinted at the tempera-tures they restrained.” Photo: Kyle Bolen “I ran into Jackson Pundt (pic-tured) while the two of us were ski touring on the property of Mont Ripley, a university-owned ski op-eration in Ripley, MI. Mont Ripley doesn’t spin lifts until 3 p.m. on weekdays, allegedly so Michigan Tech students don’t skip class on powder days. If you are willing to get up at the crack of noon, you have hours to ski fresh turns before the area opens. The hill overlooks the towns of Houghton and Hancock, only separated by a lift bridge. But be careful if you are skipping class—your professor is able to see you on the slopes from campus.” Photo: Kyle Bolen 070 The Ski Journal
The Ski Journal Volume 17, Issue 1: Page 70
