Skippress - Index

Skippress - SkiPress US Vol.7 No.3 - Index

FIELD OF DREAMS
Sundown Mountain
is an Iowa Surprise
BY MIKE TERRELL
A short drive from Dubuque, the ski area was a Field of
Dreams for guys who wanted to build a ski resort close
to home. The movie of the same name was actually fi lmed
just down the road. Mike Terrell checks it out.
Sundown Mountain is perched atop an escarpment from which you can see three states
— Iowa, Illinois and Wisconsin. Across the road sits a cornfi eld, and a short drive away
is where they fi lmed Field of Dreams.
But, don’t let the location fool you. It’s big-time skiing and riding for the Midwest.
Only a handful of Heartland ski areas have greater vertical drops, and, carved through
a century-old cedar forest, the runs deliver a scenic, almost Western-like experience.
Its Iowa address doesn’t shout skiing, but its 475-foot vertical drop, 20-some runs,
terrain parks and six lifts say otherwise.
The two day lodges sit atop the escarpment, which overlooks an ancient river valley
that fl ows into the nearby Mississippi River. The ski area features a variety of slopes
and trails, and one of the best terrain parks and halfpipes in the Lower Midwest. A
new monster wall and more rails have been added for this season.
The majority of the ski runs are rambling cruisers. A few short, steep shots like Gun
Barrel and Head Wall provide quick adrenaline rushes, but advanced skiers won’t fi nd
much of a test here.
Basically, Sundown is an intermediate’s delight. Its strength is defi nitely in long blue
cruisers and its teaching slopes where thousands of Iowans have learned to ski and ride
over the last 40 years. The beginner area, with its own triple chair, is one of the outstanding
teaching arenas in the region. It takes center stage right on top of the ski hill.
One of the best-kept secrets outside of Iowa, corn huskers have long known that these
deep river valleys, gouged out by retreating glacial waters centuries ago, provide some
of the fi nest skiing and riding mid-continent.
FoMoInfo: Sundown Mountain, sundownmtn.com, (563) 556-6676.
2 MIDWESTERN SECTION
Photos: Sundown Mountain
Carved through a century-old
cedar forest, the runs deliver a scenic,
almost Western-like experience.