Since the big ice storm that hit the Highlands in Michigan was in March when most people in that region were done with snowsports, didn't hear about the mess for which they are still doing clean up work. The level of destruction luckily didn't touch lifts or base buildings. The fact that Boyne Resorts could call for help from other resorts, including those in New England, made a difference.
Posted September 2025
It took grit, teamwork, and lots of chainsaws to recover from a devastating March storm that hit northern Michigan and enveloped The Highlands under inches
www.saminfo.com
"
The three-day storm, March 28-30, was local to the upper section of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula and a small section of the Upper Peninsula, with the most severe impacts felt in just a handful of counties. The story never made national news, but even so, millions of acres of the region’s vast pine forests were impacted; 145,000 people were left without power, some for weeks; and the governor declared a state of emergency.
Most of Michigan’s 40-odd ski areas, many already closed for the season, escaped serious, if any, icing. The Highlands Ski and Golf Resort—owned by Boyne Resorts and, with 435 skiable acres, one of the Midwest’s largest ski destinations—was one of the few to be in the zone of extreme impact.
A surprisingly severe storm. “As the storm was happening, I don’t think anybody realized how big it was,” says The Highlands area manager Robby Ortlieb. . . ."