I am not someone who leaves bad reviews—honestly, ever. However, I can confidently say this was my first and last trip to Snow Snake.
I want to start with the one positive experience we had: the staff inside the rental building were genuinely kind, funny, encouraging, and helpful. They were the only reason this visit earns even one star, and they deserve credit for trying to make the experience enjoyable.
For context, I am used to snowboarding at Boyne Mountain. We were originally supposed to be there, but due to our trip being rescheduled, we chose Snow Snake instead so my little brother could still experience his first time at a ski “resort.” He has snowboarded several times at our local hill and is comfortable riding down slopes—but he has never experienced a chairlift or rope tow.
When we arrived, we took the lift up so he could learn how to get off. This should have been a non-issue. Even the tallest hill here, especially the route marked as easiest, is comparable to what he regularly rides at home. The only thing he lacked experience with was dismounting a lift.
As expected, he struggled getting off because it was literally his first time. Snow patrol approached him, asked if he had done this before, and when he said no, they told him he “did not belong here,” basing that judgment solely on his lift exit. He was instructed to walk down most of the hill and told he should only be on the bunny hill. This interaction deeply embarrassed him and made him feel unwelcome—to the point that it brought him to tears.
I had him walk down about three-quarters of the way to a small knoll, where he boarded down just fine. He fell on his landing—because that happens. That should not warrant being told you don’t belong somewhere.
Afterward, already frustrated, we moved to the bunny hill to help him practice control and body movement. None of us had ever used a rope tow before. Both my brother and I fell while attempting it. During this, we received unhelpful and condescending comments from other individuals such as, “You know there’s a ski lift for a reason,” and my brother being told to “stop trying so hard, get off.” I am not claiming these people were staff, but the environment overall felt judgmental and hostile, which only added to an already discouraging experience.
To add to the frustration, the snowboard sizing was poorly matched. While mine was fine, my brother’s toes were hanging significantly over the edge, making it much harder for him to use his toe edge properly—something that should not happen with properly fitted equipment.
We ultimately decided to leave early because my brother felt defeated and just wanted to go home.
I’m genuinely sad to have to write such a negative review. We only chose Snow Snake because we couldn’t go to Boyne and wanted my brother to still have a positive, memorable experience at a resort. Unfortunately, the atmosphere, lack of encouragement, and overall treatment made that impossible. What should have been an exciting first resort experience instead left him feeling embarrassed and unwelcome.