Hayden taught me how to snowboard in the winter of 2021. I was 24 at the time and boy was it HUMBLING. There were countless falls, numerous wipeouts, and lots of anxiety when getting off the lifts. BUT, this is a sport I will do for the rest of my life! It was so cool to figure it out and feel it “click.” Hayden is a total natural. He spent a lot of time on a skateboard growing up and has been snowboarding for 17 years. He makes it look so easy!
Even though I still fall and have some minor anxiety getting off the lift, I am so in love with snowboarding. Since I learned, we have spent most of our shredding time at Devil’s Head Resort because it’s the closest to us, but we’ve also traveled all around Wisconsin to explore the other ski hills here. Last year, we changed things up and bought season passes to a new spot, and it stole our heart!
MOUNT BOHEMIA - Mohawk, MI
Mount Boho is the best Midwest ski resort we’ve been to. It’s in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and located on the Keweenaw Peninsula. They get an average of 273 inches of snow each year, and because it’s lake effect snow from Lake Superior, the conditions are very dry and similar to resorts out west.
Boho is well known for their “not for beginners” slogan…and we learned why very quickly! This resort is completely ungroomed for backcountry skiing and snowboarding. It’s challenging and keeps you on your toes! Truly, no beginners allowed. Now I know I just said that I didn’t learn how to snowboard until just a few years ago, but in my first season I got out over 30 times! I had a season pass to Devils Head and I made the most of it, because I really wanted to be able to keep up with Hayden. I am by no means an expert, but I can still hold my own.
Our good friend Charlie made the trip up to Mount Bohemia with us when we went! It was a huge relief for me that he was with us because I knew that I wasn’t going to be able to do everything, but I still wanted Hayden to get the full experience. I would do a few runs with them, but then I was fine continuing on by myself while they went off to enjoy all the mountain had to offer. (Any smart person will tell you not to ski or snowboard alone—listen to them. I would only do runs by myself that I had already checked out with Hayden and Charlie so I knew what to expect and also made sure we were all sharing our phone locations with each other incase of emergency.)
It’s no secret that skiing and snowboarding are expensive sports. It’s not uncommon for one day lift tickets to be over $80! We were originally drawn to Mount Bohemia because they run a sale around Thanksgiving every year where their season passes are only $99. The huge perk is that a Mount Bohemia season pass gets you into so many more places than just Mount Bohemia– it gives you access to 22 resorts across the country. It’s so crazy to me that this $99 pass can get you boarding from Alaska to Las Vegas! We have yet to take advantage of this perk, but there has been talk about going to the Porcupine Mountains and Giants Ridge to use our passes there too. If you are also looking to get out of Wisconsin to do some boarding, I highly recommend following Mount Bohemia on Instagram so you can stay in the loop about their annual season pass sale!
THE MOUNTAIN
Mount Bohemia has the longest runs, the highest vertical, and the deepest powder in the Midwest. You can enjoy all sorts of crazy terrain–so many steep, tree-filled runs. Hayden and Charlie did some of the runs through the trees in the “Extreme Back Country,” where you ride until the mountain ends and wait on the road for the shuttle to pick you up and take you back to the lodge and lifts.
When riding in backcountry conditions, you need to be on the lookout for boulders, and you never know when you might sink waste deep into powder. You definitely have to be alert, but the challenging situations also bring the fun!
THE LODGING
There are lots of different lodging options at the resort. We stayed in the Aqua Lodge Cabins that can sleep up to 6 people and are located right on Lac Labelle. They’re beautiful log cabins that have upper and lower units. These cabins are about a half mile from the ski area and right on the snowshoe and hiking trails. There are also other cabins, camping options, a hostel, and yurts available. There are some ski-in ski-out options as well.
THE SPA
The luxury of getting to relax in an outdoor hot tub after a day on the mountain is unmatched. Nordic Spa is located right at the base of Mount Bohemia and was a highlight of our time there. There’s an outdoor hot tub, outdoor hot pool, outdoor cold pool, Finnish sauna, and steam cabin. You’re supposed to do 15 minutes in one of the hot features followed by 5-30 seconds in the cold and repeat that 3 times to feel rejuvenated. It feels so good when your legs are sore from snowboarding! We spent hours out there drinking beer, looking at the stars, and meeting people from all over.
THE FOOD
Once you get to the resort, there isn’t much else around for food besides their few dining options, so be sure to pack your groceries accordingly. In the main yurt you can find affordable breakfast, lunch, and dinner. There is also really good woodfire pizza available most of the day and 2 bars on site!
THE EXPERIENCE
If you have people in your group who don’t ski or snowboard, or don’t feel that their skills are ready for all that is Mount Bohemia, there is still so much for them to enjoy! They can rent snowshoes and head out on the trails around Lac Labelle, or they can enjoy the Log Bar and Nordic Spa. Overall, we love Boho and foresee ourselves coming back for many years. The runs, energy, and people make it like no place I’ve ever been before!
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