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Minneapolis, MN

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solidstate85
Posts: 198 - Karma: 16
I'm leaving Denver and moving to Minneapolis, MN. I know nothing about this place so fill me in, where should I ski? What mountains/hills have the best parks? Is there any urban stuff to ski in MN? Where should I live?

Sep 4 2011 3:47PM
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reverendwrong
Posts: 3145 - Karma: 142
Level 1 makes a trip to the cites every year to do urban...land of 10,000 handrails

Western suburbs has the most places to ski, Hyland Hills has the most skiers.
Sep 4 2011 3:49PM
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james6345789
Posts: 4763 - Karma: 467
^^Hyland has the best park for sure. There are tons of hand rails all over too. When it's not the winter, we have a lot of mountain biking you should check out
Sep 4 2011 3:55PM
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MaryO
Posts: 2583 - Karma: 5,996

Well the best (short but sweet) is Hyland in Bloomington. It's where the Nybora Freestyle team trains. It was even written up in the last issue of Freeskier last year. Check out this thread, and other MN threads in the regional section

https://www.newschoolers.com/ns/forums/readthread/thread_id/592822/

Sep 4 2011 3:57PM
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captain-steez
Posts: 372 - Karma: 39
Ya for sure hyland has the best park but thats all they have, its pretty small. i ride at afton alps, the have park and jumps and places to actually ride, hyland has no place to free rom.
Sep 4 2011 5:17PM
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[cmyk]
Posts: 261 - Karma: 177

Doesnt that move usually go the other way? Good luck tho man you're still moving to a great place from what i've heard!

Sep 4 2011 5:49PM
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Cult_Leader
Posts: 413 - Karma: 40

Hyland has the best park....Elm creek has a fun park but there both just terrain parks but rope tows allow you to get a bunch of hits....Afton is fun cause it had more than just park but it doesnt have the best park

100th post FTW!!!!!

Sep 4 2011 5:50PM
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Guard_Puma
Posts: 344 - Karma: 82
Go Hyland if you're looking for 100% park riding, otherwise go Afton Alps, it has a good enough park but also has a bunch of runs that are more than 200 feet long and have some fun natural terrain to mess around on.
Sep 4 2011 8:49PM
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Alex.B
Posts: 302 - Karma: 337
As it has been said before hyland has a fun park but the vibe is a little wack, along with it being the day care center of the twin cites it get VERY crowded. Afton Alps has a ton of rails and some sketchy jumps but its where i spend my time. also make sure to check out trollhaugen, wild mt, buck hill, and for road trips spirit mt in Duluth and granite peak in WI
Sep 4 2011 8:57PM
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cheener12
Posts: 2881 - Karma: 5,884
SAME!
Sep 4 2011 8:57PM
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Heart
Posts: 6156 - Karma: 3,462
You'll be in for a shock. We dont have any mountains, and our parks are pretty small. With that said, there are still good times to be had, and Hylands, Afton, and early season Wild Mountain are fun places to ride.

There is a ton of urban in the metro area, you'll find rails everywhere you go, and like someone else said, level 1 comes every year to ski so you know its good.

When it comes to living, I wouldn't choose a spot just based on skiing. Almost any metro location will put you within 40 minutes of skiing, and every suburb has its pros and cons.
Sep 4 2011 8:58PM
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ryano
Posts: 4465 - Karma: 1,535
hyland is pretty great. gets super crowded, and the conditions get icy and rutted out after 3 and on weekends.

wild and troll are a bit farther away. like an hour.. but are a lot more chill, not as crowded, cept on friday nights cuz all the jr highs come out..

wild has a decent all around park, usually a good jump or two, and rails and such are pretty alright.

troll is mainly rails and a lot of side lip, street style stuff. sometimes they pull off a decent jump.

welch and afton are decent as well.

spirit up in duluth is always good. but thats 3 hours aways from the cities, but its always a good road trip.

pinewski's and summit are good shops to get your gear at too.

NEVER ride buck. waste of money.
Sep 4 2011 9:03PM
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marsh.
Posts: 1173 - Karma: 1,403
if you want a bit of a trip, check out granite peak in wausasu, wi. otherwise afton is mostly where i go
Sep 4 2011 10:14PM
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.Midwest
Posts: 493 - Karma: 22
Pretty much this. Spirit has a sick jump line, Hyland has tons of rails, and Afton's decent all around, just be prepared to hike.

For your first year don't buy a pass anywhere and just try all the local hills.
Sep 4 2011 11:51PM
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erica
Posts: 3450 - Karma: 24,083
Piggy backing off of everyone else ^, IMO, Hyland is an overpopulated ice rink, fun on week nights or if you get there at opening on the weekends. It has tow ropes though so get glove protectors or you'll ruin your gloves... I live just west of minneapolis, closest to Hyland but I make the trip up to duluth most weekends because the park at spirit is really worth the drive
Sep 4 2011 11:56PM
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WILKSNAYDLER
Posts: 197 - Karma: 17
Granite Peak in Wausau, WI or if you really wanna drive (6 hrs ish) Tyrol Basin in Mt. Horeb, WI. Best park in the midwest
Sep 5 2011 12:36AM
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james6345789
Posts: 4763 - Karma: 467
Honestly, I'm so sick of Buck. I would go to Hyland, but I wouldn't know anyone.
Sep 5 2011 12:55AM
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ryano
Posts: 4465 - Karma: 1,535
agreed.

its so easy to meet people. specially in MN. cuz good chances are, the person you meet, knows someone you do.
Sep 5 2011 12:03PM
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I_liketobutter
Posts: 2664 - Karma: 997
if you go to hyland, go early morning right when they open. weekday mornings are dope, tons of transfers that just aren't possible when there's hundreds of kids all over
Sep 5 2011 12:12PM
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ORDEAL
Posts: 6386 - Karma: 75
Hyland has a good park but it can get crowded and its pretty small (very very very small if you are from west). Afton is a little bigger, but the park isnt quite as good but it is still decent. Also afton normally has 3 parks
Sep 5 2011 12:58PM
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james6345789
Posts: 4763 - Karma: 467
yeah, i guess. i'll probably go a few times this year though.
Sep 5 2011 5:46PM
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Nigeria
Posts: 329 - Karma: 2,080
Yeah Hyland is the best minnesota has in my opinion. Its tiny, basically flat, but makes good use of what it has. Urban is everywhere, it just depends what you invision. Stoked to have another rider coming to the cities.
Sep 5 2011 6:59PM
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solidstate85
Posts: 198 - Karma: 16
Thanks to everyone for the insight... gotta love the NS community. There's nothing like it.

The good news is that I will be traveling to Wasau, WI every month for work so I was already planning on checking that place out... maybe even pick up a pass

As for the others, I'll probably check out Hylands and Afton before I lay down the cash. When does the season usually start up there? If anyone wants to show me around when the season starts, let me know.
Sep 5 2011 7:41PM
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.squirrely.
Posts: 7563 - Karma: 7,546
ouch
Sep 5 2011 7:47PM
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ryano
Posts: 4465 - Karma: 1,535
sometimes they're sketchilly open by halloween. but usually first week of november. parks arent dece till half way through november. depending on how cold it is, which limits how much snow they can make..
Sep 5 2011 8:51PM
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A.lars
Posts: 47 - Karma: 126
Yea man I just moved from that area and into SLC, UT. I've skied at every place multiple times from being a racer and a park skier, and Spirit is by far the best good jump set every year! Hyland and Afton are good for rails but if you want to hit the jumps its going to be Wild Mountain or Spirit. Hope that helped man have a good one!
Sep 5 2011 9:13PM
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elliotness
Posts: 106 - Karma: 13
i am from the cities but live in utah now but the riding is what you make it anywhere you go.... but living if you are trying to live in the cities and you have the cash flow uptown is dope as fuck
Sep 5 2011 9:34PM
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Guard_Puma
Posts: 344 - Karma: 82
Uptown would be awesome if you are a hipster doofus who shits money.
Sep 5 2011 11:57PM
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solidstate85
Posts: 198 - Karma: 16
I spent a couple of seasons riding in SLC. Best years of my life... there is no doubt you are going to love it out there.
Sep 6 2011 1:37AM
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ryano
Posts: 4465 - Karma: 1,535
wild usually pulls off a decent jump.

not like spirits. but just as equal as hylands. excluding their nybora jump which isnt open to public..
Sep 6 2011 2:31AM
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Heart
Posts: 6156 - Karma: 3,462
this. last season they had a two jump line, first jump was 20ish feet bottom was 30, but the top jump's landing was a sheet of ice all season, and for the majority of the season its lip was near vertical, it felt like you were hitting a spine. Bottom jump was alright though, but imo every other park has vastly superior jumps.
Sep 6 2011 9:28AM
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k.perkins
Posts: 516 - Karma: 109
Minnesota sucks, move to Europe ;)
Sep 6 2011 3:05PM
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ryano
Posts: 4465 - Karma: 1,535
thats just not fair.
Sep 6 2011 5:10PM
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Nigeria
Posts: 329 - Karma: 2,080
Corn.
To the OP
On the real though, uptowns real dope.
Hyland is fun. at the start of the season last year they built a 55 footer open to the public but little kids complained that it was too scary to hit so they tore it down and made a 30. the 55 was a nice jump and im hoping they will make something like it this year.

Check out some of the videos of Hyland or Wild or Afton. It would probably give a better idea of what it is like insted of just word of mouth.
Sep 6 2011 7:37PM
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roddy116
Posts: 10627 - Karma: 7,423
highland has the sickest rails but its too crowded and the roper will rip through rope guards.

afton has a good park but its never changed up that much and the jumps are not super awesome and no rope.

I ski at buck hill it has a pipe a rope and two good jump lines cool box rails some of them are sticky and only three actual rails.

welch has like 3 rails.

for urban go to a park como park has this sick stair rail that i want to try. at kenwood there was this cool bench to trashcan bonk and theres usually a jump or two off the sledding hill there.


Sep 6 2011 7:54PM
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50in07
Posts: 3070 - Karma: 1,471
In my (biased) opinion Hyland is the best. There jumps may not be as good as spirts but they're decent and the rails are a lot better. The rope tow is amazing. Even though Hyland may not be very long, you will easily get the most hits in. Check out the videos in my profile to see what Hyland is like.
Sep 6 2011 8:24PM
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james6345789
Posts: 4763 - Karma: 467
yeah, i know it's a really stupid reason. but this year, i'll check it out a couple of times. who knows, maybe i'll get a pass there instead
Sep 6 2011 10:50PM
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skiminnesota
Posts: 9093 - Karma: 429
MN is what you make it. make it fun.

Last year Afton was skiing into the first 1(2?) weekends in April. That usually wont happen, but who knows lightning may strike twice? haha

another that should be on your list is Lutsen, make it a weekend trip. (both on lake superior) Lutsen and Spirit combined can be a fun distraction. (lutsens ticket prices make you want to gouge your eyes out but its worth checking out IMO)

even though ive moved on to greener pastures (or snowier mtns) there is definitly some strange twisted part of me that will miss skiing in MN this winter.

also no winter experience in MN could be complete without skiing at ski gull and Andes tower hills. ;)
Sep 7 2011 12:24AM
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skiminnesota
Posts: 9093 - Karma: 429
MN is what you make it. make it fun.

Last year Afton was skiing into the first 1(2?) weekends in April. That usually wont happen, but who knows lightning may strike twice? haha

another that should be on your list is Lutsen, make it a weekend trip. (both on lake superior) Lutsen and Spirit combined can be a fun distraction. (lutsens ticket prices make you want to gouge your eyes out but its worth checking out IMO)

even though ive moved on to greener pastures (or snowier mtns) there is definitly some strange twisted part of me that will miss skiing in MN this winter.

also no winter experience in MN could be complete without skiing at ski gull and Andes tower hills. ;)
Sep 7 2011 12:24AM
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k.perkins
Posts: 516 - Karma: 109
I miss you too.
Sep 7 2011 11:21AM
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AlexMartini
Posts: 2989 - Karma: 1,905
Go to the Stept U of M Premiere! more details soon at steptproductions.com
Sep 7 2011 5:24PM
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MaryO
Posts: 2583 - Karma: 5,996

Now that sounds intriguing!!!

Sep 7 2011 8:10PM
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whoisthatsquid
Posts: 135 - Karma: 371
nothing beats skiing at hyland
Sep 7 2011 10:11PM
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Travapple.
Posts: 6787 - Karma: 88
Make sure to take a trip to Granite. it'll be well worth it.
Sep 8 2011 1:37AM
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jorb.co
Posts: 2581 - Karma: 468




in case you werent already aware
Sep 8 2011 1:54AM
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MN_Nice
Posts: 3824 - Karma: 56
First Ave concerts! Great music played all the time there.

All your skiing questions have been answered here.
Sep 8 2011 1:58AM
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