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December 27, 2004 Record-Eagle/Lara NeelJohn Fall checks one of the three snow guns at Hickory Hills Ski Area. It has to be 29 degrees or colder, depending on humidity, to make snow with the guns.
City hopes to bring new life to Hickory HillsCommittee will explore year-round usesByRecord-Eagle staff writer TRAVERSE CITY - Skiers, for a half-century and more, have slipped and swooped down Hickory Hills, the city-owned ski area off Randolph Street. Now, a group is brainstorming to attract activity to the winter wonderland spot year-round. Hickory Hills starts its season today and will open this week from 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. today through Thursday and from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday. The hill will close Saturday for New Year's Day and open Sunday with its regular winter schedule. Be it through a ropes-course, day camps, out-door education, concerts or snowboarding - city commissioner Scott Hardy sees tremendous potential to turn Hickory Hills into a vital recreation destination. He's organized the Hickory Hills Recreational Committee, an independent group of businesses and community groups interested in expanding recreational offerings. "Over the last decade there have been numerous conversations about Hickory Hills and trying to optimize its usage," Hardy said. "It's always a struggle with our parks to make them more self-supporting, minimizing the expense." Last season, Hickory Hills lost $84,594, causing city commissioners to hike the cost of ski passes for this season. The committee will not use taxpayer dollars to fund its work and hopes to secure support from businesses to implement any ideas, Hardy said. "So many generations of people have used that facility that nobody wants to see it fail, we all want to see it be viable," said Jennifer Jaffe, a member of the group and of the Traverse City-Garfield Township Recreational Authority. Jaffe thinks developing the cross country ski trails could bring in more visitors. Mark Sinclair, a program director for Grand Traverse Bay YMCA, works with youth and teens and said Hickory Hills and the adjoining Oleson Field, to be purchased for public use by the recreational authority, has "great potential" for camps. "That is a perfect place," he said. Expanded snowshoeing, and snowboarding as well as tubing are among winter activities Sinclair thinks could be a big draw. "It would be a big benefit for the youth," he said. "One of the things that kids complain about, is there is nothing to do in Traverse City." The group has divided into two groups to examine ideas for summer and winter activities. Hardy expects the committee to complete several business plans and invite the public to evaluate its ideas. A preliminary report on various proposals should be complete by summer. Those interested in participating in the committee should contact Hardy at (231) 947-2750. For more information about Hickory Hills, times of operation and ticket prices, call the city hot-line at (231) 922-4909.
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