“The best weekend ever!” That quote by our 10-year-old daughter sums up our trip to Cascade Mountain Ski Resort near Portage, Wisconsin.
One of the perks of a ski trip to Cascade Mountain is the fact that kids under 12 ski for free! That alone made us excited for our first ski trip in several years. We arrived early on a Saturday morning and were greeted by the friendly Cascade staff. The employees at the rental counter were extremely helpful as we got our paperwork and made plans for the day. We walked over to the ski and boot building and were pleased to find even more employees that were eager to help us find the correct size boots, poles, helmets, and skis for the entire family. A quick stop at the $0.50 lockers to store our shoes and we were on our way to the lifts.
Because we are a family of skiing novices, we started at the Bunny hill to get a feel for our skis. Cascade actually has an even smaller hill with a conveyor belt to transport children up the small hill for those who are skiing for the first time. We saw everyone from small children to adults trying this hill. We were quite impressed with the staff at the bottom and top of the ski lifts. They were helpful and a friendly word to say each time we saw them.
Throughout the day we saw instructors giving private and group lessons with kids of all ages and adults. The young adults teaching the classes appeared to be having a blast. They were patient with both the skiers and snowboarders. I would recommend a lesson for anyone trying skiing or snowboarding for the first time.
My family skied for a few hours, took break in the lodge, and headed back to the slopes for bigger hills. We never made it past the “green” or easiest hills, but we still had a great time, as Cascade offers quite a few easier runs for those recreational skiers. By evening time the crowds began to thin out, but this was perfect for us. Skiing into the night and being some of the few on the mountain late into the night made for memorable experiences and memories for us.
If you are planning a ski trip for the end of this season or next winter, I highly recommend Cascade Mountain Ski Resort. The friendly staff, proximity to Wisconsin Dells, and overall feel of the resort make it a must do for skiers of all ability levels.