WHITEFISH – Opening day is still two-and-a-half weeks away, but it’s already starting to feel like winter at Whitefish Mountain Resort.
Northwest Montana’s largest ski resort is gearing up for its biggest winter yet with new terrain, a new chairlift and improvements to the base lodge that officials say will only improve the visitor experience. Spokesperson Riley Polumbus said season pass sales are already up 4 percent over last year’s record sales. Last year, 345,000 skiers and riders visited the resort on Big Mountain.
“It’s good evidence that people are excited about what’s happening up here,” Polumbus said.
The biggest change this year is the opening of the Flower Point chairlift that will offer access to 200 acres of terrain on the north side of Big Mountain that was previously only accessible by hiking. The top of the chairlift is located east of the summit and the bottom is not far from the base of chair 7, the Big Creek Express. The chairlift was installed this fall and was previously used in Kimberley, British Columbia.
Polumbus said the resort first considered opening up Flower Point in the 1990s because of the quality of snow on that part of the mountain. However, the project didn’t begin until 2013, when the resort cut six intermediate runs.
“It’s the middle of winter back there all season long,” Polumbus said.
She said an added benefit to the new chairlift and terrain is that it will spread skiers and riders out on the mountain, meaning less traffic on some of the more popular runs. The addition of Flower Point means Whitefish Mountain Resort will have 14 lifts, 105 marked runs and more than 3,000 acres of skiable terrain.
Other big improvements at Big Mountain being completed just before the snow started to fall is a new parking lot near the base of the mountain and an expansion and remodeling of the Base Lodge. The Base Lodge, where skiers and riders can buy day passes, rent gear or stop in for a warm drink or meal, was built in 2007, but quickly reached capacity. In 2013, the resort added an entire room to the east side of the building and this year it completely remodeled the restaurant and cafeteria area with an additional cash register and more room for people to get their food.
“It’s a fresh look,” Polumbus said. “(But) it will also help people get back out on the slopes faster.”