My family has summered in seasonal cottages in Omena for over 140 years. You know the structures I speak of: beadboard, which serves as both exterior siding and interior walls, exposed rafters, perhaps some visible galvanized plumbing or electrical elements. Lived in, airy, soulful, and storied beyond measure, the structures have been adapted over time through generations of use. While becoming rare, these cottages are quintessential to the Leelanau experience.
In the mid-90s, my parents moved to Omena to a house that could withstand four seasons. It was my first taste of any real hills, Leelanau in the winter, and Sugar Loaf in particular. At the time, I was a Recreation Studies major at Ohio University, with big dreams of big mountains. I bought a pass, unaware of the impact it would have on the course of my life.
That winter, I explored everything Sugar Loaf had to offer. Being on the hill and witnessing the shared sense of place and purpose cracked me open. Committing their lives to the love of sport and to the management of the mountain itself, the people who played and worked at “The Loaf” were adventurous and stouthearted.
The place was humming with positive energy, dedication to craft, and to hospitality. I knew this was the life for me! After graduation, I moved to North Lake Tahoe and became an AASI Level 3 snowboard instructor and boardercross athlete for 8 years before relocating permanently to northern Michigan.
My story is not unique, though. Sugar Loaf’s presence as an anchor in the county has had a profound impact on generations of residents and visitors alike. It shaped our community and beyond through the relationships forged there. I’m still skiing with folks I met that first winter – I’m looking at you, Dan Matthies!
Like those beloved cottages, Sugar Loaf is a rare gem that has undergone many iterations. Despite its importance to many through their ties with the ski area and the land itself, its story has not always been one of hope. Sugar Loaf has been waiting for the right time to become a place where visitors and natural communities can thrive again. Thanks to the generosity of SPV 45, we have the opportunity to write its next chapter together.
Like many others, I came to conservation through outdoor recreation. The Conservancy is dedicated to restoring the woods and wilds of Sugar Loaf and to providing public access.
In the coming months, we will need your support to make this happen. It will be a heavy lift, and there will be many ways to get involved. This community has accomplished great things before, and this might be its greatest achievement yet. It will take all of us.
We invite you to join us during this pivotal moment, when together we can restore Sugar Loaf’s role as a place where everyone in the community can connect and thrive.
