Another Winter Season in the Books
Apr 07, 2024
The season has drawn to a close, and I'm absolutely thrilled with the outcome. Now, I know what you might be thinking - "Wait, what? This winter was tough!" And yes, I'll admit, this winter, particularly here in the Midwest, brought some challenging weather. But despite that, I couldn't be prouder of our team and what we accomplished for our guests and passholders.
Snowmaking Champions
During Christmas Week, while other resorts were scaling back due to warm weather, we took a different approach. Despite record-breaking warmth in Wausau, we expanded our terrain, after making snow and sitting on it in the East. This allowed us to open up an additional 50 acres on December 27th.
From January 10th to January 22nd, we embarked on the most significant snowmaking push in Granite Peak History! Our team worked tirelessly for 293 straight hours, utilizing both traditional and innovative snowmaking techniques. The result? We opened 100% of our terrain by January 24th - a feat we affectionately dubbed "Operation Greg's Birthday Wish" (yes, my birthday is January 24th!).
Groomers Need Love Too
While snowmaking is the backbone of our operations, our groomers were absolute MVPs this year. Their meticulous efforts ensured pristine conditions throughout the season, even with the unpredictable weather.
We pushed more snow than we ever have this year as snowmaking operations went longer than ever as we made snow deep into February to maintain our "legendary " conditions you all know Granite Peak for. This was met head on by our grooming team and I couldn't be more grateful for the amount and hours these guys put in while we're all asleep every night.
First Ever National Championship in the Midwest
In February, we had the honor of hosting the first-ever US Masters Alpine National Championships in the Midwest. Despite some uncharacteristic weather, our snowmaking and grooming efforts created a top-notch race venue, earning accolades from athletes across the board.
Big thank you go out to our the Granite Peak Ski Team for their cooperation and assistance in making this event truly memorable. Mike Bautsch, President of the Ski Team, Ron Lawrence, Head Coach and Steve Heller, Chief of Timing as well as Tim Schneider, Wausau United Head Coach and Adult Race League Coordinator all need to be recognized for their efforts to work with our team to make sure this event went off without a hitch!
Resilience in the Face of Adversity
This season has taught us a lot about resilience and adaptability. As a business, we've pivoted to meet the challenges head-on, finding innovative ways to serve our guests while optimizing our operations.
I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to all our guests and passholders for their unwavering support throughout the season. Your kind words and encouragement, especially during those final weeks when we were one of the few resorts still operating, meant the world to us.
To our local community, staff, ski patrol volunteers, guests, and loyal season passholders - thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your continued support. I am truly honored to lead this incredible place and community!
Family is at the Heart of our Operation
On a personal note, my family and I had an incredible ski season. Watching my youngest, Logan (7) conquer the trails and seeing my older son, Ronan (9) progress in the freestyle park brought immense joy. We were even able to squeeze in a vacation out west to Red Mountain - in Canada. A token to my team for allowing me the capability to take a week off in the middle of our ski season!
This resort is a big family. While our employees and ski patrol report ultimately to me, many of them have become lifelong friends along with many of our passholders and local community members. The end of the season is alwasy tough but as Doctor Suess said, "Don't be sad it's over, smile it happened."
Don't Miss the May 15th Season Pass Deadline
As we bid farewell to this season, our focus shifts to preparing for our 87th season in 2024-2025. Our team is already hard at work on maintenance and improvement projects, ensuring that we're ready to welcome you back with open arms.
Don't forget to grab your Legendary Season Pass for 24-25 before May 15th to secure the lowest prices possible. We have a great payment plan option that allows you to finance your pass throughout the summer as well!
The Countdown to 24-25 Begins
Wishing you all a safe and fantastic summer! The countdown to opening day 2024-2025 begins - just 274 days to go! And even fewer before the snowmaking kicks off!
As always, thank you for reading my blogs. I'll continue to keep you updated throughout the summer months, not just on happenings here on Rib Mountain, but also on all the exciting events and activities our region has to offer.
Gratefully yours,
Greg