Mont du Lac celebrates its 75th anniversary

Dec. 22—TOWN OF SUPERIOR — Mont du Lac Resort is celebrating a milestone in 2024 — 75 years of providing recreational opportunities in the region.

The ski hill got its start in 1949 when Lyman T. Powell Jr., John S. Sprowls and Robert H. Gee incorporated as Mont du Lac Inc., with the goal of bringing ski recreation to Superior. The state issued a quit claim deed for the property for $101 to the newly formed corporation.

"The property changed hands a few times," said Mike O'Hara, general manager of Mont du Lac.

Now owned by Larry and Donna Pulkrabek of DL Skiing LLC, the recreational area in the Town of Superior offers winter and summer activities.

"There was an Ivan Iverson and a George Hovland involved in the early years," O'Hara said.

Iverson and Hovland owned the ski area from the mid-1950s until 1985. Iverson was one of the first ski instructors at Mont du Lac who went on to become the general manager before taking over ownership of Mont du Lac Inc. with Hovland.

In the early years, the ski hill was about half of what it is today, O'Hara said. While the hill, as it stands today, has always been there, he said the usable ski area only went as high as the small shack that stands partway up the slope.

O'Hara said he's seen photos of the ski hill from those early days.

"There are photos of people shoveling snow into trucks off the river and hauling it in here to get skiing going," O'Hara said. "And then they had a T-bar that went halfway up. That's one of those things you sit on and it just kind of drags you up the hill."

The T-bar was long ago replaced by a chairlift that brings skiers to the top of the hill.

Iverson and Hovland sold the ski hill to Robert Tranholt and Charles and Linda Carlberg in 1985 with Iverson financing the $92,000 deal.

It changed hands most recently in December 2008, when the Pulkrabeks bought the property.

Since the Pulkrabeks purchased the property, O'Hara said one of the goals was to expand to become a summer resort in addition to skiing, snowboarding and tubing in the winter.

"Winters were getting too short, so we needed summer to kick in," O'Hara said. "Historically, we had 10 or 12 employees here that worked in the winter and were essentially laid off in the summer."

Currently, he said, the resort has a staff of 65 full-time people in the winter and 45 in the summer.

The decision to expand started with the concession stand and moving that to a full-time bar and grill that served fresh food, O'Hara said. He said rustic cabins were built to test lodging that has since expanded to allow guests to stay overnight. Summertime events such as weddings, holiday parties, family reunions and banquets were added, he said.

"Then in 2019, we built the RV park and the marina, and both of those obviously are a pretty big anchor for summer activities," O'Hara said. "We added more year-round cabins ... suites are also available in the Trophy Lodge."

Boat and jet ski rentals were added a year or two later, he said.

On a typical winter weekend, O'Hara said there can be about 2,000 people running around the resort among the various facilities and ski hill, coming and going at different times of the day.

"In the summer it's kind of the same, except no snow," O'Hara said. "It's much more of a community ... a permanent population that stays here for the weekend. The pontoons are all out. The jet skis are all out. People are fishing. We've got innertube rides on the river. The water park is packed with that beach down there. We've got families renting the cabanas on the patio. There's a beach bar and grill that you order food and it's delivered from the Trophy Lodge kitchen."

Hiking, mountain biking and disc golf are also available for guests, he said.

"Bowfest is the largest outdoor archery and music festival in the country — I think they say world actually," O'Hara said. "That's always the last full weekend in July."

The annual event runs July 25-28 in 2024.

However, there is another big celebration planned to ring in 2024, and the start of Mont du Lac's 75th anniversary.

"There will be themed activities going on in the lodge, along with dinner for the event," O'Hara said. "We have live music on Saturday night (Dec. 30). ... Sunday (Dec. 31) there will be activities throughout the day with fireworks at midnight on New Year's Eve."

What: Mont du Lac's 75th-anniversary celebration

When: Saturday, Dec. 30-Sunday, Dec. 31

Where: 3125 S. Mont du Lac Road