Minnesota Ski Resort Unveils Beautiful New Trail Map
"Babe, wake up, a new map just dropped!" This one is from the carbon-neutral ski resort (which has been owned and operated by the same family since 1972): Wild Mountain in Minnesota.
Officials at Wild Mountain made the announcement humbly, saying, "Our new ski map. Just 300 vertical feet... but this map makes it feel twice that."
Our new ski map. Just 300 vertical feet... but this map makes it feel twice that. pic.twitter.com/IlodteRMVP
— Wild Mountain (@skiwildmtn) January 17, 2024
The map is beautiful. It almost looks like it was done using watercolors, or something.
As it turns out, it was (sort of)!
The post on Instagram had a little more detail about the makings of the map. The mountain announced "we are honored to unveil our new trail map. Our team worked with cartographer and illustrator Rad Smith @radsmithillustration on the project."
Rad is no stranger to drawing ski maps. Check out his map for Alta below.
Wild Mountain explained, "we asked Rad to make a one-of-a-kind map... And he delivered. We collaborated on a design that highlighted our proximity to the Twin Cities, and our day and nighttime operations."
"First, you'll see the painting was done at twilight with the moon rising on the horizon. Rad captured the rolling forest and farmlands to the west and south. You'll notice how he accentuated St. Paul and Minneapolis in the distance. Rad worked through the initial concept in digital formats. Once he achieved the best perspective, he moves to canvas and watercolor."
"Thank you Rad for this work! It's a masterpiece of ski art and we'll use it for decades to come."
The new map isn't the only change around the mountain.
In the "Whole New Animal" section of Wild Mountain's site, it is revealed that "Wild Mountain gets a new chairlift this winter season!
"The resort is installing a new Skytrac 4-person chairlift. The new chairlift will run parallel to Chair 2, and act as a replacement for the current Chair 3 which was the first chairlift built at Wild Mountain in 1972."
"The new chairlift will become the primary chairlift used for access from the base lodge, but Chair 2 will remain in use for summer operations and high visitation days during the winter."
"This investment marks the first new chairlift installed at Wild Mountain since Chair 1 was installed in 1983 – 39 years ago."
Congratulations, Wild Mountain, on your commitment to the environment, the upgrades, and, of course, the gorgeous new map!
Wild Mountain Stats/Info:
Vertical: 300 ft.
Skiable Terrain: 100 ac.
Average Snowfall: N/A
Lifts: 8
Trails: 26
Snowmaking: YES
Night Skiing: YES
Don't miss another headline from POWDER! Subscribe to our newsletter and stay connected with the latest happenings in the world of skiing.
We're always on the lookout for amusing, interesting and engaging ski-related videos to feature on our channels. Whether you're a professional or just an amateur, we want to see your best footage and help you share it with the world. Submit your video for a chance to be featured on POWDER and our social channels. Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel to watch high-quality ski videos.
