Popular Stories
"Mount Bohemia proudly proclaims 'No beginners allowed,' does not groom, has little to no ropes or marked hazards. The area is offered up as is, ready for exploration." Dana Westbrock photo.
The
alarm chimed at 3:30 a.m., and I opened my eyes in a daze. In the grayness, I rose
to sit on the edge of my bed, wobbled to my feet, and stumbled toward the
coffeemaker on the kitchen counter. The machine coughed awake and I stretched
out my arms, my soul. Bohemia was on my mind and I smiled.
The
plan had been hatched in early fall to return to the Upper Peninsula of
Michigan for another adventure, the best-kept secret in the ski world. The idea
was solidified during Mount Bohemia’s preseason pass sale—$100 for a season
pass; less than a day ticket for most resorts out west. Last winter, my first
back in the Midwest after 6 years in Telluride, I had a spiritual experience in
the UP. Our group had been gifted with an 8-inch storm.
Mount Bohemia's modest 900 vertical foot drop hides much more than its number would suggest. Paddy O'Connell photo.
Combined with leeward
winds, the storm created beefy wind lips and soft powder bumps throughout the
mountain's engaging terrain. More significantly and surprisingly, it offered something
from which skier dreams are made: face shots. However, face shots in the
Midwest are unheard of or so I thought. It was pure magic. I was hooked. And as
I drove away, down the peninsula, my mind rolled through my exchanges with
Bohemia’s curvy body. I proclaimed my love and was henceforth a wild Bohemian.
That
moment had simmered within me for a year. It was now time for another hearty
serving. I packed the night before and loaded my car with gear deemed too
troublesome for a predawn load up. Coffee in hand and my pack slung
up, I kicked through toenail-deep slush in the streets of St. Paul, trudging toward my car with percolating excitement. Mount
Bohemia had reported Lake Superior was storming and the UP would receive a deep
canvass for the next 5 to 6 days. The Lake Effect was descending on the
peninsula and the time was now. The most extraordinary event was upon me, Midwestern
Powder Skiing.
Midwest Extreme! Paddy O'Connell photo.
We
pulled into the parking lot at the base of the resort after 7 hours in the car.
I booted up as quickly as I could. The wolf was hungry and it was time to
feast. I skated to the triple chair, one of only two lifts, and loaded up. Woof
woof woof. I returned to the last place I had skied the previous year, the
triple black Extreme Backcountry. (Yes, triple black…it’s a thing).
The terrain
consists of beautiful glades peppered with frozen waterfalls, boulders and
cliffs, stumps, downed trees; all the natural playground features one could
hope for. Schmeary turns and boosts to take at speed jolted my thighs awake.
Steep shots on the rocky treed face offered technical turns and awakened
mindfulness, awareness, acknowledgment of the moment’s beauty.
The triple black diamond demands respect and authority. Dana Westbrock photo.
I
was on fire, my heart bellowed, and my frothy passions barked. I let go whoops
and hollers that came from the depths of my belly, from where it all starts and
ends, from where there is nothing and everything swirling together at once in
that electric far beyond, where magic and inspiration live.
The remainder of
the afternoon was spent twisting and carving, washing my tails out, and
exploring Bohemia’s bounty of tree skiing. I was in search of fresh snow, in
search of my favorite turn, the right-footed banking slarve, in search of the
connection with what surrounded me and what lives within me.
“It’s not Colorado, but it’s not really Michigan either.” Dana Westbrock photo.
The
weather picked up the next morning. Snow and wind, the recycle was on. Haunted Valley stood out with carvy steeps
and pockets of untouched. The Outer Limits awarded the sanctity of wooded
aloneness and traverses to rolling secluded hills with bank turns, half pipe
creek beds, and covered boulders for floaty boosts with soft landings. The
Peninsula was packed for Michigan Tech’s annual alumni fest, the Winter
Carnival. But one would never know when stopped in the trees. The only sounds
were flakes hitting my jacket, the song of swaying Midwestern growth, and my
thoughts.
"There is no questioning; the pursuit is justified and it is the reason behind all things." Dana Westbrock photo.
Snow
conditions improved as the day and storm progressed. Everything softened and
filled. The Bohemian forest became heavy with snow and beneath a bowing limb
laid a large deposit of awaiting white. I pounced toward my prey sideways with
passionate intent, turning my skis in toward the center, feathering its innards
into the air with a brilliant explosion, feeling the cold smoke boil up my
body. It streamed past my heart and into my face, running toward the heavens. That
is the moment–the be-all, end-all for all skiers. For it is in that moment that
all answers are found and our purpose is clear.
Bohemia sells adventure, wilderness, and escape through passion and authenticity. Dana Westbrock photo.
Join Our Newsletter
There is no questioning; the
pursuit is justified and it is the reason behind all things. It is not a
careless action or thoughtless reaction. The powder turn is a genuflection, a
symbol of reverence. For me this moment is without exception, the most
rewarding and sacred experience I know. It is the venerate symbol of my
passion. How has this temple been erected in the Midwest? Powder skiing and
face shots should not exist here. But they do and they are in bounty in
Bohemia.
There is no questioning; the pursuit is justified and it is the reason behind all things. It is not a careless action or thoughtless reaction. The powder turn is a genuflection, a symbol of reverence. For me this moment is without exception, the most rewarding and sacred experience I know.
As
unconventional and avant-garde as Mount Bohemia is there is something distinctly
Midwestern about it. I spoke with Lonie Glieberman following the liturgy
in the woods. The ever-smiling, affable owner remarked, “It’s not Colorado but
it’s not really Michigan either.” Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy? No, but it is an escape
from reality. Mount Bohemia is remarkably unique.
Check out more issues of Upstarts & Underdogs here.
There is plenty of contempt prior to investigation of Mount
Bohemia’s goods. Typically, outsiders stick their noses into the air and
degrade the Heartland as uncultured and unrefined. They scoff at all things
Midwest. This is very true for skiing here, even though the core of the country
has produced Olympic and X-Games Medalists and some of the most dedicated and
celebrated snow sports enthusiasts and adventurers.
Keeweenaw County, Michigan's snow stake. Those are big numbers... Paddy O'Connell photo.
This is the Midwest. This is where shoulders are broad,
hands are thick and worn from work, and always extended to greet. This is where
hard work and values live. This is where people are accountable, and a person’s
word has weight. This is where a smile echoes for days and laughter plays as
life’s soundtrack. This is where love and passion burn, where the soil smells
rich and the rolling hills and forests invite imagination. This is where a
sense of home thrives and realness lives, where all four seasons are intense and
extreme and return endlessly with brilliance.
This
is the home of some of the best powder skiing I have had the benefit of
enjoying. It is not the steepest terrain I have ever been in, nor the deepest
snow, but Bohemia is distinctly its own and refreshingly uncommon. It is
magically unique. Bohemia sells adventure, wilderness, and escape
through passion and authenticity. This is how skiing was in the beginning,
before the condos and build outs, before Gucci on Main Street, and celebrity
ski bunnies. And Glieberman wants to keep it that way. “We want to grow deeper
into the niche rather than widen the brand audience," he says. "We don’t want to dilute
the brand. We want to expand the experience.”
"Mount Bohemia is the holy page and the song of praise can be heard in her rolling craggy contours." Dana Westbrock photo.
Mount Bohemia proudly proclaims NO BEGINNERS ALLOWED, does
not groom, has little to no ropes or marked hazards. The area is offered up as
is, ready for exploration. If you end up on the road below the lifts, buses run
all-day pick-ups. It’s home grown and memorable. “You’re definitely gonna talk about it.” The
concept is to build upon what has been created, more yurts, more glading, more
terrain, possibly even Cat skiing. No frills, no BS, just unassuming and bare
bones adventure skiing in the Midwest.
The storm raged through the night, and I awoke to a rich
fresh blanket on my last day up North. I
swung my skis back and forth as I ascended on the lift, partly for warmth but mostly
for excitement. I explored in marvel this wild snowy palace in Michigan, and I
found all of my senses in the frosty turns. I rejoiced in the white explosion,
not a slave to it but rather its devoted worshiper. I discovered the psalm of
myself in the Upper Peninsula and let go my own guttural hymnal. Mount Bohemia is the holy page, and the song of praise can be heard in her rolling craggy
contours. The notes are in every snowflake and the symphony accumulates in plenty.
Listen. Listen to her anthem.