Whitetail Ridge Ski Area prepares for safe, fun season at Fort McCoy

By Aimee MaloneDecember 4, 2020

Members of the Fort McCoy, Wis., garrison command team operate the snow-making machine Dec. 3, 2020, at Whitetail Ridge Ski Area. Staff members began making snow Dec. 3 for the 2020-21 winter season. (Photo contributed by Scott Abell/Directorate...
1 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Members of the Fort McCoy, Wis., garrison command team operate the snow-making machine Dec. 3, 2020, at Whitetail Ridge Ski Area. Staff members began making snow Dec. 3 for the 2020-21 winter season. (Photo contributed by Scott Abell/Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare, and Recreation.) (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL
Command Sgt. Maj. Paul Mantha, garrison command sergeant major; Garrison Commander Col. Michael Poss; and Deputy Garrison Commander Lt. Col Alexander Carter pose with the  the snow-making machine Dec. 3, 2020, at Whitetail Ridge Ski Area at Fort...
2 / 2 Show Caption + Hide Caption – Command Sgt. Maj. Paul Mantha, garrison command sergeant major; Garrison Commander Col. Michael Poss; and Deputy Garrison Commander Lt. Col Alexander Carter pose with the the snow-making machine Dec. 3, 2020, at Whitetail Ridge Ski Area at Fort McCoy, Wis. Staff members began making snow Dec. 3 for the 2020-21 winter season. (Photo contributed by Scott Abell/Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare, and Recreation.) (Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

While some changes are in the works due to the COVID-19 pandemic, local community members can still plan on winter fun at Fort McCoy's Whitetail Ridge Ski Area during the 2020-21 winter season.

Whitetail Ridge is tentatively scheduled to open Dec. 17 as long as the weather and snow conditions allow it. Staff members started making snow during the first week of December and should have a good level by then if the weather cooperates, said Scott Abell, chief of the Business and Recreation Division with the Fort McCoy Directorate of Family and Morale, Welfare and Recreation.

All normal services — including tubing, skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, and equipment rental — will be available at the area, though procedures will change in order to ensure social distancing guidelines can be met, said Abell.

“We’ll be utilizing many of the same COVID mitigation measures in the chalet that we successfully put in place at McCoy’s Community Center,” Abell said. “We’ll have limited seating, social distancing, and of course masks will be required except when seated and eating. We’ll have hand sanitizer readily available, and our staff will be sanitizing tables between customers.”

In order to reduce the crowd size indoors, the chalet will have a tent set up for additional seating and new outdoor heaters on the deck of the Ten Point Pub. The outdoor fire pit will be kept burning to provide another option to warm up. The area is also going to set up warming stations and chemical latrines outdoors for people who want to avoid going inside.

“Face coverings and gloves will be required on the hill,” Abell said. “All equipment will be issued by staff and sanitized between users. We’ll have plenty of staff on the hill to assist and direct patrons in the new procedures.”

Staff members will also be selling lift tickets outdoors at a windowed booth to reduce the need for guests with their own equipment to go inside.

Whitetail Ridge’s usual special events are on hold for this season due to current gathering restrictions. However, group rates for tubing/skiing and private event bookings for the chalet are still available.

Whitetail Ridge is open to the public, and no pass is required to visit the facility. Follow the signs off Highway 21 to find the area. Prices for the 2020-2021 season are available online at https://mccoy.armymwr.com/programs/whitetail-ridge-ski-area.