BOYNE FALLS — Boyne Mountain Resort has opened a new igloo structure carved entirely from ice and snow, featuring a full bar and intricate carvings for visitors. The structure was designed to provide a unique gathering space for skiers and pedestrians off the slopes.
The concept was inspired by the owners’ experiences in Europe . To create the Michigan version, master builders from Austria collaborated with the resort’s local snowmaking team to construct a space held up solely by ice and snow.
The construction process lasted three weeks and involved the use of industrial-sized snow blowers. Snowmakers first created a large pile of snow before builders used inflated domes as a base for the structure. Kari Roder, the Director of Marketing for Boyne Mountain Resort, explained the layering technique used by the team. “They layered upon layers so their walls are about three to five feet thick,” Roder said. “Eventually they deflated the domes and polished up the carvings in here.
”The finished igloo contains no wooden supports or internal frames. It only took three weeks, which is crazy to think about, but there is no wooden structures holding this up,” Roder said. “It is just ice and snow.” Visitors enter the space through a snow tunnel that leads into multiple areas decorated with detailed snow and ice carvings. Although the structure is made of frozen material, resort officials noted the interior maintains a comfortable environment due to the movement of guests inside.
“It is kind of buzzing in here, which I think just the movement of people inside, gathering, sharing stories,” Roder said. “It has got a warm feeling as soon as you walk in and I think people want to stay a little longer.” Roder added that the goal was to provide an experience typically found at major mountain destinations. “This is something that a big mountain would have that you would expect to see at a Western resort,” Roder said. “But we are right here in the Midwest doing something unique, innovative and creating these amazing experiences for our guests.”
Iglu features a full bar that serves specialty alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. The menu includes traditional European alpine drinks such as blue wine, which is a type of hot wine. “But we also have Aperol Spritz, lots of bubbles, lot of champagne roses,” Roder said. The bar also serves Coca-Cola products and is open to visitors of all ages.
Iglu is accessible to skiers on the slopes and pedestrians using SkyBridge Michigan. Specific hours of operation and access requirements are listed on the Boyne Mountain website.
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