About this episode
The episode discusses the recovery efforts at The Highlands ski resort after a severe ice storm in March 2025.
In this episode, we head to northern Michigan, where a late-season storm left one of the Midwest’s largest ski resorts encased in ice. The Highlands, part of Boyne Resorts, took the brunt of a March 2025 weather event so severe it shattered tree limbs like matchsticks, buried trails, and left parts of the property without power for weeks. What followed was a massive recovery effort—bolstered by grit, camaraderie, and a whole lot of chainsaws. SAM’s senior editor Katie Brinton and publisher Olivia Rowan sat down with The Highlands general manager Mike Chumbler, resort services director Mari Kissinger, area manager Robby Ortlieb, and Boyne Resorts vice president of mountain sports development Jeremy Cooper to hear how the team navigated danger in the immediate aftermath, rallied help from across the Boyne network, and turned a crisis into an opportunity to strengthen community and prepare for the future. Read "After the Ice" in the September 2025 issue of SAM.
People in this episode
Guests: Mike Chumbler, Mari Kissinger, Robby Ortlieb, Jeremy Cooper
Topics covered
- ski resorts
- weather events
- recovery efforts
- community building
Keywords
- Boyne Resorts
- community
- chainsaws
- camaraderie
Mentioned in this episode
Products: chainsaws
Books & works: After the Ice
Places: Michigan, Midwest
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