Trollhaugen debuts brand new expansion in grand opening
DRESSER, Wis. — If you're looking for a real winter wonderland this weekend, you'll find it in western Wisconsin.
Trollhaugen on Friday held the grand opening of its multimillion-dollar expansion, including a new chair lift, which was quickly filled with skiers and snowboarders eager to experience the new terrain.
Among those was Lauren Myhre, who said she raced at Trollhaugem as a kid.
"It was a lot smaller," Myhre quipped to WCCO News. "Now look what we can do with this."
Trollhaugen, founded in 1950, now boasts four chairlifts, 30 trails and ski terrain expanded by nearly a third.
MORE NEWS: Teams from all over the country travel to Minneapolis for the US Pond Hockey Championships
"I was actually in Colorado last year, and this is pretty comparable going up the lift," Myhre explained. "You've got the sun, it's warm, and you've got some steep terrain to work and also some blues, so beginners are getting something to work with."
Jim Rochford, Trollhaugen's third-generation owner, said record attendance during COVID played a key role in helping generate the capital needed to make the expansion happen.
"If you would've told me five years ago you'll put in a chairlift and put five runs over there, I'd say you're crazy," he joked. "This is us giving back. We want this to be a place that is known for giving our customers and skiers the experience they're looking for and an experience they never had."
Trollhaugen is one among many independently owned and operated ski areas in Wisconsin and Minnesota. For skiers familiar with Epic and IKON passes, there's now an INDY Pass that offers special deals on lift tickets to dozens of locations across the Midwest.