Finding Minnesota: Downhill In Detroit Lakes
DETROIT LAKES, Minn. (WCCO) – Ten years after they shut down, the slopes of Detroit Mountain are alive again.
It's the result of millions of dollars in donations from a community that missed having skiing, snowboarding and tubing close by.
"We don't have a lot of vertical here in the Midwest," said general manager Jeff Staley, "with the exception of maybe the North Shore."
For 50 years, Detroit Mountain with its modest 200-foot vertical drops helped generations learn the basics of skiing, but then the owners closed it in 2004.
"A lot of people were bummed out when that happened," Kevin Flynn, of Frazee, said.
Engineers estimated it would take $6 million to get it going again. The community has since donated $7.5 million.
"Everything is brand new," Staley said. "We've got all new rental equipment. We've got a brand new 10,000-square-foot lodge designed after western architecture. So when you come into Detroit Mountain, you really get a western feel like you're out in Montana or Colorado."
Work crews even moved some extra dirt to the top, to give the slopes an extra 23 feet.
Detroit Mountain draws heavily from the Fargo-Moorhead area, which is about 50 miles away.
Beau Goolsbey, 23, of Milnor, North Dakota, said he used to take weekend snowboarding trips to Duluth or the Twin Cities.
"It's pretty awesome that you've got something local that you can do, he said, "and they've got all new rails and boxes and stuff so that's cool, too."
In the first seven weeks since it re-opened, Staley said Detroit Mountain has drawn more than 20,000 ski visits.
Mary Suomala Folkerds of Moorhead helped her 3-year-old son, Paul, put on his first set of skis.
"We are just so excited that it's open again," she said. "I skied at Detroit Mountain when I was in junior high and high school, and now I'm happy to have it back again."
It was an uphill battle that took determination and encouragement. But with continued support, they hope it's all downhill from here.
"A lot of people know Detroit Lakes for WeFest and the stuff that goes on in the summer," Flynn said, "and now we're hoping to get known for something that goes on here in the winter, besides great snowmobiling and ice fishing."
A nonprofit now runs Detroit Mountain, but it's owned by the city of Detroit Lakes.
Once the snow melts, there are plans to make it a four-season destination, with mountain bike courses and hiking trails.
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