Four Winds January 21-23, 2022 Granite Peak summary.
The resort is very large for a Midwest resort and with it having the highest vertical in Wisconsin, we had lots of time on the runs and not on the lifts.
Four Winder's attendees Candace S., Phillip S., Bob P., Kenneth H., Martin T., and Guy L., We ended up seeing three other Four Winds skiers at Granite Peak. It was a pleasant surprise!
The Wausau Hampton Inn accommodations were excellent. A full hot breakfast was available each day, not just a continental style selection. Very comfortable beds, indoor pool, hot tub, and exercise area that was not an after-thought (even had workout mats).
The ski resort's terrain was predominantly intermediate and black (which was a good fit for our group). Saturday weather was in the mid to high teens, which is considered perfect by many people. The clouds also blessed with about two inches of dry fresh powder from Friday night.
There was a nice assortment of lunch food at Granite Peak. Be prepared to pay though since the prices are on the typical high side charged at ski resorts. I had a cheeseburger (no fries), chef's salad, and apple juice for $20.
We spent over an hour of après ski time in the Granite Peak bar and had a fun server taking care of our liquid necessities. 😉 Everyone got to know each other better.
The Chicago Style pizza on Saturday night was very tasty and similar to pizza from the Chicago area. A four-foot (large-scale) Jenga puzzle challenged some of us while we were waiting for hatchet throwing reservation start time.
Hatchet throwing is a lot of fun, especially if you haven't done it before. Our Ax Master was the owner and very patient as we were throwing "bricks" in the beginning. We got the hang of making the hatchet "stick" after some practice and then competed against each other for points. I was surprised that my arm and shoulder was a little sore the next day since we only threw at a slow cadence for about 45 minutes. It was a good soreness though! 😉
Sunday was only about 5° colder so we could still ski a while before coming in to warm up. Runs were groomed the night before, giving the early birds some corduroy to ski on.
I chose not to ski on Sunday, since Saturday was my first day of skiing this season. I made the right call as I needed time in the weight room to stretch out at a leisurely pace, visited a Wausau art museum, and had lunch at a local diner. We left for home in the early afternoon.
It was a successful and fun trip that I would do again!
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