Thunderhill Ski Area

Thunderhill Ski Area
The JB Construction Lift on the lower-mountain east portion of the hill.
Location	RM of Swan River,  Manitoba,  Canada
Nearest city	Swan River
Vertical	137 m (449 ft) [1]
Top elevation	573 m (1,880 ft)
Base elevation	436 m (1,430 ft)
Skiable area	60 acres (0.2 km2)
Runs	22 45% - Easiest 32% - More Difficult 23% - Most Difficult
Longest run	1.2 km (1 mi)
Lift system	2 T-Bar Lifts
Terrain parks	1 Terrain Park
Snowfall	1.4m (4.6ft)/year [2]
Website	Ski Thunderhill

Thunderhill Ski Area is a ski area located in the Swan River Valley region of Manitoba. It is approximately 25 kilometers southwest of the town of Swan River. The summit lies exactly on the Manitoba-Saskatchewan boundary. It's 450 ft vertical drop is currently the largest in Manitoba.^[3]

Thunderhill, on which the ski area is located, is a feature of the Manitoba Escarpment. The ski area has two sections - upper mountain west and lower mountain east. Each section is served by a T-Bar lift. The ski area's longest runs are about one kilometre, and are also some of the longest in the province. Typically, the area operates each winter from mid-December to mid-March.

History

The ski area first opened in 1967 and was run by the Benito Elks club until 1972.^[4] The original lift used was a rope tow which also happened to be the longest lift of its kind in the province of Manitoba. In 1977, the Markowsky Lift replaced the original rope tow, greatly increasing the accessibility of the hill. In 1990, the ski area was expanded further down the hill,^[5] creating two distinct areas. Upper-mountain west is the original ski area, and lower-mountain east is the newer area. Lower-mountain east was served by a rope-tow at that time. The areas are distinct in that some runs in each area are not accessible from the other area. However, some runs are continuous from upper-mountain-west to lower-mountain east. In 2012, an expanded portion of lower-mountain east was opened to the public, which included the new JB Construction lift to replace the rope tow and service the longer runs.

The ski lodge was originally an old country schoolhouse, and has been renovated and expand many times throughout the years. The most recent renovations were completed in 2002, which included new washrooms and a new ski rental room, as well as improvements to the building's exterior.

Trails

Lifts

The Markowsky Lift was originally from the Roblin Ski Area. It serves the upper-mountain west area, and was slated to be replaced by a new T-Bar lift in 2013. This replacement project is currently on hold until the summer of 2014, due to wet conditions that prohibited the construction of foundations for the new lift; the Markowski Lift continues to operate for the 2013-14 skiing season. The new T-Bar lift was purchased from Vista Ridge All Seasons Park in Fort McMurray, Alberta. The JB Construction Lift was purchased from Snow Valley Ski Club in Edmonton, Alberta.^[6] It serves the lower-mountain east area.

The base of upper-mountain west. The Markowsky lift can be seen to the right.

Other Activities

Winter

Thunderhill Ski Area is connected to the Swan Valley's regional snowmobile trail system, and the ski lodge is frequently used by snowmobilers as a warm-up and rest stop. The area also has a number of ungroomed cross-country ski trails. In addition, the ski club provides tours and sleigh rides at certain times.

Summer

The hill has numerous mountain biking trails, and is used by Tread The Thunder Bike Club. It was the site of the cycling competitions in the 2012 Manitoba Summer Games. The hill also attracts hikers, geocachers, and photographers, who take advantage of the natural setting and views of the Swan Valley.

See also

List of ski areas and resorts in Canada

References

Coordinates: 52°00′57″N 101°36′30″W / 52.0157°N 101.6084°W / 52.0157; -101.6084