Snowstar Winter Sports Park, located within 10 minutes of the Quad Cities, has been purchased by Jennifer and Doug Harper from nearby Illinois City. They managed the ski area last season and bought it this past summer. Without their assistance, the resort would not have opened last year, according to the assistant manager at the time of the sale Valerie O'Rouke in a press statement.

Michigan-based Wisconsin Resorts, which also owns five other Great Lakes ski areas, recently purchased its sixth Midwest ski area, Alpine Valley in the southern part of the Wolverine State.

One of the best ways to enjoy breathtaking fall views that abound across the upper Midwest is a slow chairlift ride to the top of the ski hill. Here are some of the best around the upper Midwest.

Several Heartland ski areas allow mountain biking on their summer slopes, but if you’re looking for lift-served, you will only find five.

Golf Pass, part of NBC Sports, recently released its list of the top 25 best U.S. golf and ski resorts, and the Midwest is well represented with four resorts making the list. Two were among the top four.

Duluth's city-owned ski area, Spirit Mountain, continues its financial struggles as the city grapples with what to do with the financially strapped ski area.

For the first time in 65 years, Ski Brule, a longtime ski resort in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, did not open for the season.

A new high-speed, six-person lift is coming to Whitefish Mountain Resort they announced this week, according to an article in the Daily Inter Lake. The new lift will help ease congestion at the Base Lodge, which is the primary access for most skiers up the mountain.

Vail Resorts has announced a 20% decrease in their Epic season passes for the 2021-22 ski season, and that also includes their Epic local passes at all their Midwest ski areas. A little bit of good news for those skiers that like to mainly ski local.

Great spring skiing conditions kick off April at Lutsen Mountains and the famed Mountain Meltdownfor the final full week of the season, April 1-11, and they guarantee at least 40 runs open into April.

A fire broke out in Wild Mountain's maintenance barn on March 30 destroying the structure, according to the Minnesota ski area in a Facebook post.

Granite Peak has remained open into mid-April the last few seasons and plans on doing so again this season despite a warm Midwest winter that has shut down all other Wisconsin ski areas.

Many ski areas across the lower Midwest have already closed for the season, but three ski resorts in northwest lower Michigan are planning on staying open through the first weekend of April and celebrating Easter on the slopes. With the longer days and warmer temperatures, spring offers some of the best slope times of the season.

Longer days, warming temperatures, and still plenty of snow along Lake Superior in Minnesota's Arrowhead. It's the perfect recipe for a spring Indy Pass road trip to two of the Heartland's larger ski areas, especially in vertical drop. The scenery from the slopes of Spirit Mountain and Lutsen Mountains is some of the best you will find around the Great Lakes.

Minnesota's Wild Mountain, under new ownership this season, has announced plans for improvements over the summer and proudly announced they are a carbon-neutral company.

Located near Lakewood, Wisconsin, Paul Bunyan Ski Hill, which ceased operation a quarter-century ago, reopened this past February with the same family that closed the hill still in control.  Just a new generation in charge.

Crystal Mountain Resort debuted the Wolverine State's first snowboard pump track this past month, and it may well be the first in the Heartland. It's a trend that first started out west in Utah and Colorado where a few pump tracks have appeared. In the Midwest it's been a popular concept in mountain biking and skateboarding, but not snowsports.

A unique Indy Pass road trip in the upper Midwest would be to combine a trip visiting northern Wisconsin and Michigan's Upper Peninsula for skiing at three of the Heartland's larger ski resorts; Granite Peak, Pine Mountain, and Big Powderhorn.

Lower Midwest ski areas in Indiana and Missouri attract southern skiers from Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Mississippi and Alabama.

With spring break coming over the next few weeks SnoCountry, in a couple of different articles, will take a look at some Great Lakes ski resorts honoring the Indy Pass that are grouped together for reasonable driving distances.