While some have called our current exhibit, Sugar Loaf: A Retrospective, prescient or serendipitous, we simply see it as an example of the work we do every day—preserving local history, even the “recent stuff.” Today, that work feels more resonant than ever.
The Leelanau Conservancy’s July 2025 announcement of their vision for Sugar Loaf has sparked a renewed sense of optimism, and we share our community’s enthusiasm. History is unfolding in real time, and we’re honored to be part of the conversation.
A Story That Begins Long Before 2024
The idea for a Sugar Loaf exhibit first surfaced back in March 2018. The idea stayed top of mind until Fall 2021 when demolition of the long-shuttered resort was announced. The Leelanau Historical Society was granted permission to document the site, both through photographs and personal memories. Carl Ganter, the son of Pat and Jim Ganter, the owners who opened the resort in 1964, joined us on that walk through the overgrown grounds and dark buildings. His reflections helped shape the tone and direction of the exhibit that would follow.
In the summer of 2022 the Leelanau Historical Society hosted a Discovery Day, an open house, for community members to contribute artifacts and memories. During these efforts to document the Loaf it became clear this would be what we came to call a “Community Curated” exhibit. Because so much of the hills stories are within living memory for our community we chose to center their experiences within the exhibit.
As we dug into the LHS archives for the exhibit, I made an unexpected discovery: my grandfather, Leon Kelderhouse, had been one of the original donors to the Sugar Loaf Winter Sports Club, established in 1944. Though he wasn’t a downhill skier, he believed in causes that brought the community together to enjoy the beauty of Leelanau County in all seasons. As a descendant of Bohemians who settled not far from Sugar Loaf, perhaps he even remembered how his ancestors once referred to the hill as Blaník – a nod to the legendary mountain in the Czech Republic that holds an important place in Czech national mythology.
Designing the Exhibit with the Future in Mind
As our exhibit team gathered research and stories, one guiding question came up again and again:
“What would we want the current and future owners of Sugar Loaf to know about its past—and the people who remember it fondly?”
This lens helped us approach the display not just as a tribute to what was, but as a message to what could be. Unbenounced to us, the Leelanau Conservancy was paralleling our efforts in their own way.
One small detail in our collection even sparked a speculative but poetic insight. As we recently discussed the Conservancy’s plan to reopen skiing by hike-in access only – we thought of Robert Viskochil’s skis in our collection. They belonged to a bohemian family who farmed at the base of Sugar Loaf as early as 1869. Attached to the tips is a rope of unknown purpose. Could it have been used to pull the skis uphill? Maybe. That small mystery reflects something timeless: for generations, people have climbed Sugar Loaf not only for the view, but for the thrill of the descent.
From Doubt to Vision
I still remember the October 2017 community meeting with then-new owner Jeff Katofsky. Held in the basement of the Government Center, it was standing-room only. The mood in the room was a mix of optimism and skepticism.
Over the last 25 years, the community has watched Sugar Loaf cycle through a series of bold visions and disappointing outcomes. Attending the Conservancy’s recent community input sessions has been inspirational, their plan to restore public access echoes the grassroots spirit of the original Winter Sports Club. The Conservancy’s call for community input to help shape the future of the property is also a nod to the past. The original Sugar Loaf Winter Sports Club relied on passionate community members to get it off the ground-financially and logicstically, in the 1940s. In many ways, this moment is more than encouraging – it’s historic.
The Exhibit’s Role—and What Comes Next
Since its opening in June 2024, Sugar Loaf: A Retrospective has become a touchstone for so many self-identified “Sugar Loafers.” We’ve heard from many visitors—”It’s too bad it’s closed” and “Do you know what’s going to happen to it?”—but recently, we’re hearing something new and in a hopeful tone:
“Did you hear? It’s coming back!”
The exhibit is just the beginning for LHS. One of our 2025 Leelanau Press Research Fellows is currently collecting additional oral histories with those who lived, worked, and played at Sugar Loaf, with plans for a future publication.
We’re also proud to announce a partnership with Here:Say Storytelling, which will host a live storytelling event later this year titled Meet Me at the Loaf. A call for storytellers is open now, and we can’t wait to hear what memories will surface.
A Living History
Sugar Loaf has always been more than a resort—it’s a place rooted in memory, in family traditions, and in the unique spirit of Leelanau County. With the Conservancy’s forthcoming acquisition and community participation already underway, we’re witnessing something rare:
history not only preserved, but revived.
We look forward to seeing what comes next—and to climbing that hill ourselves in the seasons ahead.
Kim Kelderhouse
Executive Director
Leelanau Historical Society