Michigan beckons
“Your Snow Day starts here,” says Pure Michigan, the official tourist website for the State of Michigan.
No kidding. From dogsledding to downhill skiing, tubing and sledding to ice fishing, snowmobiling and snowboarding to ice climbing — there’s lotsof fun under the sun and in the snow in the great state that borders Windsor.
The deals and packages in Michigan offer plenty of great getaway options or families this spring break. Visit michigan.org for more details.
One of the most fun familyfriendly winter getaways is Crystal Mountain. Established in 1956, the family-owned, all-season resort is considered one of the midwest’s top destinations.
Its winter slopes and snow sports activities are boundless. This year, Crystal Mountain added to the mix with a bunch of new attractions, including increasing the number of downhill slopes to 50. Here’s a look at what’s new:
• The addition of Last Call and Jester’s Alley on the slopes.
Last Call is a glades run that begins on North Face and meanders toward the front-side slopes. Crews completing a snowmaking upgrade on Main Street and Giggles are also creating a new dedicated beginner terrain park named Jester’s Alley.
• If you rent a board at Crystal Mountain this winter it will likely be from industry leader and legend Jake Burton. The resort has swapped out nearly its entire fleet of rental boards with those from Burton but that’s only the beginning of this partnership.
• Crystal Mountain will be one of only six resorts in the midwest designated as a Burton Learn-to-Ride Center. These group lessons offer small student-to-teacher ratios with personal attention and combine it with the latest Burton snowboards, boots and bindings specifically designed to help riders progress. The new fleet of boards from Burton feature beveled bases for easy steering and stopping that build confidence to assist riders’ advance their skills.
• Young, aspiring snowboarders will get a positive introduction to the sport within the new Burton Riglet Park (open weekends). This is flatland training in which students are pulled by an instructor using a Riglet Reel to build confidence and provide a feel for what it means to ride different features.
• Crystal’s terrain park design philosophy of lower and longer features will be most noticeable in Tuck’s this winter on the Tank Line. These modified and repurposed propane tanks will welcome new riders while challenging experienced boarders and freestyle skiers to hit every feature in one clean, continuous line.
• Fat Tire Biking is one of the fastest growing and most popular off-slope activities at the resort. Five 2014 Fuji Wendigo bikes have been added to the rental fleet. Crystal will also open an additional three miles of groomed trails as well as some single tracks exclusive to fat bikes.
• Michigan Legacy Art Park will dedicate most of its trails to snowshoeing this winter. Over a mile of trail offers the chance to view and contemplate 47 outdoor sculptures but blazing a path through the deep snow that collects on these rolling hills is what provides a true snow- shoe experience.
• Elements provided by Old Man Winter will add a new challenge on the Edge Adventure Course, two stories above the Park at Water’s Edge. Open Saturdays, holidays and available to reserve for private groups.