Boyne Mountain, part of Boyne Resorts in Boyne Falls, has announced plans to open its slopes on Thanksgiving Day and will offer skiing and riding throughout the holiday weekend.
The resort also has added new offerings and updates for the winter season, including the Midwest’s first D-Line, eight-passenger chairlift. The Disciples 8, aka D8, Doppelmayr D-Line, high-speed chairlift will open on Dec. 16.
The mega lift brings the latest in lift evolution and technology, and is improving access to the Disciples Ridge area with a three-minute ride to the top, plus such features like auto-locking safety bars, a child-friendly rising loading carpet, and a quiet ride.
D8 is the latest in a list of firsts for the resort already known for introducing the world’s first four-place chairlift in 1964, and opening America’s first high-speed six-person chairlift in 1992.
With the addition of D8, Boyne Mountain has added lights and is expanding night skiing terrain to include the Disciples Ridge area. The new terrain adds 30 acres and increases total acreage by 25 percent to a total of 165 acres of night skiing terrain.
The resort offers night skiing tickets, Wednesdays through Saturdays, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., with expanded hours during the holidays. There’s also an all-ages season pass dedicated to night skiing called Under The Lights for $299.
In addition, Boyne Mountain has added 53 new low-energy HKD Impulse tower guns featuring patented Variable Airflow Technology to deliver top quality snow at higher temperatures, with minimal air consumption. The resort has also laid 20,000 feet of water and air snowmaking pipe to boost capacity for the season.
The resort also recently opened SkyBridge Michigan, the world’s longest timber-towered suspension bridge. From the bridge, people can watch skiers and snowboarders swoosh down the slopes under the bridge as well as doing tricks in the nearby terrain park.
Upon crossing the bridge, fire pits and a food trailer offer the chance to extend the experience. The Hemlock chairlift will exclusively serve pedestrian foot traffic heading to the bridge with pricing available for adults, seniors, and juniors (kids ages two and under are free).
Lodging guests of Boyne Mountain Resort can save 10 percent off tickets, and skiers and passholders have the option to auto-charge SkyBridge Michigan access for $10 per ticket anytime they are on the slopes. SkyBridge Michigan tickets are RFID compatible, and guests can load or reload a Go Card, the same media used for resort lift tickets, for direct-to-bridge access.
Boyne Mountain also offers one of the most unique ways to access a Michigan ski resort — by private jet. Guests with private plane access can fly straight to the slopes, saving time and providing added convenience with a 5,200-foot runway.
The resort has invested in a number of enhancements — the runway has been striped, grooved, and repaved, and lights have been upgraded. The airport also offers tie-down space and Jet A and 100LL fueling.
In other news, Boyne Mountain Resort is moving to a cashless resort for the winter season, the Adventure Center is adding a guided MoonBike offering, and new fans have been installed in Avalanche Bay to improve heating efficiencies and consistency throughout the park zones. And new music, lighting, and theme nights are being offered in the Tubing Park this winter.
For more information, visit boynemountain.com or call 866-759-1472.
