A concept of the new eight-seat, high-speed Doppelmayr lift. (Big Sky)

Boyne announced they will install North America’s first eight-seat, high-speed lift at Big Sky Resort over the summer and it will be ready for next winter, and additional improvements will focus on the Mountain Village.

Overlooking Nub's Nob slopes. (Nub's Nob)

Nub's Nob, known throughout the Midwest for meticulous grooming and snow conditions, is actually a pair of 427-foot peaks that encompasses 53 trails and numerous glades scattered over 248 skiable acres. It’s an array of imposing steep, western-like slopes in front, narrow intermediate runs with a New England feel on the southwest side, and open bowls on the north side. Pintail Peak with its stunning overlook of Lake Michigan’s Little Traverse Bay is a separate outback experience. They routinely stay open through early April.

Spring skiing at Lutsen Mountains overlooking Lake Superior. (Facebook)

Although it's been an up and down weather pattern across the Heartland and Great Lakes, across the northern tier they are in good shape heading into March.

Wilmot Mountain in the early days. (Wilmot/Facebook) 

Three of the Heartland’s oldest ski areas, Granite Peak and Wilmot Mountain in Wisconsin, and Caberfae Peaks in Michigan, turned 80 this winter, and all are thriving well. 

Densmore taking a turn on Boyne Highlands' slopes. (Boyne)

Spring is quickly approaching and that means ski trips to the mountains for many Heartland gals. Are you ready to enjoy all that skiing and riding?

Lou Batori, the oldest known skier, takes a run down Crystal Mountain slopes last year at 106 years old. (Crystal Mountain)

Getting older carries with it some pretty special benefits if you’re a skier or snowboarder. There are 15 resorts scattered across the Midwest that allows seniors to ski or ride free at a certain age.

Taking a ride through the glades. (Boyne Mountain)

When you ski and ride at Boyne Mountain you can’t help but think about the history that’s attached to this storied resort. They opened in 1947 with the first ski chairlift in the Midwest and followed with introducing the first three-, four- and six-seat chairlifts in the U.S. There were lots of other firsts, but the Mountain has aged well and the newer village and Mountain Grand Hotel are among the best in the Heartland. Classic straight forward wide runs plunge down the fall line, and Hemlock, their legendary advanced run and slope centerpiece, is still the “dean of Midwest steep.”

New high-speed quad unloading for the first time this season. (Giants Ridge/Facebook)

Minnesota’s Giants Ridge opened two new, much needed, chairlifts this season in an effort to turn around declining numbers of skier visits the past few winters.

Baumgartner in the starting gate wearing his trademark houndstooth pants. (Nick Baumgartner/Facebook)

Nick Baumgartner, who lives in Iron River in the Wolverine State’s UP and calls Ski Brule his “home hill,” got word last week that he has been named to the U.S. Olympic snowboardcross team. He also competed in the 2010 and 2014 Winter Olympics.

Fat tire bikers at Crystal Mountain have over 11 miles of groomed trails. (Crystal Mountain)

Fat tire biking, popular at western and eastern ski resorts, has been gaining traction in the Midwest. Ski resorts in Michigan’s northern Lower Peninsula and northern Minnesota are now offering rentals and trails to ride. Check it out. 

Participants can reach speeds of 30 mph on the luge run. (Muskegon Winter Sports Complex)

With the Olympics taking place next month ever thought about trying a luge run? It always looks pretty exciting during the competition.

Fat tire bikers work down some rocky terrain. (Spirit Mountain/Facebook)

Spirit Mountain overlooking Duluth and the city’s Lake Superior harbor offers big time skiing and riding for the Midwest with it 700-foot vertical drop.

Apply to become the official learn to ski family at Pine Knob. (Pine Knob)

January is Learn to Ski and Snowboard month all across the nation. Throughout the Midwest many ski areas are offering discounted lesson programs, but Michigan, in my opinion, offers the best programs for the cost and simplicity.

Ski Girl's Rock on Afton Alps' slopes. (Afton Alps/Facebook)

Over the next few weeks seven Midwest ski areas are hosting women’s ski and snowboard clinics. Two ski areas are located in Indiana, and one each in Ohio, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri and Wisconsin.

Join Santa for a run down the slopes. (Shanty Creek)

It's been a good start to the Midwest ski season, and a major snowstorm is forecast for Christmas. Several Heartland resorts have plans to celebrate the season. Santa is bringing the snow get out and celebrate.

Powder, cliffs and views. (Mount Bohemia/Facebook)

Michigan's Mount Bohemia is a powder pig’s paradise. It is not your typical Midwest ski area. There’s 900 vertical feet of black diamond I, II, and III-rated glade runs, no snow making, no grooming and nothing that a typical Heartland beginner or intermediate skier or snowboarder wants to tackle. It has made it to the final four of Powder Magazine’s annual reader’s poll for best powder in North America. It’s as close to Jackson Hole as you’ll find around the Great Lakes, and they receive up to 300-inches of light lake-effect snow per season.

Devil's Head slopes overlook Wisconsin River valley. (Devil's Head)

The Michigan Snowsports Industries Association (MSIA) is offering a White Gold Card that allows you to ski or snowboard a full day at 34 Michigan ski areas, and Skiing Wisconsin is offering a coupon book allowing you a day at 16 participating Badger State ski areas. It keeps your lift ticket cost for the day to around $8.

Powder and views stretch as far as the eye can see. (Whitefish Mountain Resort/Facebook) 

Dec. 14, 1947, was the first opening date for Whitefish Mountain Resort. They will be celebrating Big Mountain’s 70^th anniversary all season long, and hopefully a repeat of last season’s record breaking 400+ inches of snow.

Grabbing some air at Hidden Valley. (Hidden Valley/Facebook)

Missouri’s Hidden Valley Ski Area is once again in a dispute with the city of Wildwood in which it operates and once again is threatening to close the ski area after this season.

Heading up to Lone Peak on the tram.

America’s biggest skiing resort, Big Sky with 5800 acres and 300 runs tumbling off four mountain peaks, made several improvements this past summer that improved slope access. They open for the season on Thanksgiving Day, November 23.