The holidays were busy at ski areas across the Midwest from the Black Hills to the Great Lakes with many hitting capacities. Most expect the same experience to occur over the upcoming Martin Luther King (MLK) weekend this month and with a combination of Valentine's and President's Day weekend next month. Plan ahead for lift tickets.

As you consider pass purchases for the coming Midwest ski season the Indy Pass and the Midwest Gold Card offer you access to several Heartland ski areas.

Heartland snow sports enthusiasts don’t have to fly to Lake Tahoe to mix a little gaming and skiing or enjoy the enticing lodging packages that you find there because of the casinos. Just head to Terry Peak and South Dakota’s famed Black Hills.

A 440-acre ski resort in the Black Hills of South Dakota is again up for sale two years after it was shut down amid bankruptcy proceedings. The owners of the former Mystic Miner Ski Resort at Deer Mountain say they’ve cleaned up the property, made repairs and upgraded a water system serving residences near the resort, according to a story in the Rapid City Journal. 

Terry Peak, South Dakota, opened in 1936, and celebrates 80 years this year. It opened the same year as Sun Valley in the west and Bromley Mountain in the east, both credited with kicking off the North American ski resort industry. Terry Peak, with a 1,100-foot vertical drop, largest in the Heartland, offers true mountain skiing. Located in the Black Hills, it tops out near 7,000 feet.  

The Heartland’s tallest ski area, Terry Peak in the Black Hills of South Dakota, continues to slowly move ahead with the Wharf Expansion Project, a partnership with Gold Corp the owner of Wharf Gold Mine that sits just below Inferno.

Lift served mountain biking takes place at many western and eastern ski areas and is a popular summer draw for customers. Heartland mountain bikers aren’t so lucky, but there are five ski areas offering lift availability in the Midwest.

The Heartland’s newest high-speed lifts are being installed at Wisconsin’s Granite Peak Ski Area and Terry Peak Ski Area in the Black Hills of South Dakota.