IRONWOOD TOWNSHIP -- Rising from the ashes of their burned down main lodge, Big Powderhorn Ski Resort has proven to be a phoenix as business continues to take off.
"For the most part, our season is on track," said General Manager Bruce Noreen. "It took a while for people to realize that part of our mountain is still 100 percent open and so initially we were impacted, but I would say the rest of the season is going to be pretty much as planned."
The hill reopened just one day after the blaze, a blessing for many skiers who make a Powderhorn pilgrimage each year.
"Anything at Powderhorn that burns down is real sad because Powderhorn's a great place to hang out and ski," said skier Peyton Blau.
And while some regular patrons felt deeply for the loss of their lodge, many seem unaffected by the now snow covered, ashy pit at the foot of the ski hill.
"I don't really miss the lodge at all, I never really used it that much," said Matt Burke of Hartford, WI.
"I don't really miss the lodge at all because we have the Caribou to go in there and rest and warm up if we want to," said Powderhorn regular Connie Blau.
While the smaller Caribou Lodge has temporarily inherited all of Powderhorn's business, a new main lodge is slated to be built right next door by the start of next ski season. The new structure will be built in a new spot and a new style.
"We think the emotional attachment to the old lodge was such that we could never recreate it," Noreen said. "So we'll start out with a clean slate."
The foundation of the old lodge supported about 35,000 square feet of building; the new lodge will be smaller--only 20,000 square feet--however, Noreen says it will be more efficient. The new lodge will be equipped with wider doors and stairwells and will back up right to the hill for easier ski access.
Big Powderhorn hopes to break ground on the new lodge in April.
TV Station Profiles & Public Inspection Files forWLUC