My family of four just returned from a short spring ski vacation at Granite Peak. I’ll break my review down into skiing, hotel and dining sections for easier reading.

SKIING: We were very happy with the staff, the equipment and the ski runs at Granite Peak. This was the first time my son and daughter had ever gone skiing or snowboarding, and so we enrolled them in snowboard classes. The class size was small and the instructor was good and patient with the students. The learner’s hill is very long and wide and well outfitted with belts and tow ropes that take first-timers slowly up the mountain. There is also a chair lift that runs alongside it that learners can take when they are ready. Skiers can exit and enter the chair lift mid-way up the hill to continue on up to the blue/black runs that are higher up. This is convenient for groups/families having persons with different experience levels because they all can ski the runs of their liking and still stay centered around the same chair lift and stay in touch with the rest of the group.

Granite Peak is a very good midwestern ski resort. It is listed as having the most vertical height (700’) in the midwest and has the same equipment, lifts, and amenities as you might find in the Rockies with the added benefit of a real town at the base with hotels, restaurants, etc. You can make the trip very economical by booking a complete hotel/ticket/rental package via the Granite Peak website. However, you must not try to compare Granite Peak to a western mountain ski resort, so just go with the knowledge that you did not have to take a flight and rent a car to get there if you are coming from the midwest. When you go, you will have a lot of fun and find enough challenges to keep the skiing/boarding interesting for 3-4 days (unless you are an expert skier or enjoy moguls as there are only two runs that have them). The runs are generally short with most of the vertical happening at the top of the hill. Around the mid-point all the runs transition to shallow blue hills, and at the bottom to shallow green hills. There are a few double-black chutes at the top where you can get some air but again these are very short. Some of the 74 listed ‘runs’ should not really be categorized as such, because they are short and relatively flat and all they do is get you from the top of the to the chairlift to the start of another run, or traverse across from one run to another. You are only on them for a few seconds while you are adjusting your gear or checking the trail maps, and are not skiing them in a true downhill fashion. When the temps are cold enough, all the runs can be skied without a problem but when the temps warm up above freezing (as they do in spring) the blues/greens can become very slow because they are not very steep. You may have to ski straight (i.e. without turning or carving) or get into a tuck position to get all the way back down to the base. You may have to do some pushing if you are on a green run. Most of the people gravitate to the high-speed (a.k.a. Comet) lift for the simple reason that it gets you up faster and you can ski more runs per day. That said, those runs tend to be the most crowded and worn at the end of the day. The far east and west sides of the park are served by twin and triple lifts that are slower but if you’re not in a hurry you may find you have most runs all to yourself. I heard from a ‘regular’ local skier that the owner has plans to develop the west side of the mountain with the addition of another 6-person high speed lift and a hotel property. Work on the new lift will start either at the end of this season or next, which will drastically improve the overall ski conditions and concentration of people on the mountain.

The food at Granite Peak is nothing more special than your typical grilled or deep fried fare, and is slightly overpriced. You may be better served to drive the short distance into town for more options. I have heard that some families bring coolers and leave them at the base of the hill or tailgate out in the parking lot, which makes a lot of sense.

HOTEL: We stayed at Rib Mountain Inn, which is located in a residential neighborhood at the base of Granite Peak. You can literally walk from Rib Mountain to Granite Peak, although it would be a very long walk and we never tried it ourselves. We saw others who did and lived to talk about it. Rib Mountain Inn was perfect for our family of four. The quiet wooded neighborhood is better than the “outpost next to the highway” offered by the chain hotels in town. We stayed in the #6 Fireplace Suite which had two queen beds and a pull-out sleeper sofa so our kids each had their own bed. The suite was large and included a kitchen and dining area which could be used if you were inclined to prepare your own meals. If not, the refrigerator and microwave came in handy for re-heating those leftovers that pile up from dinners in town. One night my kids chose to stay in the suite, eat leftovers, and watch movies while my wife and I had dinner for two in town. The room has a DVD player and a great selection of current/classic movies can be had without charge via the main desk. If you plan on using the sofa sleeper or need a hair dryer just ask for sheets etc. at the desk as they do not automatically assume you will be using the sleeper as a bed.

The breakfasts in the morning were outstanding. Ken and Linda (who manage the inn) run the show, with all the cooking (I’m told) done by Ken. There was always plenty of food and the selection varied daily. There were always the staples – i.e. hot/cold cereals, bagels, muffins, jams, and a hot egg/ham/cheese scramble and hot buckwheat pancakes. During our stay, the ‘special’ entrée varied between a hot peach cobbler, a salmon lox platter or biscuits/sausage gravy. All in all it was great comfort food and provided plenty of fuel for an entire day’s skiing. We would stop in the ski chalet area for sodas at lunch but never felt hungry enough to eat until dinnertime. Even though Rib Mountain’s operations are slightly bigger than the average bed-and-breakfast you still get the feeling you are being served breakfast in someone’s home. Chuck, the owner, will occasionally show up during breakfast for a cup of expresso and a friendly chat with the guests.

Rib Mountain has a large heated outdoor Jacuzzi that is very user friendly. It will accommodate groups of up to 15, although it would be very cozy if this were the case. During our stay there were never more than 8 persons using it at any given time. If you are the first person using it you may have to roll back the insulating cover but the cover is very light and on rollers and so it is very easily done. After that, just turn on the jets and jump in. We did this every day and I’m sure it cured more than a few sore muscles.

I would highly recommend Rib Mountain – we found our suite to be spacious, clean and comfortable with many finishes, appliances and cabinetry appearing brand new. The fireplace adds a nice touch and wood is provided via the outdoor balcony. Although we didn’t use it, the fact that it does burn wood means that you smell it from time to time. Making sure the damper is closed (if you are not using it) will keep back-drafts from blowing down the chimney into your room and reduce the smell. After a while you won’t smell it unless you are standing right next to it. The one drawback to the facilities would be the corridor leading to the rooms – a little dark and stale – but the corridor is very short and the atmosphere did not ‘carry-over’ into our room so once you leave it you forget it. We left the “do not disturb” sign on our door handle the entire time and so we think that room service left our room “undisturbed” as a result. Even so, we didn’t lack for towels, shampoos or supplies and anything we needed we just asked for at the front desk.

FOOD/RESTAURANTS:

We ate at Wausau Mine Company on the first night. The atmosphere is a unique, if a little weird, as it re-creates the interior of a mine shaft. The pizza we ordered was good – thick with cheese and ingredients. The ravioli was home-made (and good) but the sauce was just okay. Service was good. The restaurant appeared small and filled up fast with a waiting list that started soon after we were seated. There was a large group of locals at the next table. Probably a good sign that locals eat here but they were very loud which made the small restaurant feel even smaller. Prices were very reasonable – about $50 for four, including tip.

We ate at 2510 on the second night. Service was good, food was good, portions were huge. Atmosphere was comfortable and varied. About $80 for four including tip.

We ate at Peking House on the third night. Service was good (attentive but a little inexperienced and unfamiliar with the menu/bar options). The food was very good and the portions were huge. Atmosphere was interesting – the restaurant is in what looks to be the lobby of an old office or hotel. It is a bit hard to find, and the neighboring shops – including a great vintage store – make the overall ambiance a bit quirky. About $50 for two including tip.

We had a great getaway in Wausau at Granite Peak and Rib Mountain Inn and will definitely return soon.