Crystal Mountain promotes longtime employee to Director of Mountain Operations

THOMPSONVILLE, Mich. (August 11, 2021) – Mike Cutler has spent his entire 33-year career at Crystal Mountain. He was a 17-year-old Onekama High School student when he was hired as a ticket checker by Michael Call.

And now he’s Director of Mountain Operations for the resort.

“I started here to get a free ski pass,” said Mike Cutler. “The only other job I had was working summers at the old High Point golf course on M-72, but I would still love to work the winters at Crystal.”

In 1996, Cutler took over as the snowmaking and grooming supervisor and utility manager. Since then, he has had a hand in a lot of expansion at Crystal Mountain, including the installation of six aerial chairlifts and two surface lifts. He also helped increase the pumping capacity for snowmaking from 850 gallons a minute to now about 6,000 gallons per minute.

“Mike is responsible for most of our critical outside infrastructure at Crystal, both on and off the hill,” said Chief Executive Officer Jim MacInnes. “It’s a big job and he is very effective in leading our outside maintenance team that keeps our resort systems operating safely and reliably. Mike has earned this recognition.”   

Over the last three decades, Crystal has more than doubled its number of ski runs to now 58 and has added a second championship golf course, among many other things.

“It’s pretty amazing. I don’t even know where to begin when it comes to how much Crystal Mountain has changed,” Cutler said. “I feel like my career is a testament to what Crystal focuses on, which is investing in community, families, and quality infrastructure.”

This year, Cutler and the outside maintenance team have been busy installing 3,500 feet of new snowmaking pipe and 14 new permanent snow guns, bringing the total number of snowmaking machines to 167.

“I love what I do, no two days are the same – it’s great,” Cutler said. “There have been so many rewarding moments, but the proudest moment I’ve had here was having my daughter’s wedding here this summer. My kids grew up coming here, so it was a full-circle moment and I wouldn’t trade a thing.”

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About Crystal Mountain:

Established in 1956, Crystal Mountain is a family-owned, four-season resort destination located 28 miles southwest of Traverse City and a short drive from Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. The 1,500-acre resort features lodging, dining, downhill and cross-country skiing, two championship golf courses, shopping, award-winning Crystal Spa, Michigan’s only alpine slide, Peak Fitness, the Park at Water’s Edge, Michigan Legacy Art Park, weddings, a conference center, and real estate options. Visit www.CrystalMountain.com for more resort details or information about Four Seasons Club memberships.