Artificial snow is often used to maintain the slopes, because while Minnesota's winters are cold, the average annual snowfall is low for a ski area: less than 60 in (150 cm).

The ski runs use the east face of the hill, with the other sides occupied by residential housing, and a municipal water tower sharing the summit.

[3] The ski area was started by Chuck Stone, who discovered the sport as a child recovering from polio, and had worked as a lift attendant at Suicide Six in Vermont.

Stone and his girlfriend Nancy convinced Whittier to lease them the property, succeeding where previous wooers had failed, and the ski area began operating in 1954.

She is among the best female ski racers in history, with four overall World Cup titles (2008, 2009, 2010, 2012) and was the gold medalist in the downhill at the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Two-time defending season champion Spider Sabich won the slalom on Sunday at the McDonald's Cup at Buck Hill.