One of the beauties of skiing in Montana has always been that it’s about the actual skiing – not the expensive accoutrements of skiing. At the many small, independent ski areas around Western Montana, no one bats an eye at the old-timer in a camouflage coverall clicking into a pair of battered, skinny skis from 1982 – so long as he is having a good time.
This attitude sets up Northwest Montana’s ski areas particularly well for this current era of frugality. Let’s face it: skiing can be expensive. But in this region, nearly all of the resorts offer reasonably priced ski packages, and most have managed to avoid increasing their lift ticket and rental rates over the last several years to accommodate those who want to ski on a skimpy budget. Even those seeking untracked backcountry powder will find some of the most affordable guided and cat skiing anywhere in the country.
Make no mistake: If you prefer a fine bottle of wine and a spa treatment over a burger and beer for your après session, you can find that here too. But it’s secondary to the skiing. With all that in mind, here’s the skinny on Northwest Montana’s ski scene, including lift-accessed, Nordic trails and backcountry guides.
With 2,353 feet of vertical drop over 3,000 acres of terrain, all covered by 300 inches of average snowfall, Whitefish Mountain Resort is the biggest ski area in the Flathead – yet it manages to avoid feeling overwhelming. And there’s something for everyone here, from steep chutes and cliffs to wide, flat groomers perfect for beginners. Advanced skiers and riders may fall in love with the Big Mountain after exploring runs descending into Hellroaring Basin and through the trees in Good Medicine.
To entice beginners, Whitefish Resort is offering a $69-“Learn to Ski/Ride” package that includes two consecutive days of beginner lift tickets, two half-day lessons and rentals. Adult lift tickets range from $56-$61, depending on how many days you ski, a reasonable rate for a resort this size that remains unchanged from last year. Tickets for seniors, teens and juniors are significantly cheaper. Basic rental packages range from $30-$25 daily for adults. For more info call 406-862-2900 or visit www.skiwhitefish.com.
A few miles south, Blacktail Mountain rises high above Lakeside, with a lodge and parking lot located just below the peak’s summit. On a clear day, the views across Flathead Lake are spectacular. After a summer of logging, the 2009-2010 season at Blacktail offers double the amount of glades, adding to the usual mix of bumps and steep terrain, as well as groomed beginner and intermediate terrain. For those who enjoy flipping and flying through the air, a terrain park features pyramid jumps, rails and tabletops. All of this is encompassed within 24 trails over 1,000 acres of terrain descending 1,440 feet of vertical drop.
Blacktail, by the way, is a bargain, with $36 full-day adult lift tickets and $30 half-day passes – also the same price as last season. Ski or snowboard rentals will run you $22 a day for adults and cheaper for kids. Check out Blacktail on “Thrifty Thursdays,” when you can ski all day for $25, excluding holidays. Proof of your birthday lets you ski for free – happy birthday! For more info, call Blacktail at 406-844-0999 or visit blacktailmountain.com.
If you seek the small, rustic resort but don’t want to trade off skiing deep, virgin powder, look no further than Turner Mountain, 22 miles north of Libby, which boasts some of the best lift-accessed snow in the United States – all from its single chairlift. Turner is only open Fridays through Sundays, which means that while the snow from a mid-week storm could be skied out elsewhere, at Turner, there are still untracked lines to be had on Friday. As a result, Turner has a kind of cult following in Northwest Montana.
Sixty percent of Turner’s 25 trails are for advanced skiers, with 2,110 feet of vertical drop. And yet rates here are also some of the cheapest you’ll find anywhere: $30 for full-day tickets, $25 for half-day and rental packages around $22 a day. There’s a reason Turner’s unofficial motto is “steep, deep and cheap.” Call 406-293-2468 or visit skiturner.com for more info.
But if you’re looking to get far from the lifts all together, check out Valhalla Adventures Powder Skiing, which offers access, via two snow cats, to 35 square miles of backcountry terrain in the Whitefish Range along Stryker Ridge, in the Stillwater State Forest. With a 30-foot yurt, Valhalla offers single and multi-day powder skiing excursions to slopes both steep and moderate, making it an excellent backcountry introduction for those looking to venture out-of-bounds in a safe and responsible way. Rates vary from $325 per day for guided skiing to more expensive options with chef-prepared meals waiting for you at the Yurt. Call 406-862-2369 or visit www.valhalladv.com for more info.
Those seeking skiing outside the Flathead can also contact Blue Bird Guides, where Greg Franson runs trips skiing Rogers Pass in British Columbia’s Selkirks. Blue Bird also offers longer ski tour trips through Canadian ranges, but he’s available as a backcountry guide around the Flathead as well. A two-day trip to Rogers Pass, if you can round up 3-6 people, can cost as little as $275 per person – about as inexpensive for a guided tour as you’re likely to find anywhere. Call 406-249-5812 or visit www.bluebirdguides.com for more info.
Nordic skiers have a wealth of options in the Flathead as well. Both beginners and advanced cross-country and skate skiers should check out the Glacier Nordic Center in Whitefish, where lighted trails and miles of groomed track awaits. Call the Outback Ski Shack for more information on clinics, lessons and equipment (406-862-9498).
Farther out from town, the Glacier Outdoor Center, in West Glacier has expanded its winter trail system and now offers guided cross-country ski trips in Glacier National Park, along with cabin rentals and a full-service gear shop. Call 406-888-5454 or visit www.glacierraftco.com. And you can’t really say you’ve cross-country skied Northwest Montana without visiting the Izaak Walton Inn in Essex and cruised along its 33 kilometers of beginner, intermediate and advanced terrain. Izaak Walton also offers guided ski and snowshoe tours in Glacier National Park. Call 406-888-5700 or visit izaakwaltoninn.com for more info.
This should get you started. Now put down the magazine and put on some skis – the mountains are waiting.
Our annual Winter Guide magazine is inserted in this week’s print edition of the Flathead Beacon and on newsstands across the Flathead Valley.