Trollhaugen Ski Area in Wisconsin has uncovered its stash of six-month-old snow this week, just in time for the resort’s annual Open Haugen weekend on October 3-4. Each year, the small midwest ski area saved last season’s snow for its annual Open Huagen and this year is no different.
More than 300 skiers and snowboarders are expected to descend on the Dresser, Wisconsin, ski area this weekend to lap the preserved snow, marking the unofficial start of another Midwestern ski season. Trollhaugen says all of its snow sessions are sold out, although spectators can attend the event for free.
Open Haugen has become an annual tradition at Trollhaugen, with the resort using snow saved from the previous winter to create a small patch of skiable terrain each October. This year marks the 21st edition of the event.
The snow for the event has spent the past six months sitting in a large pile on the property, protected from the Wisconsin summer by a remarkably simple snow-farming system. At the end of each winter, Trollhaugen gathers leftover snow from around the mountain and pushes it into one large pile. The resort then covers the pile with straw before placing a tarp over the top. Trollhaugen estimates that its relatively rudimentary system manages to save around 70-75% of the snow during the six months of storage. The remaining snow is uncovered in early October and pushed out to create the terrain for Open Haugen.
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Snow farming is essentially the process of storing snow through the warm months for use at the beginning of the following winter. Resorts pile up snow and cover it with insulating material to slow melting caused by heat and solar radiation. Research from the WSL Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF in Switzerland has shown that 30-40 centimeters (12-16 inches) of sawdust or wood chips can absorb most of the incoming solar heat during the day. Traditional sawdust-based snow farming has typically preserved around 70-80% of a snow pile through summer.
Trollhaugen’s straw-and-tarp method is maybe less sophisticated than some of the large-scale snow-storage systems now being used by ski areas, but it has proven effective enough to keep the resort’s annual October tradition alive. Aspen Snowmass managed to save 85% of its stored snow by using the Finnish insulation mats by Snow Secure.
This coming weekend, this technique is ensuring Trollhaugen can hold its annual open. Open Haugen runs Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday’s snow sessions feature an intermediate park setup and are open to skiers and snowboarders age eight and older. Sunday features separate amateur and professional ski and snowboard jams, with cash prizes available in the pro competition.
The resort is also hosting free scenic chairlift and hay rides, a ski and snowboard swap, a shop sale, food, and its annual food and coat drive throughout the weekend.
While it’s far from a full season opening, it’s the first sign that the 2026-27 season is just around the corner.
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