Big Powderhorn Mountain
Big Powderhorn Mountain is a 250-acre (1.0 km2) ski resort located in Gogebic County in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, within Bessemer Township and Ironwood Township (between the cities of Bessemer and Ironwood). The mountain is part of the Gogebic Range with a summit of 1,640 ft (500m) and a base elevation of 1,240 ft (378m), for a 400 ft. vertical drop. It offers 9 chairlifts accessing 45 trails for Alpine skiing and Snowboarding on 253 skiable acres, with an even mix[1] of easy, intermediate, and difficult trail ratings and two terrain parks. The Wolverine Nordic Trail also connects to the resort for cross-country skiing.[2]
| Big Powderhorn Mountain | |
|---|---|
| Location | Bessemer Township, Michigan |
| Vertical | 622 Feet |
| Top elevation | 1840 Feet |
| Base elevation | 1218 Feet |
| Skiable area | 253 Acres |
| Runs | 45 |
| Longest run | 5249 Feet |
| Lift system | 10 |
| Terrain parks | Yes |
| Snowmaking | Yes |
| Night skiing | No |
| Website | https://bigpowderhorn.net/ |
Fire
On January 13, 2011, a fire occurred at the main lodge. No injuries were reported, but the building was declared a total loss. Despite the loss of the building, the resort opened the following day, using the nearby Caribou Lodge as a base for skiers.[3]
A brand new lodge was built next to the Caribou Lodge and opened for the 2012 - 2013 Ski Season.[4]
Ski Lifts
As of May 2021, Big Powderhorn has 9 Two-Person lifts and two rope tows.[5][6][7]
| Number | Name | Type of Lift | Constructer | Year Built |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alpen | Double | Riblet | 1976 |
| 2 | Flintlock | Double | 1993 | |
| 3 | Buckshot | Double | 1969 | |
| 4 | Bovidae | Double | 1964 | |
| 5 | Smoke | Double | 1983 | |
| 6 | Ricochet | Double | 1964 | |
| 7 | Big Bird | Double | 1981 | |
| 8 | Tamarou | Double | 1971 | |
| 9 | Shotgun | Double | 1987 | |
| P | Learning Area | Paddle Tow | — | 1999 |
| R | Alpen Rope Tow | Rope Tow | 2022 |
Ski Runs
As of May 2021, Big Powderhorn has 45 Ski Runs
| Run Name | Difficulty |
|---|---|
| Alpen | Easy |
| Back Bowl East | Intermediate |
| Back Bowl West | Easy |
| Big Bird | Easy |
| Blunder | Hard |
| Bovidae | Intermediate |
| Bovidae West | Intermediate |
| Buckshot | Easy |
| Bullet | Hard |
| Cannonball | Hard |
| Caribou | Intermediate |
| Crazy Trail | Intermediate (Glade Skiing) |
| Crosshair Chute | Hard |
| Don’t Chute | Hard |
| Double Barrel West | Hard |
| Dynamite | Intermediate |
| Firecracker | Intermediate |
| Flintlock | Easy |
| Full Choke Chute | Hard |
| Glen’s Trail | Hard |
| Half Choke Chute | Hard |
| Katie’s Catwalk | Extra Hard |
| Learning Area | Easy |
| Little Horn | Intermediate |
| Louie’s Chute | Hard |
| Lower Double Barrel | Hard |
| Lower Smoke | Intermediate |
| Lower Tamarou | Intermediate |
| Musket | Intermediate |
| Oxbow | Easy |
| Passenthrü | Easy |
| Powderkeg | Intermediate |
| Ramrod | Intermediate |
| Recoil Park | Terrain Park |
| Reindeer | Easy |
| Ricochet | Intermediate |
| Shotgun | Easy |
| Sling Shot | Intermediate |
| Sly Fox | Intermediate |
| Tamarou East | Intermediate |
| Tamarou West | Intermediate |
| Thunder | Hard |
| Trigger | Easy |
| Upper Double Barrel | Hard |
| Upper Smoke | Hard |
| Vertical Drop | Hard |
Websites
References
- "Big Powderhorn Mountain ski area, Gogebic Range, Michigan". Stratus-Pikpuk, Inc. Retrieved 2009-02-07.
- "Conditions 2/06/09". Big Powderhorn Mountain. Archived from the original on 25 January 2009. Retrieved 2009-02-07.
- "Fire at Big Powderhorn Mountain Resort". uppermichiganssource.com. Archived from the original on 2011-01-15. Retrieved 2011-01-14.
- "Getting Ready for 2012 Ski Season". uppermichiganssource.com. Archived from the original on 2014-01-06. Retrieved 2012-10-30.
- "Big Powderhorn Mountain". Skimap.org. Retrieved 2021-05-23.
- "Big Powderhorn, MI". Lift Blog. 2020-12-31. Retrieved 2022-11-07.
- "Alpen Rope Tow". www.skiresort.info. Retrieved 2023-07-05.