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MINNESOTA HELP

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414.
Posts: 3819 - Karma: 136
I'm going to be transferring to the U of M next semester, and will be moving to Minneapolis January 1st. I'm wondering if any local hills have a deal for students and if so which is the best? I'm coming from Milwaukee and haven't ridden outside of Wisconsin, your help is appreciated. I've heard some good things about Hyland, but that's about it.


Thanks in advance guys.
Dec 1 2012 12:22AM
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roddy116
Posts: 10622 - Karma: 7,396
afton does for sure, buck hill probably, hyland maybe, just check the websites.
Dec 1 2012 10:51AM
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414.
Posts: 3819 - Karma: 136
i looked and really found no good info, all i could find was their season pass full prices.
Dec 1 2012 11:25AM
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roddy116
Posts: 10622 - Karma: 7,396
try calling them up, their should be something you could get.
Dec 1 2012 11:33AM
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I_liketobutter
Posts: 2664 - Karma: 997
I think troll and welch both have student passes for $99. Troll is your best bet but its a little over an hour from the UofM campus and traffic depending on the time of day can be a bitch. I'd get a pass to hyland if you can pay their ridiculous price or one to elm creek. Buck Hill sucks.

Hylands got a new $15 ticket for open-noon on tuesdays and thursdays, that's what I'm going to try to do. After 3:00 is a clusterfuck, so try to schedule your classes so you have a couple late mornings - early afternoons off a week.
Dec 1 2012 2:24PM
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FuckAllOfYou
Posts: 3864 - Karma: 2,518
welch has one, don't go to that shitshow though
Dec 1 2012 10:45PM
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414.
Posts: 3819 - Karma: 136
thanks for the help guys, guess i'll just have to pay for a ticket each time to Hyland.
Dec 1 2012 11:45PM
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roddy116
Posts: 10622 - Karma: 7,396
well there is always a 10 day pass thing you can get there
Dec 1 2012 11:46PM
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Heart
Posts: 6156 - Karma: 3,462
here's a full list of the areas in the metro area with my opinion on them

Trollhaugen - I've heard good things
Wild Mountain - Ehhhh... fun preseason.
Hyland Hills - Fun but super crowded and rutted out
Elm Creek - Haven't been there, smaller place but fun
Afton Alps - A lot of fun. Decent variety. Bigger for a metro area hill
Buck Hill - Blows
Welch Village - Blows
Dec 2 2012 11:23PM
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414.
Posts: 3819 - Karma: 136
thanks man!

Dec 2 2012 11:27PM
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james6345789
Posts: 4763 - Karma: 465
I would like to second Buck Hill blowing... save your money. Afton's where it's at.
Dec 3 2012 12:03AM
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.Hugo.
Posts: 17360 - Karma: 28,469
Afton and Troll are my favorites. You really can't beat trolls $99 pass, and it's really not that far of a drive. It's just under an hour for my friend who lives in minneapolis and goes to the U. Well worth it with all the money you'd be saving on tickets imo.
Dec 3 2012 5:01PM
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414.
Posts: 3819 - Karma: 136
thanks for the info! i'll definitely have to check both out. i plan on riding at least once a week, so a $99 pass would be great.
Dec 3 2012 5:07PM
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FuckAllOfYou
Posts: 3864 - Karma: 2,518
Troll - a Jolly affair
Wild - intense park in the reg seas
hyland - what he said
elm - looks like a ton of fun, just a lot of features and jumps in a small area, I assume insane ruts
Afton - A+
Buck - FCO (for chodes only)
Welch - I work there but It's not not not a good place for park, no way.
Dec 3 2012 5:38PM
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roddy116
Posts: 10622 - Karma: 7,396
buck hill has gotten better, their park was fun two days ago even with the shitty snow... it should be good this year, and to whoever complains about it sucking, you can take a shovel and make shit yourself there.
Dec 3 2012 7:52PM
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gipsywoman
Posts: 115 - Karma: 17
my buddy is selling his elm creek pass, i'm sure he'd give you a deal on it. elm is super fun to mess around at. not too far from the U and less crowded than hyland. the hill is like two feet tall but they always have it loaded with rails!

Dec 3 2012 9:02PM
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I_liketobutter
Posts: 2664 - Karma: 997
buck hill has the worst fucking snow making unless you race. they always have. they use way too much water. the place is a sheet of ice regardless of temperature. 25 degrees? ice. 35 degrees? ice.
Dec 3 2012 9:47PM
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roddy116
Posts: 10622 - Karma: 7,396
thats just not true...
Dec 3 2012 9:51PM
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I_liketobutter
Posts: 2664 - Karma: 997
but it is, i've been skiing there since i was 13, im 25
Dec 3 2012 10:12PM
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roddy116
Posts: 10622 - Karma: 7,396
yah i have been skiing there for 6 years now, it is not like that at all. it pretty much like any other man made snow around...
Dec 3 2012 10:20PM
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james6345789
Posts: 4763 - Karma: 465
That's the thing... they can't even fucking take a shovel and make a lip onto things. They are terrible at park designing and downright lazy.

As a Buck Hill local, I can vouch for the snow sucking all of the time. The landings are so icy that your feet hurt from landing on the concrete like snow. The whole hill is a no fall zone unless you want to slide on your back for 50 feet.
Dec 3 2012 10:44PM
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roddy116
Posts: 10622 - Karma: 7,396
yah well whatever i enjoy working on the park every day, but im just wierd like that, if you dont like it leave. there are 8 other hills you can go to.
Dec 3 2012 10:54PM
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Heart
Posts: 6156 - Karma: 3,462
THIS. i went there when it was super warm last year (40ish degrees) and the place was somehow still an absolute disaster. imagine a skating rink with some melted water on top.

Went to afton the next day and it was super fun spring slush.

anyway the park crew at buck seems to have the occasional interesting idea which is rendered completely useless by the terrible conditions.
Dec 4 2012 12:03AM
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I_liketobutter
Posts: 2664 - Karma: 997
i can agree with this, they had a few cool things setup when i went a couple times last year. at least they can setup a legit down rail....HYLAND
Dec 4 2012 1:34AM
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erica
Posts: 3449 - Karma: 24,068
I went to go hit the black handrail at hyland with normal speed and almost gapped the entire thing. Otherwise it's not completely horrible
Dec 7 2012 4:16PM
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Where-am-I
Posts: 1635 - Karma: 281
well this is all discouraging, I'm riding there this winter for the first full season (got a pass) as it is the closest to my school and i wanted to cut gas costs. I've been there 3 days this season and its been really fun, liked the features and no complaints about the snow, does it really get that icy? what about there jumps are the no-fall zones as well?
Dec 9 2012 4:17PM
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james6345789
Posts: 4763 - Karma: 465
Perhaps I was a little too critical of them. It is fairly icy, but now that we have natural snow it should be a lot better. Unfortunately the jumps get pretty rutted out usually and those landings get icy. Buck Hill is my home hill, an although it sucks sometimes, they have some good setups most of the time and there's always opportunities to have fun there. It just gets frustrating when the park crew doesn't maintain features, bu it seems that they're fixing things more now. By no means did you waste your money IMO.
Dec 9 2012 4:45PM
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james6345789
Posts: 4763 - Karma: 465
When I wrote what I posted earlier, I think I was just super annoyed. I have to say, I did exaggerate a bit.
Dec 9 2012 4:50PM
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roddy116
Posts: 10622 - Karma: 7,396
i was at buck all day just hiking behind the water tower, had too much fun.
Dec 9 2012 9:07PM
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scratchproteen
Posts: 5173 - Karma: 286
welch blows if you are under 21.

mad jaxx is the where its at.
Dec 13 2012 8:15PM
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Cult_Leader
Posts: 413 - Karma: 40
elm

Dec 16 2012 12:06AM
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shitty
Posts: 242 - Karma: 46
Did anyone make the trek out to elm today? Any thoughts on sunday's conditions?
Dec 16 2012 12:50AM
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UFOsarereal
Posts: 2282 - Karma: 1,109
Trollhaugen is the most fun spot around, in terms of vibe/attention paid to their park.

Welch has a good college deal and, IMO fun "terrain" compared to the other hills around here. Once it's all snowed in, if you've got a wandering eye, you can find some fun 'natural' (sometimes that means a snow pile that they left untouched) features to get funky on.

Welch's downfall is their asinine refusal to embrace park skiing. I have more fun trying to slide fallen tree branches than I do their boxes/rails.
Dec 16 2012 11:09AM
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YUNG_milksteAk
Posts: 1437 - Karma: 4,327
You can go to hyland and ski all day without a lift ticket or any hassle. Everyone does it.
Dec 19 2012 1:55PM
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Swaggermager
Posts: 2576 - Karma: 951
This. Elm I the place if you want to get good at rails and have a ton of fun with original features that are maintained well. Also $15 lift tickets if $5 tickets with a Hyland pass!
Dec 21 2012 12:07PM
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james6345789
Posts: 4763 - Karma: 465
I went to Troll yesterday, and they have a really sick park. All of the rails are really buttery, and features are just set up well.

Kinda BS that it's $30 bucks though.
Dec 22 2012 12:28PM
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Guard_Puma
Posts: 344 - Karma: 82
Trollhaugen, Wild, Welch, and Afton (with some limitations) all have pretty reasonable college season passes, $99-130 ish, though you might be running out of time to get some of them. Buck and Hyland are expensive as hell. Hyland is only worth it if you can ski midday/midweek, otherwise it's totally overrun by school age kids. Welch has no park to speak of. Troll and Wild are you two best bets really, only about an hour from the cities, and cheap with pretty solid parks. I went Wild this year, but I wish I woulda done Troll.
Dec 23 2012 3:55PM
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grahmcracker
Posts: 138 - Karma: 12
aftons college pass is $199 but its only good after 4:30
Dec 23 2012 10:21PM
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roddy116
Posts: 10622 - Karma: 7,396
to be honest if your going to go to troll, take the extra 20 minutes to get to spirit mountain.
Dec 23 2012 10:22PM
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grahmcracker
Posts: 138 - Karma: 12
ummm thats a 2 hour difference...
Dec 23 2012 10:23PM
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roddy116
Posts: 10622 - Karma: 7,396
not from minneapolis
Dec 23 2012 10:24PM
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grahmcracker
Posts: 138 - Karma: 12
i live in minneapolis... troll is an hour and duluth is 3
Dec 23 2012 10:29PM
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I_liketobutter
Posts: 2664 - Karma: 997
try 100 miles extra from the exit of troll. srsly, do u ever think before u post?
Dec 23 2012 10:29PM
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roddy116
Posts: 10622 - Karma: 7,396
i can make it in less than 2
Dec 23 2012 10:31PM
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james6345789
Posts: 4763 - Karma: 465
It's 2 and a half hours to spirit and an hour and a half to troll from where I live...
Dec 23 2012 11:05PM
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roddy116
Posts: 10622 - Karma: 7,396
-2 hours to spirit, 1:30 ish to troll.
Dec 23 2012 11:11PM
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.Hugo.
Posts: 17360 - Karma: 28,469
If it takes you 1.5 hours to get to troll from mpls you drive like a fucking scared little asian woman and there's no way you would make spirit in less than 2 driving like that.
Dec 23 2012 11:25PM
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roddy116
Posts: 10622 - Karma: 7,396
what way do you take to get there? i go on the minnesota side, and i take it at like 78 all the way.
Dec 23 2012 11:26PM
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.Hugo.
Posts: 17360 - Karma: 28,469
My friend who lives in Mpls (goes to the U) gets there in just under an hour taking 36 almost to stillwater, north on manning, east on 97? then north on 95 and cross the river at osceola.
Dec 23 2012 11:47PM
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All times are Eastern (-4)