best. ski. day. ever.
“Favorite food break: Hot chocolate and a Snickers, 100%!
—KATIE CLARK
“I prefer to get on the hills early and take an early lunch. Then, while others are eating lunch, I ski.
—SCOTT ANDERSON
KATIE CLARK
DOWNHILL SKI COACH—GRAND TRAVERSE SKI CLUB
HICKORY HILLS, TRAVERSE CITY TRAVERSECITYMI.GOV/HICKORY_HILLS.ASP
TEACHING EXPERIENCE: 7 years
CAN’T-MISS RUN: My favorite run at Hick is from the top of Swede (a blue square/intermediate hill) down to the bottom of Waterfall (a black diamond/expert hill). It has a nice length, a fun pitch and you don’t have to worry about running into the lodge at the end of it—ha!
U-PICK: Skiing, definitely. Though that’s mostly because I’m a rubbish snowboarder!
FAVORITE FOOD BREAK: Hot chocolate and a Snickers, 100%! But if you’re there for the day, I would recommend packing a proper lunch.
ONE-OF-A-KIND FEATURE: The fact that Hickory is all rope tows! You get to ski the whole time and it helps keep you from getting too cold (as opposed to sitting on the chairlift for 5 minutes after every run).
Black Diamond runs can be intimidating and should definitely be approached with respect. That said, they’re not impossible to handle, even for newer skiers. If you can make controlled turns and can stop when you want, I say give it a try! Just remember to make lots of turns, take it slow, and stay in
