Hill Names: Outback Jack

One thing that people always find interesting is where the names of hills come from. I have a few stories for the different hills, but the one I know best is the one named after my dad: Outback Jack.

When the Orange Chair and surrounding hills first opened back in 1979 that area became known officially as Nub's Nob South, but referred to as "The Back." In 1995 Nub's Nob purchased adjoining state land and started planning additional hills. "The Outback" would have been a great name for the new cluster of hills, but Keystone already had a mountain with that name. Eventually management decided to name the new area Pintail Peak, but that is another story.

Around the same time, my dad Jack Frank was chosen to receive a certificate of merit from the Northwest Michigan Council for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect, "In recognition of twenty years of dedication to Northern Michigan Families – instilling a lifelong sense of responsibility, commitment, and the joy of sportsmanship in the minds and hearts of our children." Dad had helped found and run the Northern Michigan Ski Academy, the Nub's Nob Ski Academy, the Petoskey Middle School Ski Team, and the middle school Little Brown Jug Race. The Council asked Nub's Nob General Manager Jim Bartlett to say a few words at the ceremony. There he announced that the furthest hill over on Pintail Peak would be named Outback Jack in Dad's honor!

At 71, Dad still helps out with the middle school ski team by driving their bus and assisting with practices and meets. This upcoming season will be the first season since 1977 that he won't be involved in the Winter Sports School. Instead, to give his legs a rest, he will be driving the Nub's Nob Shuttle Bus on weekends and holidays. He will still be "tearing 'em up" on weekdays, and you can probably find him on his favorite hill, Outback Jack!