Boasting the best snowpack in Montana, Whitefish Mountain Resort is enjoying a bountiful holiday season in terms of skiers and lodging reservations, according to resort officials.
Lodging reservations over the Christmas week were noticeably up over last winter, according to Riley Polumbus, public relations manager at the resort. Canadians, who form the largest demographic of out-of-market visitors at the resort, have booked more reservations so far this winter compared to a year ago. Also, the number of visitors from Washington, elsewhere in Montana and California are up.
“Our lodging numbers are great. And we’ve got a lot of people in town. Whitefish seems busy,” Polumbus said. “We are pretty happy.”
The resort nearly broke its daily record for total skiers with 8,071 on Dec. 28. It marked only the second time that Big Mountain has attracted more than 8,000 skiers in a single day. Coincidentally, the resort’s single-day record for most skiers is Dec. 28, 2014, when 8,144 people were at the mountain.
The busy Dec. 28 also contributed to a new record revenue day for the Summit House, Polumbus said. The resort has revamped the restaurant and bar at the top of Big Mountain over the last two years, expanding the seating and food accommodations.
“We feel that reconfiguration is definitely a contributor to the record revenue (at the Summit House),” Polumbus said.
From Dec. 7 through Dec. 29, the total number of skiers at the resort is ahead of the same period last year. The resort also sold the most season passes ever this winter, surpassing 8,000 for the first time.
The prime factor for all ski resorts — snowfall — has been especially positive at Big Mountain. Through Dec. 29, the resort had received 144 inches of snowfall, which is already nearly half of the resort’s total average for the entire winter. The 73-inch base at the summit is the best in the state, ahead of Blacktail Mountain in Lakeside, which had 55 inches. Big Sky Ski Resort near Bozeman had 50 inches through Dec. 29.
“We’re doing extremely well,” Polumbus said. “We’re in great shape.”
Both Blacktail Mountain and Turner Mountain have opened as well. Turner Mountain near Libby opened Dec. 23 and operated daily through Jan. 2 before switching to its normal winter schedule of being open on Fridays through Sundays. Private groups can rent the mountain during the week. The ski area has received new snow in recent days and reported a 30-inch snow base at its summit.
Blacktail Mountain is enjoying some of the best snow in Montana. It had a 55-inch base on Dec. 30 and was open daily through Jan. 2 before switching to its regular winter schedule of being open Wednesdays through Sundays.