Still another reason is management. Earlier in the winter I had visited a resort in another state where the skiing was superb, but everything at the bottom of the hill was chaos, about as much fun as being stuck at O'Hare Field during a snowstorm. And while the resort filled during the weekend, few skied there during the week. In contrast, during a recent midweek visit to Shanty, we actually encountered lift lines. Okay, maybe 30 seconds at most, but I don't mind waiting that long to catch my breath at the end of a run, and I find it more fun being around other skiers.
People enjoy working here.
That's not an endorsement from a grizzled ski writer interested mainly in vertical drop and numbers of trails, but one from a paying guest. Mike Terrell, president of the Midwest chapter of the North American Snowsports Journalists Association and a resident of the Traverse City area, notes that while Michigan resorts remain competitive in trying to attract guests, they also cooperate to attract guests to their region first, then to their specific resorts. An Elegant Resort Shanty Creek certainly gets my share of business. Apart from the view at the Lakeview Dining Room, I like the elegance of the resort at Summit Village, the quaintness of its companion Schuss Village, and the convenience of both being linked together. Shuttle buses run frequently between the two villages.