Skiing at Caberfae is the bomb in Cadillac, Michigan

We wanted to go snow skiing from Fort Wayne this holiday, and to do so driving, we needed to go 4 1/2 hours north to find snow in 2011. So we made the trip to Caberfae in Cadillac, MI. Caberfae means "stag head" in Gaelic, and this place has some old world charm. Built in 1938 as a joint venture between the U.S. Forest Service and the Civilian Conservation Corps, Caberfae was Michigan's first ski resort.

It was cut into the Manistee National Forest, and $5 contributions were collected from skiers. By 1940, enough has been raised to fund the first rope tow. Now the Meyers family of Cadillac owns the resort, and it has 34 runs on 485 vertical feet. There are four chair lifts on the 200 acres. The snow making machines keep the place busy in the early season when there's very little snow. The ski school and rentals seem to do a brisk business.

We stayed in the 36-room MacKenzie lodge, and although it was very close to the lifts, I was actually expecting something nicer. The place needs a serious update. There's no in-room coffee makers, fridges, or hair dryers. The beds are tired and springy, the drapes and furnishings worn. Be careful not to drape items over the heat registers. But the showers were warm, and I did like the in-house restaurant. I had the best fish tacos, made with tilapia, I've had in a very long time. All the food was good. We also liked their outdoor heated pool, and nice, warm hot tub with jets.

Back on the hill, some of us were on skis, and some on snowboards. All of us wore helmets. Try it, you'll like it - the helmets are actually light weight and warm, and so cosy and comfortable in the snow one forgets about wearing one. More concerning could be other people. Watch out for dangerous beginners and young kids hurdling past out of control.

It was nice to walk away from the let down of post-Christmas clean up, blast out of the Fort and head to pristine Michigan for a couple of days. Out on the ski hill a person hears plenty of quiet- the sounds of shushing snow, wind in one's face, and the muffling stillness of a light snow fall. It brings a new appreciation of the season. We had fun in sweet Caberfae, and we'll be back.