SAM Magazine—Norway, Mich., Sept. 11, 2023—Norway Mountain, idle since 2017, has been purchased by a local family who plans to reopen the 160-acre ski and snowboard area situated in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula for the 2024/25 season. 

The Norway property, existing infrastructure, and an additional 50 acres outside of the area was purchased by the Hoppe family for an undisclosed amount. James Hoppe has owned a variety of businesses in the area including a landscape and lawn care company and spent several years as a ski instructor at a neighboring resort. 

“The Midwest is an amazing area to ski, and it has always been a dream of mine to operate a ski resort,” Hoppe told SAM. “Our family has a huge passion for skiing and the opportunity was right to bring the hill back for the community.” 

Hoppe said he plans to keep Norway, which is situated on the Wisconsin border, about two hours north of Green Bay, family owned and operated, with “no plans to bring partners in at this time.”   

The purchase encompasses Norway’s 15 trails, snowmaking infrastructure, 500 vertical feet, and 186 acres of skiable terrain. Lifts include one triple, two doubles, and two surface lifts, which have been run minimally in the last few years “just to keep everything moving,” said Hoppe. 

“The overall condition of the lifts is great,” Hoppe said. “We’re planning some improvements to some of them, such as new wiring and paint, and we might have to replace the haul rope on one or two of them.”

Other immediate planned upgrades include new snowmaking and grooming equipment and interior upgrades in the form of new carpet and paint, and repairs to damaged areas of the lodge.  

Norway has had its ups and downs. Before closing at the end of the 2016/17 season, it sat vacant from 2012 to 2014, after 20 successful years in operation.  

Once open, Hoppe anticipates Norway will operate five days a week and employ around 70-100 people during the winter season. It will continue to offer night skiing and is equipped with lighting.

“We definitely want to look at some summer activities down the road, but right now our focus is on getting skiers and snowboarders back on the hill,” Hoppe said. “The response about reopening was huge, and we can’t wait to bring it back in the community.” 

While an exact date has not been announced, Hoppe said he will continue to update on the progress being made through the resort’s various social media pages.

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