The Art of Snowmaking

Our mountain operation team is beginning to lay the groundwork for the ideal ski season, as fresh powder days are just around the corner. Northern Michigan winters are spectacular- with fresh snow, glistening icicles on the trees, and perfect cold days.

If you follow the Farmer's Almanac, northern Michigan is about to have the best ski season yet- with chilly days and lots of snow. We plan on making the most of that fresh snow by having the perfect base built up on our slopes.

How?

Snowmaking machines!  

The Highlands is delighted to play a significant role in the BOYNE legacy- which is linked to exceptional snow. Since the 1950s, we have remained dedicated to snowmaking and the continuous improvement of our tools and procedures.

Through years of innovation, snowmaking machines mimic the look and feel of real snow. Snowmaking involves pumping water onto the mountain from a reservoir or other water source, mixing it with compressed air, and then drawing the water back into the water source. 

We are looking to the future and have added 66 new HKD Impulse Low-energy Snowguns to our snowmaking fleet. We can start the snowmaking process sooner, which equals more skiing time and potentially opening sooner! These machines are also more efficient they utilize less water consumption, and they use considerably less compressed air, which means less energy use, making these a sustainable step towards our 2030 net-zero carbon emissions goal. 

"This is what skiing is all about. Not extreme, but just you, your equipment, and a few friends having fun. Skiing at The Highlands gave me that experience." - Andy C.

When you ski at The Highlands, you are skiing on sustainably made snow that conserves our freshwater sources and reduces our energy use. Our snowmaking abilities make it possible to keep skiing and snowboarding conditions ideal so guests can utilize every minute on our beautiful Michigan resort. Even when Mother Nature doesn't cooperate, guests can still ski on realistic snow. 

 Impress Your Friends- FACTS about our upgraded snowguns

1. The HKD Impulse can make snow at a much higher temperature than the guns they are replacing (26-28 degrees compared to ~18).
2. They use far less air, and therefore energy, to convert the same amount of water, as the guns they replace, into snow at all temperatures.
3. Able to hit steep runs so those runs can open sooner.
4. They are much safer for our staff to make snow on steep runs and provide a much higher quality product.