MNSurfer Posted January 1, 2017 Report Share Posted January 1, 2017 It was fun bumping into some of y'all at Afton, on NYE. It sounded like there was a contingent going to Welch, the next day. I decided to hit-up the Mill, as it's 1/3 the distance. Gotta love the Mill. You can count the cars in the parking lot, and the lifts never stop. The sun barely gets in there, so anything that falls, stays. So the snow was good, and anyone who's been the Coffee knows they take pride in their grooming, which is deep and luscious. The narrower runs keep you on your toes, and always working. There's only really 3 runs (of the what, 14?) that a guy would call 'carving' runs, but hey, their all yours. A nice way to kick-off the year, indeed. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonPablo Posted January 2, 2017 Report Share Posted January 2, 2017 I thought coffee mill was closed down, I saw it on Craig's List last year or maybe it was the year before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MNSurfer Posted January 2, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 2, 2017 It's not for sale, that I'm aware of, which isn't saying much. How much were they asking? I do know that they didn't even open last year, due to no ice falling from the sky. It seems like they only have a couple, older, snow guns. It's a tough business, for sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonPablo Posted January 3, 2017 Report Share Posted January 3, 2017 The ad was for a ski hill in Wabasha, I assumed it was for Coffee Mill, but it might not have been. If I remember correctly, it was like $900,000. Tough to be a remote ski hill in MN, use to be Frontenac down there too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MNSurfer Posted January 3, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 3, 2017 ...And Steeplechase. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DonPablo Posted January 3, 2017 Report Share Posted January 3, 2017 (edited) 35 minutes ago, MNSurfer said: ...And Steeplechase. That must have been the one for sale, looks like someone bought it somewhat recently. I remember seeing a sign with skier on it that said "Steeplechase" I didn't know there was an actual ski hill in Mazeppa and I've race my dirt bike down in that area a lot. Edited January 3, 2017 by DonPablo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MNSurfer Posted January 4, 2017 Author Report Share Posted January 4, 2017 http://www.postbulletin.com/business/fresh-start-for-former-steeplechase-ski-resort/article_4fc60751-d249-5857-ac85-4830fd13d88c.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MNSurfer Posted January 20, 2018 Author Report Share Posted January 20, 2018 Gotta love the 'Mill. Even though there's only 3 good carving runs, you have them all to yourself. I've come to like the extra 100' vertical you get over Afton, Welch, or Buck; A few extra turns is quite nice. Always something fresh being grilled outside, and you never wait for a lift. Just looking at the Afton cam, there's a dozen in the Bowl, and 30+ at the Bunny. I love the 'Mill. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobble Posted January 22, 2018 Report Share Posted January 22, 2018 this is sad... http://www.kare11.com/article/news/police-twin-cities-teen-dies-in-ski-accident/89-510362243 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MNSurfer Posted January 22, 2018 Author Report Share Posted January 22, 2018 Bummer. That happened right after I left (because of a somewhat decent digger). Given that there weren't that many people there, I probably saw her at some point. The article doesn't say anything about a helmet, but based on what I saw, if you were wearing a helmet, you were in the very small minority. Out of the (roughly) 40 people that were out, my guess is that only 5 or 6 of us had helmets. I've only had a few serious falls, in the last several years, and a disproportionate number of them have been at Coffee Mill. The runs are tight, and can be kind of roll-y. Not like the wide-open faces at other local MN hills. A guy's got to keep on his toes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MNSurfer Posted February 17, 2019 Author Report Share Posted February 17, 2019 Another great day at the 'Mill. Empty (at least till 1:00), luscious groom, and chicken on the outdoor grill. I really love this place. The staff is as friendly as it gets, no one is agro, and you never have to look uphill. After 2-hours of ripping apart Run of the Mill, I felt a bit guilty of making a mess of the place. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MNSurfer Posted February 18, 2020 Author Report Share Posted February 18, 2020 A fantastic couple of days, at the old 'Mill. Just a ton of snow. The groom was so thick, you could really put the screws to it. Though that also means it got banged-up pretty quickly. While it was arseholes-to-elbows at other local places, this Saturday, it was mostly me an the ski patrol, at Coffee. Perfect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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