Ohio Ski Area Guide -- Very Complete

• Alpine Valley, Chesterland • 72 skiable acres on 230' vertical
  Specs: Summit elevation: 1500'; Base elevation: 1260'. 6 Lifts: 1 quad, 1 double, 4 surface. Uphill Capacity: 6500/hr. Terrain Mix: 33-34-33. Longest Run: 2000'. Season: usually December through March. Night Skiing 7 days. Rentals. Annual Snowfall: 120". Snowmaking: 100%.
  The SKInny: This ain't Utah, heck, it ain't even Pennsylvania. Nonetheless Alpine Valley does a good job moving people up the hill at a reasonable price. Nothing too difficult, but certainly some challenging trails as midwest skiing goes. Well run operation.
  Signature Trail: Exhibition.



• Boston Mills/Brandywine, Peninsula • 79 skiable acres on 240' vertical
  Specs: Summit elevation: 660'; Base elevation: 420'. 16 Lifts: 4 quads, 5 triples, 2 doubles, 5 rope tows. Uphill Capacity: 16,000/hr. Terrain Mix: 23-27-50. Longest Run: 3,520'. Season: usually December through late March. Night skiing 7 days; open til 1:00 am weekends. Rentals. Annual Snowfall: 60". Snowmaking: 100%.
  The SKInny: The name of the game here is "technical practice." As anywhere in Buckeye country, the runs are not long enough to cut loose and enjoy the overall skiing experience. So you find an uncrowded slope and practice some aspect of your game, and work it. Then you ride the lift back up and work it again. The gentle mogul slopes are a fine example; they're ideal for developing skiers to practice, practice, practice. Wanderers at heart can shuttle between the two hills (a couple miles apart) for a little more variety. BMBW takes a hit for impersonal service -- thing to remember is that this is essentially a suburban ski area covering two hills, and that it will not have the same atmosphere as a mountain resort.
  Signature Trail: Peter's Pride.



• Clear Fork, Butler • 60 skiable acres on 300' vertical
  Specs: Summit elevation: 2400'; Base elevation: 2100'. 6 Lifts: 1 quad, 1 triple, 1 double, 3 handle tows. Uphill Capacity: 4200/hr. Terrain Mix: 29-42-29. Longest Run: 1800'. Season: usually mid-December through mid-March. Night Skiing 7 days. Rentals. Annual Snowfall: 75". Snowmaking: 100%.
  The SKInny: Clear Fork may just be the best of the Buckeye operations. It's certainly the one that "feels" most like a New England ski area. That's a bit of a stretch, I admit, but the trail layout, wooded runs, etc. are a nice change from the usual wide open lump style that permeates the region. Service is excellent.
  Signature Trail: The Chute.



• Mad River Mountain, Bellefontaine • 125 skiable acres (!!?) on 300' vertical
  Specs: Summit elevation: 1460'; Base elevation: 1160'. 7 Lifts: 1 quad, 1 triple, 3 doubles, 2 surface. Uphill Capacity: 6,200/hr. Terrain Mix: 22-34-44. Longest Run: 3000'. Season: usually December through March. Night Skiing 7 days. 3:00 am closing on Fri & Sat. Rentals. Annual Snowfall: 36". Snowmaking: 100%.
  The SKInny: A Mad River of people on a small vertical with no challenging terrain. But hey, beggars can't be choosers. If you can hit it on an uncrowded time you can enjoy what are relatively long runs in this part of the country.
  Signature Trail: Either one.



• Snow Trails, Mansfield • 50 skiable acres on 300' vertical
  Specs: Summit elevation: 1475'; Base elevation: 1175'. 6 Lifts: 4 triples, 2 doubles. Uphill Capacity: 8,650/hr. Terrain Mix: 20-60-20. Longest Run: 2000'. Season: usually December through mid-March. Night Skiing 7 days. Rentals. Annual Snowfall: 60". Snowmaking: 100%.
  The SKInny: Read any one of the reviews above, and on any given day any one could apply to any of the ski areas listed here. What Snow Trails lacks in size it makes up for in spirit; this is probably the most "resortish" atmosphere in Ohio.



• Spicy Run Mountain has currently suspended skiing operations.

Key

Lifts We don't consider a ski area's tubing-only lifts as part of the total. Signature Trail Is mostly subjective. Whether it's history, reputation, the view, or degree of difficulty...it's the run you have to do, even if it isn't necessarily the best the resort has to offer.

Finally, a note about ski area statistics: Although it's hard to believe, some ski areas are (gasp!) less than truthful with their numbers. Like the guy who lies about his, uh, shoe size, some ski areas believe that inflated numbers make their resort sound more appealling. When these numbers are obviously questionable, we put a note: (?!) and will attempt to verify the legitimacy of the claim.

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