THOMPSONVILLE: Thanks to Mother Nature and the resort’s snowmaking crew, Crystal Mountain now has all 58 of its downhill trails open as New Year’s Eve approaches.
The good news doesn’t stop with the ski conditions. On Wednesday, December 28, Liftopia announced its inaugural Best in Snow Awards in which Crystal Mountain was voted the #2 ski resort in the United States and Canada, a list that included Alta (Utah), Snowbird (Utah) and Jay Peak (Vermont). Regionally, Crystal Mountain was also ranked:
- #1 Family Friendly in the Midwest
- #1 Best Snow Quality in the Midwest
- #1 Beginner Friendly in the Midwest
- #2 Most Challenging in the Midwest
- #2 Best Value in the Midwest
“We’re honored to be mentioned among so many great names in the industry but what’s even more gratifying is that this is a recognition from skiers and snowboarders,” says Brian Lawson, director of public relations for Crystal Mountain. “It says a lot about our people, in every area of the resort, and their dedication to creating a wonderful experience for our guests.”
(More Northern Michigan ski resorts also made the list. View the results here.)
Liftopia, the largest online and mobile marketplace serving the ski and mountain activity industry, surveyed their customers to measure enthusiasm on specific aspects of their favorite resorts such as family friendliness, challenging terrain, crowds as well as snow consistency and quality. More than 10,000 responses were then weighted with a proprietary algorithm based on Liftopia’s exclusive dataset that includes resorts’ total visits per season, acreage and average lift ticket prices to determine the best ski areas overall, across seven categories and five regions.
“For years consumers have told us they wanted a ranking system that wasn’t based simply on which resorts were the biggest, relied on a handful of ‘expert’ opinions or even pay-to-play advertising dollars,” says Evan Reece, co-founder and CEO of Liftopia. “We crafted the Best in Snow Awards using details from a consumer survey and our proprietary data to uncover the ski areas people are most passionate about, all over North America.”
About Crystal Mountain:
Celebrating 60 years, Crystal Mountain is a family-owned, year-round resort featuring 58 downhill trails, the Midwest’s premier Snowsports School, cross-country and fat tire bike trails, snowshoeing Michigan Legacy Art Park, Crystal Spa, Peak Fitness Center and Indoor Pool, the Edge Adventure Course, lodging, dining, shopping and weddings. Crystal has been named among Parents magazine’s Ten Best Snow Resorts for Families and the #1 Resort for Family Reunions by Conde Nast Traveler. Coming in Summer 2017, the $11 million expansion to the Inn at the Mountain with 25 hotel rooms and suites, specialty market, lobby bar and rooftop terrace!
–Press release provided by Crystal Mountain