Yesterday's cold, cold and snow, snow has given way to sun, clouds and perfectly packed powder. The temps are still cold, but it feels 30 degrees warmer. Instead of sucking deep within the recesses of hoods and goggles on the lift I find myself eating up the sights and grinning at the blue sky. Ahhhhhh!

Tomorrow promises more of the same.  It's a holiday you know.  It looks like Mother Nature, Government Offices and Banks all agree it will be the perfect Monday to hit the slopes. 

-JJ

HEY! Stop blinking at the weather report looking for additional digits to appear. What you are seeing is the beginning of a little cold snap. Need I remind you that Cold is Good?

It might not be great if you live in the windswept plains or insist on donning a euro-Speedo, but at BOYNE cold means snow.
And snow (particularly this cold, dry fluffy stuff) is good...Really good.

Look at the weather map and you'll see a classic lake effect system in play.

Each day is listed with a chance of snow listed at 70% with at least 1-3 inches accumulation. When the weather turns this way the odds are 70% that it will be snowing at any given moment. Nothing crazy- just a light snow. The kind you see in a kid's snow globe.. But all that little stuff compounds.  Over a couple days it is a significant snow event. And if the wind kicks up things get silly. Accumulation on your knees during the lift ride kind of silly.

So throw on an extra layer and maybe even a balaclava and tell Mother Nature to BRING IT!

-JJ

There are a few heros remaining in my world.  Firefighters, cops, nurses, teachers and the least heralded of all SNOWMAKERS.

If you have ever taken the time to watch what they do you'll see that it is HARD WORK in uncomfortable conditions.
The gig takes some serious inner steel.  They work round-the-clock just when the weather gets in a bad mood.

Just like the offensive line on a football squad, they load everyone on their back and move the piles into the promised land. 

You know you've done something when grandparents rob a page from your job description to describe their difficult childhood trips to school.
"Uphill. In the Snow. Both Ways."

When I count the things I am thankful for this Thursday, snowmakers will be holding a top spot. 
If you take advantage of their hard work anytime soon I bet you'll be singing their praises too.

-JJ 

Why put off to Friday what you can do today?  Especially when it is free.

Boyne Highlands is ringing the bell. It's Game on starting today Wednesday November 19. From 12pm to 4:30 and it's on us.
Experience Gratisfaction there's nothing like it. Here are the details. 

I can't go today, so I'll quietly loathe all of you that do. 

Fact that may only interest me:
Opening day marks exactly one day shy of 7 months from our last day of skiing (April 20). Five months and one day makes for a pretty sizeable ski season.
And you thought all those season passholders were just good looking?  Turns out they are really smart too.

-JJ

If you aren’t living HD yet you’d better get a move on before you miss the show.
For many, that means weekends of bonding with HD TVs. Football season is in high-gear and that means HDTV at its’ best.
But it doesn’t come close to this.

This is High Definition Living brought to you by BOYNE.  It’s full of life-defining moments and the picture is so crisp and clear, it’s like your right there…because YOU ARE.

Now showing: Fireworks in Slow Mo
It’s that time for our annual spectacle of the spectrum.  Step right up ladies and gentlemen. A colossal collision of color awaits.
The world is turning…orange and gold. Erupting in Reds and yellows.
Boom.
Ahhh!

Kapow.
OOOHHH!

Trade in that trusty recliner for the best seat in the house- a chairlift seat.
How about that 360 degrees of vision and an immersive sound system?

Too “Type A” for slow mo?
Try an early morning run or strap on a helmet and blur all the colors together as you tear down the bike paths and trails.
 
Do I even need to mention the golf?
The turf grass is talking. If you listen, it will gush in cool greens. It's all a little greener, especially when set against a raging inferno of color. And remember, this is HD LIVING.  You can reach down and touch it, but please replace your divots.

Unfortunately, you can’t set TiVo to record this for you while you waste time doing other things.
This season is brief and there are no reruns.  You might want to tune in quick.

-JJ

Is your glass half empty of half full? That depends on whether or not you’re watching it evaporate or you’re drinking it up with plans to belly back up for more.

Usually at the high point of summer I put on my golf lid and think about my mid-winter resolutions to play more, better, more, more, more golf.  I’m not quite living up to my pre-season expectations. Yes, the days are gloriously long, but they’re already slipping away two minutes at a time.  It's like the nightmare I used to have that school was starting the next day and I had somehow missed all of summer vacation. That thought puts the urgency back in the equation.  Time to book a tee time, lesson and hit the links. Time keeps on slippin.

On the other hand-
As a skier I know that THE DREAM will arrive soon.  It usually hits me around August.  A dream of skiing a perfect run with a couple great friends. We're weightlessly sailing over cat tracks and carving Super-G arks across snow that the rest of the world is oblivious to. Some dreams are too weird to make much of.  Others are so tangible that you wake up with aching quads and feet relieved to be fresh-out of ski boots.  In this dream the memory of firmly flexing skis is as palpable and indescribable as the “mush” of a golf ball turned jelly by a perfectly smoothed 6 iron.  Chills baby. Chills!

O.k back to reality.
Skiers- there’s more good stuff on tap this season.  Boyne is taking big steps to ensure that your cup runneth over.
Take a look at this pic from the top of Boyne Mountain:

How sweet is that?  I don't want to get too techichal, but from what they tell me More Pipes= More Water= More Snow. 

As you can see, snowmaking means hard work in the summer too.
It sure can't be cheap when you compare this to plumbing, say, your bathroom.

Just a reminder that Uncle BOYNE loves you skiers and isn't afraid to reach into his wallet to keep you smiling-even in the summer.
Put that under your pillow and sleep on it for a month or two and maybe you’ll have THE DREAM too. If you do, look out for the giggling freak airing it out over the cat tracks.

Golfers- don’t let that dream take your eyes off the ball.
Time keeps on slippin, slippin slippin.
Tick tock tick doo doo doo do.

-JJ

What are you doing the weekend of the 17th?
If your answer is anything less than something really outstanding- consider dusting off your bike and rolling out for one of Northern Michigan’s coolest traditions.

The Zoo-De-Mack Bike Bash will be rolling through Boyne Highlands marking an annual rite of spring as welcome as the trillium blooms and morels.
Over 2400 riders participated last year and there’s always room for a few more.

Here’s the skinny: More...