This winter we are fortunate enough to have a fourth grader in our house which means we get to take advantage of the Minnesota 4th Grade Ski Passport. With the passport, 4th graders typically get a free lift ticket to each of Minnesota’s 18 ski resorts. We decided to use this opportunity to try out a few new hills this winter. To break in the passport we headed north to Duluth to ski Spirit Mountain.
The Hill
Spirit Mountain has a 700 foot vertical drop and 22 runs serviced by 5 chair lifts. Since this was our first time on skis this season we spent the bulk of our time on the green and blue runs. Our fourth grader’s favorite run was Powder Monkey, only because of the name. We also really enjoyed Juggler Joe and Timber Cruiser.
Spirit Mountain runs are longer than those we are accustomed to. It’s nice when you feel like you spent more time on the hill than on the chair lift. We were fortunate to have selected a ski day when the temperatures were moderate and the winds were calm. Given that Spirit Mountain is right on Lake Superior it is prone to blustery winds off the great lake.
If You Go
Here are a few quick tips for visiting Spirit Mountain.
- If you bring your own equipment, take advantage of the ski drop zone. It can be quite the trek to lug your gear from the parking lot.
- Tickets go on sale a half hour before the hill opens. Ticket sales lines can be long. If you’re using the 4th Grade Passport you can’t buy online and get the additional family discounts. Arrive early and pack patience.
- Take breaks during non meal times. Chair lift lines will be shorter and there will be fewer people at the cafe if you time your breaks/lunch during off-peak times.
Throughout the season we have plans to ski three other hills including Andes Tower Hills, Powder Ridge and Afton Alps. As our ski adventures take us across the state, we are also looking forward to updating our Minnesota Donut Tour, Minnesota Pizza Tour and Minnesota Ice Cream Tour posts.
Happy Adventuring, Rochelle