A 75-Year Tradition on the Slopes

Mt. Holiday gets ready for the snowy season

It was the worst of times, it will (hopefully) be the best of times. With apologies to Charles Dickens, that sums up last year and this coming year at Mt. Holiday ski hill in Traverse City.

With warm temperatures and little snow, the action at the longtime ski favorite last winter was…let’s be kind and call it subdued. “We were only open for skiing about 20 days last year,” says Executive Director Jim Pearson.

This year, the hope is for colder weather and more snow. “The … forecast is looking good for the early part of December,” Pearson says. That buoys his hopes, but in the same breath he hedges his bets. “I’m not making any predictions.”

Despite dropping temperatures and plenty of snowfall around Thanksgiving, it wasn't enough to get Mt. Holiday open. As of press time, they are now eyeing the opening for the bunny hill and tubing between Dec. 13 and 17, with more runs to open based on conditions.

Gearing Up

Whether or not Mother Nature brings bountiful snowfall throughout the winter, the conditions at the ski hill will be fluffier than ever before, as long as the temperature cooperates. A massive slate of upgrades has Pearson excited.

“We had aging pipes … a fleet of older, aging equipment and guns, mismatched parts. One single pump for the entire system, with 500-600 gallons a minute [maximum]. With new guns, the water pressure was fine, but there was not enough water. So we put in two new pumps, 800 gallons each, 8,000 feet of new pipe, bypassing all the old system.”

Plus 34 self-draining hydrants, new electric pedestals, five more super polecats, and three super polecats on 24-foot towers, three grizzlies, and more. And the retention ponds for the water to make snow were increased from 650,000 gallons to 800,000, with plans to expand to 1.2 million gallons next year.

For those unfamiliar with all those industry-specific terms, what it boils down to is a much greater ability to make snow and direct it to where it is needed. “This sets us up for success,” Pearson says. The man-made snow will be better, more consistent, and they can make it faster. That means that even if there are ebbs and flows in temperature and precipitation during the next few months, Mt. Holiday can capitalize and open runs within a matter of hours when conditions cooperate.

Needless to say, the entire construction process was pretty involved. “We tore the heck out of the hill, then had to fill, reseed the grass,” Pearson says.

Even with all the work, Pearson says the property was able to be open most of the summer. “The zipline was open most of the summer—we only had to close down for a week with all that construction. It was really, really busy.”

A Fresh Look, Inside and Out

While the focus this time of year is on the powder, interior upgrades will help make the experience better for those spending some time warming up. “We upgraded the lodge with new paint, carpet, [renovated] bathrooms, increased the size of the kitchen.”

Overall, the nonprofit is investing $1.4 million in the various upgrades, with funding coming from a variety of sources. “We had a big donation, got ARPA [American Rescue Plan Act] funds, etc.,” Pearson explains.

The zipline was installed a decade ago with the goal of helping make the property more of a year-round venue. So too was the beer garden, which opened late this past summer, and other upgrades were done with that in mind as well.

“A lot of people are looking for something to do,” says Pearson of the non-winter season. “We tore out an old overgrown garden for the new beer garden. It’s fenced in and has a stage for bands.”

Another new addition has been Hearth Sauna, located in the parking lot. The brainchild of Nick Olson, one of the founders of ELEV8 Climbing and Fitness, the company offers what it calls a traditional Nordic sauna experience, paired with high-quality ice baths and a shower.

Pearson says when he was approached by the company, he embraced the idea. “It’s a lot of fun to do in the wintertime. It’s part of the outdoor activity lifestyle: Eat healthy, be outside, get away from the screens.”

There’s more to come. Pearson says with global warming and climate change limiting the winter season and increasing the length of spring, summer, and fall, it is even more important to provide reasons for people to come to Mt. Holiday in its traditional offseason.

“You can ride the chairlift and do downhill biking. We built more bike trails with more to come—we have connections to 150 acres East Bay Township owns. They’re turning that into bike trails too. You can access the TART Trail. The whole community is working together,” he says.

Despite all the accommodations for off-season ventures, Pearson is the first to admit that Mt. Holiday is first and foremost a ski hill. And as a smaller venue, unlike facilities like Boyne Mountain, Crystal Mountain, and others that can run hundreds of snow guns to create a base of two or three feet, Mt. Holiday has to work with nature, not despite it.

“Boyne, Nub’s Nob, they can survive warm times,” Pearson says. “I blow and get 12 inches. Obviously [we want] fresh natural snow and cooler temperatures.”

Fingers crossed.

A Community Hub

It’s all a bit of déjà vu for Pearson. “Mt. Holiday is where I hung out with my friends,” he says. That was then, and this is his now, overseeing the entire property.

Which wasn’t supposed to be the case. He was originally hired as the indoor operations director. Two days after getting the job—before he even actually started—he was asked if he’d like to take over as executive director. “On Dec. 3 [2022] I was hired. On the 5th, I got a promotion,” he says with a laugh.

Celebrating its 75th birthday this year—it was founded in 1949—Mt. Holiday is one of the few independent nonprofit ski areas in the country. That meant some on-the-job learning for Pearson, who had a background in various corporate positions and had experience in creating and curating events such as auto shows and film festivals. “I had to learn fundraising, how snow is made, how to run a nonprofit,” he says.

Now he is working with other organizations, such as Traverse Bay Children’s Advocacy Center, Discovery Pier, and others. Pearson sees the community’s cooperative efforts benefiting both locals and visitors. Nearby hotels like Grand Traverse Resort and Spa are offering recreational packages that include everything from skiing to biking to ziplining, even food.

“They [guests] get a voucher and for the additional money they [can] tube, ski, go to the restaurant,” Pearson explains.

With the snow—whether the natural variety or that from the venue’s new equipment—comes an emphasis on opportunities for youngsters (or oldsters) to learn to ski, provide recreation for all ages, even more opportunities for competition. “We [hired] a new programs director with a lot of experience for ski and race teams, and a lot of biking experience,” Pearson says.

Now they're just waiting for the mercury to drop, and hopefully a winter full of snow.

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