Mt. Bohemia

[JimG.]

Does anyone have any first hand experience with this resort? Their website makes the place very attractive in terms of terrain and snowfall and I would like to know if anyone who has been there could verify the snow quality and the apparent steepness and difficulty of the terrain. While the vertical is not stupendous, the other features, if true, might entice me to go out of my way to check the place out.

http://www.mtbohemia.com/

 

[Admin]

Does anyone have any first hand experience with this resort? Their website makes the place very attractive in terms of terrain and snowfall and I would like to know if anyone who has been there could verify the snow quality and the apparent steepness and difficulty of the terrain. While the vertical is not stupendous, the other features, if true, might entice me to go out of my way to check the place out.

http://www.mtbohemia.com/

I've heard nothing but good things, but you'd better be prepared to go very out of your way to check the place out. Have you seen a map? It's on the tip of the earth.

 

[JimG.]

I've heard nothing but good things, but you'd better be prepared to go very out of your way to check the place out. Have you seen a map? It's on the tip of the earth.

It's on the Michigan pennisula off Lake Superior...I've been in that area fishing in the Fall during the salmon run on the Big Iron river. It is a long trip, but it's an interesting place. I've never been there in the Winter, but it must be very cold because it was darn cold in late September.

I've seen the Northern Lights several times in my life, but the best display I ever saw was during a trip to that very area. On the site they mention new ski in/ski out cabins on the mountain and I think this would be a great experience.

 

[Anonymous]

There is an article about Mount Bohemia in the latest Ski Magazine, on the stands now.

 

[Anonymous]

I just happen to live and ski near Mt. Bohemia. It's without question the best ski area that I have been in the midwest. Be prepared for variable conditions Everything from stumps, rocks, ice, powder, etc. If you do go plan on packing a lunch. All they offer is pop, gatorade, coffee, candy bars and microwaveable meals. Like most ski areas they tend to exaggerate their snow totals but you should have decent conditions from mid Jan through early Mar. Coming from a former resident of Jackson Hole this is as good as your going to get in the Midwest. Don't bother going if your not ready for challenging skiing.

 

[JimG.]

Thanks yooper, I was starting to think nobody on this board even lives out there. Sounds alot like Mad River here in the East. I love places like that and I would love to try Mt. Bohemia, but it looks like it'll have to wait until next season.

 

[snowjunkie]

ahhh, mt. bohemia. i spent last winter there, and it IS a great place to ski-- in theory. unfortunately they advertise "no beginners", yet the place is swarming with little kids (lots of under-10) and gapers from chicago and minneapolis who think they're having an extreme backcountry mountain experience. i spoke to a long-time local skier of the hill, and apparently before the lifts went in there was a contingency of folks who did ski the mountain, and it was awesome, but when you add lifts and advertise $99 passes, you get a pile of icy bumps and overcrowded slopes. the "college party town" is houghton (forty miles from the hill), the college is michigan tech, and the students (and locals!) are some of the drunkest around. they don't party, they just drink. also, mt bohemia has limited hours (opening at 10:30a.m. most days) and does not offer half day passes. if you arrive at 1p.m., you pay full price to ski for three hours. there are better places to ski up there, and you're better off heading into the woods.

 

[appskiah]

it does seem kind of lame they aren't open yet with all the snow the u.p. has gotten recently

 

[dw johnson]

I was one of those skiers who started skiing Mt Bohemia in the early 80's when you post-holed or crawled up. We graduated to skins over the years and a few times used a snowmobile to get at least part way up. Now that I'm 50+ it's kind of great to have the lifts.... but they have brought more people and competition for lines.
Simply put, it's by far the most difficult skiing in the Midwest. I have skied backcountry out West and in Europe, but the U.P. is really a gem. Shorter runs,but when we get powder, it's always dry and cold.
Mt Bohemia is currently eporting 256" of snow to date, and we're getting a dump today and tomorrow. Looks like a great time to be there!
During the week, only one lift runs and they bus you back to it after you ski down to the road. Usually not more than a five minute wait for a ride. This is the only place in the Midwest that I've skied where you unzip your jacket after a run. It's that challenging!! Anyway, get up there before you're another year older and can't ski it.
Dave J
Ironwood, Mi

 

[Tony Crocker]

In response to the upcoming NASJA event at Lutsen in 2009 I decided to utilize admin's trusty skimap.kml file and Google Earth.

The main trail complex at Lutsen falls from a ridge at about 1,640 elevation to a small valley at 900. There appear to be cross country type trails between there and Lake Superior, which is 600. And that main trail complex overlooks the lake and thus faces southeast, not promising given than NASJA annual meetings are no earlier than mid-March.

I then moved across the lake to Mt. Bohemia. I found the roads, Lac LaBelle, and checking with maps/directions elsewhere I am confident that admin's marker is correctly located at Bohemia's base area at 700 feet. The top of the ridgeline overlooking it (several minutes of searching to be sure, and its location conforms to Mt. Bohemia's trail map) is 1254. Given that Lac LaBelle and Lake Superior are at 600, where do they get the 900 vertical? I also measured the steepest fall line of 500+ vertical and came up with 16.5 degrees. Bohemia has a west face above its base and a south face toward Lac LaBelle.

Comments from eyewitnesses are welcome.

 

[Admin]

In response to the upcoming NASJA event at Lutsen in 2009 I decided to utilize admin's trusty skimap.kml file and Google Earth.

Funny that you mention this, for we just took the wraps off our newest website feature, a fully interactive Ski Map North America.

 

[Tony Crocker]

The USGS topo shows top of Mt. Bohemia at 1465 feet. It's exactly 800 vertical to the road along Lac LaBelle south of the peak. You'll need scuba gear along with your skis to get to 900 vertical as the lake is still at 600 feet according to USGS. Average steepness of the 800 vertical is 19.6 degrees. There are sections between 1200 feet and 800 feet that do approach 40 degrees.

Google Earth did a better job with Lutsen's peak which is at 1688 feet according to USGS. It drops to 800 feet elevation with a consistent 18 degree pitch.

I have not compiled stats but I'm pretty sure lake effect is the primary driver of snowfall in the Midwest. Mt. Bohemia is ideally situated in this regard and the website said they got something like 290 this past season. Lutsen, overlooking the upwind NW side of Lake Superior, is likely to be snowmaking dependent unless someone cares to show me otherwise. For both areas, with the considerable south exposure and low altitude, how quickly does the snow cover melt off? Do they still have full coverage in mid-March? How much is left by the end of March?

While Google Earth is still the best way to get a good view of a ski area, the USGS feature on SkiMap North America is likely to be more accurate for steepness calculations.

 

[heyyou]

The USGS topo shows top of Mt. Bohemia at 1465 feet. It's exactly 800 vertical to the road along Lac LaBelle south of the peak. You'll need scuba gear along with your skis to get to 900 vertical as the lake is still at 600 feet according to USGS. Average steepness of the 800 vertical is 19.6 degrees. There are sections between 1200 feet and 800 feet that do approach 40 degrees.

Google Earth did a better job with Lutsen's peak which is at 1688 feet according to USGS. It drops to 800 feet elevation with a consistent 18 degree pitch.

I have not compiled stats but I'm pretty sure lake effect is the primary driver of snowfall in the Midwest. Mt. Bohemia is ideally situated in this regard and the website said they got something like 290 this past season. Lutsen, overlooking the upwind NW side of Lake Superior, is likely to be snowmaking dependent unless someone cares to show me otherwise. For both areas, with the considerable south exposure and low altitude, how quickly does the snow cover melt off? Do they still have full coverage in mid-March? How much is left by the end of March?

While Google Earth is still the best way to get a good view of a ski area, the USGS feature on SkiMap North America is likely to be more accurate for steepness calculations.

You are correct in correlating lake effect with snowfall and there should easily be ample snow at Bohemia mid-March and probably well into April. Of course there are no guarantees and it can be highly variable. As for the verticle, it seems to be an ongoing pissing match between Lutsen and Bohemia. I don't know how they came up with their numbers, perhaps it's on a technicallity like a small depression somewhere.