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luke
from bloomington MN
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Nov 24, 2006 |
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Overall Rating: 3.0   |
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Buck hill is the only place I have skied the 2 years I have been skiing, and I think it is a great place. Sure its only 300 ft high and the snow is usauly bad but its always fun. it also has history, there has been a ski area on that hill since '54, and its were cristina cozneck learned to ski. One problem I have is the layout of the lifts. there is one main quad in the center but its not in the lowest point. and the lift in the lowest point does not go up to the top, so if you are skiing that lift and want to get back to the quad you half to bom and go as fast as you can to go up the hill to the quad. they do have another double that fixis this problem but they never run it. But they are going to fix that this year, they are doing major renovation. they took out the 2 (realy old) doubles and replaced them with a new faster quad, they also lengthened 2 runs and added another one. This new renovation will fix the problem I was taling about.
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Steve Hatch
from Duluth
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Mar 5, 2006 |
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| Overall Rating: 3.8 |
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Buck Hill is a small ski area located south of the Twin Cities right off of I35, because of the size of the ski area and location, Buck Hill ussually has quite a few people. Buck does get very busy on nights and weekends but this is simply an effect of its location.
Being surrounded by thriving communities such as Burnsville, Lakeville, and Apple Valley, a large percentage of Buck Hill's patrons are children in the age groups between 8 and 17. Many whom enjoy the skiing and snowboarding after school. Growing up in Savage I spent several hundered awesome days and nights with my friends at Buck Hill doing what we did best, HAVE FUN. That's what it's all about right? Having fun with your friends. Nelson refers to Skiers' Code of Responsibility, I remember in seventh grade a barley cared what was in my textsbooks let alone what the Buck Hill pamphlet had to say about skiing responsibly, I just looked at the pictures.
Most individuals who live in the West and ski only can do so on the weekends, simply because of the locations of the mountains. The lucky patrons of the conveniantly placed Buck Hill have the opportunity to ride every night of the week! Buck Hill does an fantastic job of mantaining thier thirteen runs. If you arrive early enough in the morning you can see the "Cats" putting the final touchs on each run.
Words associated with western snow may be light, fluffy, and amazing. Our midwestern snow is none of those things. It dosn't matter where you ride in Minnesota, all the snow is artificial. The snow at Troll is the same snow at Spirit, which is the same snow as Hyland, which is the smae snow as Afton, ect. Nelson's artical suggests that Buck Hill Skiers are afraid of fresh snow. That if it snows the last place a patron would want to be is at Buck Hill. Could it be that instead the last place a Minnesotan wants to be on a snowy day is IN THIER CAR. If we can ride the bullet-proof ice, you better believe we can ride fresh snow.
Buck Hill's ski school is top notch. Thier childrens program in particular is amazing. A wide variety of programs are provided includeing racing and freestyle programs. At no ski area I have ever worked for has thier been a lesson branded "The Adult Novice Lesson". An adult novice should seek a private lesson, where they receive 100% of the attention from an experienced instructor.
Eating ski resort food is both expensive and unhealthy. It really dosn't matter where you are. You'll get the same eight dollar hamburger and french fry basket that you'll receive anywhere else. If you are a person who is health concious you should definitly plan on bringing a meal no matter where you are sking.
Nelson's artical insults Buck Hill straight out. Anyone who rides at Buck is so lucky to have a place to ski without a three hour road trip. I know I'll be at Buck Hill Friday night trying my hardest to find a parking spot. No matter how cold, how icy, or how many people there are, riding is fun.
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C.A. Nelson
from Bloomington, MN
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Sep 20, 2005 |
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| Overall Rating: 2.6 |
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Buck Hill used to be the place to ski in the southern Twin Cities metro. Of late, it seems to be the place to snowboard and ski race.
Like all ski areas proximate to the Twin Cities, Buck Hill is home to an increasing number of unsupervised kids on boards hopped up on adrenaline, particularly on Friday nights. In fact, they rule the roost on most nights. Most don't make much use of the terrain park. They prefer to congregate on Teacher's Pet - the learner's hill. Many lack awareness of the Skiers' Code of Responsibility - even those on skis. We've seen kids sitting down on runs below drops or standing around talking in the middle of runs, oblivious to the fact that they can't be seen by skiers and boarders coming down the hill.
We can't entirely blame the kids. On occasion, we've spotted ski instructors conducting class while doing the same.
The runs at Buck are short and mostly straight. That's not their fault. They have to deal with what nature dealt them. Nature didn't deal much around the Twin Cities. With the large number of unsupervised kids, it's probably a good thing that most runs are straight.
Buck Hill is the place for ski racing. Instructors are well-versed in teaching basics and racing techniques. It's also great place to learn how to ski when the place isn't busy. My one criticism of Buck Hill's instruction program is that it is more tailored to racers of all ages and young learners than to adult novices wishing to learn how to ski or board.
Increasingly the emphasis on speed and competition combined with the lack of supervision has made Buck Hill an unwise choice for recreational skiing during busy times. It's best enjoyed from Mondays through Thursdays and Sunday nights. Weekdays are especially good before 3 p.m.
Grooming at Buck Hill depends on one's definition. It is always hard and fast, which is how racers like it. It's almost like skiing on pavement. An irony is that during snowfalls, Buck Hill is unbelieveably empty. The regulars mostly don't have a clue how to ski on fresh powder.
Also, the food at Buck Hill's base lodge cafeteria is disappointing. Everything is fried and kept under heat lamps. Healthier choices are hidden away in The Bucket, the bar in the new lodge on the north side of the facility. If skiing at night, get there before the call for last run. The kitchen closes at the same time as the slopes.
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Steve Wiggen
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Sep 14, 2005 |
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| Overall Rating: 3.0 |
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Buck isn't he biggest, raddest or sickest place around, but no matter how bad it is sometimes I always have fun. Buck is cool because of its size. It's so small you are forced to get creative and learn every little new variation. With the rope you can hit a feature like thirty times in an hour if you want. When the half pipe gets soft it's ridiculous fun. And there are always the jibs to goof on. I consider myself lucky to be able to grow up riding Buck. Buck Hill kids are there everyday no matter how cold, icy, or crappy it is. They're tough as nails
