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PAGE TWELVE
THE MICHIGAN DAILY
SUN4DAY, DECEM$ER 5,.1965
I
WALLOON
TO GROW
Traveling in Etrope:
0 717Y7 P'
WALLOON LAKE, Mich.-There AVV.IwZ
are three kids of skiers, says
Carl E. Calhoun, maager andeLeasI Fy
partner at Walloon Hills ski ar ea,
a few miles east of this west Want to go to Europe, but see The cuA for such a Li.) is u..n c. r and briua it lack to thi
Michigan village. those places that the "tourists" ::hno 2nonally low.. Ai noals, U S. with you. A VW sedan runs
First there are the swank skiers don't, see? Want to talk with the accommodations. service char es, x!1393, a savlii s of almost $300
who want the best of accommo- natives and look continental? «sa.line. insurance, and guides, over th: American price. A Ja~uar
dations. Second. there's the aver- Want to go- and see everything a": only $767 for a 30 day tour E is a steal at $4620, a $900
age run-of-mine skier that m-kes cheap? Want to go with a fun with five participants. Thle 45 day avins. ' The most inexpensive
up the bulk of the big tran'ient group? If you do, you are the per- tour runs $1052. Transportation to auto is the Italan Fiat 600-D
crowd. And finally, there is the son who can -see Europe at its the Continent is not included, If which goes at $1062.
"ski bum" who will bunk up -seven best (and its worst) and, have the you ,desire to ,stay lowger, the
to a room just for the chance to time of your life doing it. charge is $19, per day per person. Driving on your own trough
get on the slopes. The Scandinavian S t u d e n t _ The guides on the SS'rS tours Euirope requires a bit more daring,
Calhoun ought to know whereof Travel Service o,: one of the many are all Scandanavian graduate and a chance to sleep in your car
he speaks. For he admits ,that he other auto leasing firms of Europe, students, each with an excellent if lodgings are packed, but you'll,
started out as a "ski bum." A can give you the car of your background in European language bring back twice as many stories
Detroit tool and diemaker, he used choice End let you see all there is and custom. He'll be more like of your trip and who knows what
to spend all his weekends at the to see at the scenery level. Stop your friend than associate, and you'll pick up on the way.
ski slopes, often doing odd jobs to when you want, go where you want provide you with a closer contact For names of other lease plans.
earn his lift tickets. But he was -when you want. with :the land. of which there are many, it is
crazy about skiing. He got in-
terested in the sport as a member
of a social club which decided to
Thue 5T' 5provides you with the For those who are even more
car, a guide, your hotel reserva- independent, the "Europe By Car"
tions and ideas, the rest is up to plan will simply rent you an auto, student travel agency, such as are
you. atilow rates.ront bunllr available in Ann AthAfv
4
The picturesque Boyne Mountain Lodge stands directly in front of its challenging namesake mountain. To the right rear of the
is the base of the mountain's most challenging run "Hemlock." Each year, a new ice statue decorates the entrance to the main
The area has six chairlifts to speed skiers to the top, including the country's only 4-man chairlift at the intermediate hill.
ppoto
lodge.
Ski Industry Mushrooms
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., -The
story of winter sports in West
Michigan is a record of pheno-
menal growth.
From a few scattered ski centers
and winter parks a short genera-
tion ago, the winter recreation in-
dustry has expanded to two score
centers today, with no signs of a
letup.
Predictions of a few years ago
that winter business would con-
tract to a few major areas has not
been borne out as year after year
the list of West, Michigan centers
has grown, even though some ear-
ly developments have dropped out.
In 1950, when West Michigan
Tourist Association instituted its
weekly snow reports, there were
only five major skiing centers on
the west side of Michigan. Boyne
Mountain, first complete public
winter resort in the state, started
operation in 1948 and Briar Hill at
Mesick and Elberts Ski Area made
their bow about a year later. Su-
gar Loaf in the Leelanau penin-
sula had been a weekend area sev-
eral years and Cadillac's Caberfae,I
already a noted ski center, had
Also on the ground floor were
Echo Valley, tobogganing-skating
center at Kalamazoo since the
mid-30's and popular winter play
spots like Petoskey Winter Park,
Newaygo Winter Park and Ionia's
Brock Park. But that was about it.
There was a ferment of winter,
activity under way, however. In
the. early 50's Hickory Hills and'
Holiday Hills (now Traverse City
Holiday) made their debut in the
Traverse area, with Missaukee
Mountain at Lake City and Mt.
Mancelona also joining the list.z
In 1955, Harbor Highlands near
Harbor Springs, Lake Valley at
Kalkaska and Manistee Ski Area
(now Big "M") started operations,
followed in 1956 by Brady's Hills
Branch, Glacier Hills at Bellaire
and Mt. Sauba at Charlevoix.
Three top ski centers made their
debut in 1958 when Nub's Nob at
near Walloon Lake and Thunder
Mountain at Boyne Falls joined
the parade, while Buck Hills,
southeast of Beulah, supplanted
Elberta.
Growth continued in 1959 as the
L Heights at Hudsonville became
popular tobaggan centers.
Crystal Mountain took over Buck
Hills in 1960. Arid in 1961 the list,
expandedd with Bear Hills at Bear
Lake, Birch Hills near Big Rap-
ids, 'Grand Haven Snow Bowl,
Eskkar at Middleville and Li tle
Switzerland snow Swiss Valley)
west of Three Rivers., Chimney
Corners at Frankfort and M:-
Guires at Cadillac got into the act
as winter rendezvous in 1962.
While Goshorn, Ludiiigton, Lake'
Valley and Birch Hills faded, there
was no recession as 1963 saw inaii-
guration of swank Shanty Greek
at Bellaire, Moon Ridge at Lake-
view, Pando near Rockford, Car-
ousel at Holland, Timber Ridge
near Plainwell and Binder Park at
Battle Creek.
Last year saw fabulous Boyne
Highlands rise on the site of Har-
bor Highlands, while Sugar Loaf
was revived after a couple years of
idleness. Timber Lee and Maple-:
hurst also started operations in
the Traverse area.
This year a new ski development
at Cannonsburg and another t-
bogganing center at Fry's Park
east of Kalamazoo are bidding for
favor although Hickory Hills has
reverted to a municipal status
only.
Boyne Mt. Yet
Unisur passed
Boyne Mountain Lodge, the "big-
daddy" of the Michigan ski boom
is still the place to go in Michigan
for the greatest ski thrills and ul-
timate in "posh." The area has
constantly led the entire midwest
in innovating new and different
facilities for the avid skier.,
Last year saw the introduction
of the first 4-man chair lift in the
country and the clearing of a new
area to provide a tremendously ex-
panded capacity for the area. A
tow ticket also entitles skiers to
the use of all facilities at th
brand new Boyne Highlands area
which is about a half an hour's
drive north.'The Highlands don'
provide the thrills of Boyne Mt
but the trails are longer and pro.
vide interest to the skier out for a
casual day of skiing in unparal,
leled surroundings.
Growth of the winter industr
has not been only in numbers.
Most of the centers which have
made a. go of it have continued to
expand with new lifts, snow mak
ers, more slopes, better facilitie
and accommodations and bette
services. And the number of skier
has increased from a few thou
sand to tens of thousands, and
there's no recession in sight.
take a couple of ski trips as a -)a.,4.-.. & ,.,. II-... u ,, u , Ia .. **... III. .., .4,..,
diversion. But once bitten by the
ski bug, Calhoun was a goner. j~
Walloon Hills, Calhoun says, is e
largely a transient area, but it has
an established following with many
coming year after year to join
olc friends from widely separate
communities. Even among, the 3
transients, however, the basic units f
are families.
The transient skier likes to w'
move around from one area -to
another. As a result the week-end Sam's Store Has LEVI'S afore
ski ticket is almost passe, Calhoun
relates. It's a one-day, one-shot
proposition for a mjriyof fp gu sa d al
skiers. But there is no dearth of
skiers on this account-they keep
coming.,
Neverthelessthe Walloon Hills E ' Cr5
#'' EVI'S Corduroy 98*
partners have their sights set on" * "*
a new housing lodge with possibly: P
100 beds next year or the next. L EV 'SS S "RE. ;TC. H° . . $5.98
t A new bar and enlarged eatingL
t accommodations this year are LEVIS Shmfits $4 .y
helping to meet the growing tide
of skiers. But to build a ski-week
following a lodge may be neces- 9 .* LEVI'S Super Slim Denims. . $4.49
sary.
s alloon Hills is one of the areas - * LEVI'S STA-PREST . . . . . $6.98
- in the Petoskey Big Six region,
L where they believe the best in__
e wiriter vacations still is to come.
Cotton Turtle Neck T Shirts
succESS ON 15 Most Wanted Colors$1.69
YOUR EXAMS!!
A WELL-GROOMED
APPEARANCE IS AN ASSET OPEN
Tonsorial Queries Invited- Monday and. friddy
THE DASCOLA BARBERS12 Wsi n NIGHTS
ch Th122 E. Washington'
near Michigan Theatre
-i a, . ms&
S
i
been a pioneer since 1937, though Ludington Ski Area, Goshorn Hills
not a lodging resort. Two tentative at Saugatuck and Pleasant Valley
ventures, Shussway at Lowell and
Mad Cap near Cadillac didn't at East Jordan opened. Indian
make the grade. Hills in Grand Rapids and Hu-
r
s
d
3A5 V
0
CHECKMATE FOR CHRISTMAS SWEATERS
1II
" " I : -?:---"t..1
WRAP YOUR
CHRISTMAS MALE r
IN A HANDSOME-
CHECKMATE
SWEATER
" -a
f '
from(
I-
-a
;,
r M:
r ,: ,
' ;; , '
,
.. -
Christmas
Clubs
have beeii
exacty
until iow!
""Arm eoiIed eraI is "taed Lu" atm "*nc
a new--and different kind ol'
Christmas Clubh at
an exclusive club plan that reduces
,; -
- Ct
0
40
*
PAY-IN EVERY
? wEt;Ks .
RF(:"IFESAl
END 09 V1AD.-
1.00 .
2.00 50.00x
4.00 4 l.G0
- .
6.0O 150.00
10.00, 250.00
20o.00 500.00
the narnber of club payments
from 50 to 25.
I -
I
Now you can sae ps-loU-o for holiday
giving with exactly half the cfhrt...
half the tips.
The Ann Arbor F1-ederal
1966 Christmas Clb is the first
major improvement in Christmas ClubS
since the plan was initiated.
-You'llfind it only lat Anti Arbor Fc'dej-.al.
4
1
AVMRTA DDAD IU "n VD A T- *1R3ADLN