Whitefish Mountain Resort
Opening Day: Dec. 7
Seventy years ago, the only way to get up the slopes at Big Mountain was via a T-bar or your own two feet. But today there are a dozen different chairs, including the newly installed East Rim Lift.
Earlier this year, the resort moved Chair 5 from Ptarmigan Bowl on the front of the mountain to the East Rim — the bottom of the lift is located at the intersection of Russ’s Street and Moe Mentum, and the top is near the Ant Hill. Ski resort officials said moving the chairlift will improve skier access to intermediate and advanced terrain and offer skiers an alternative way to access north-side terrain while taking pressure off the resort’s Chair 1. The new chair will move 1,750 people an hour, and the trip from top to bottom will take six minutes.
“We’re really excited about this new chair, and we think it’s going to change things up here at the mountain,” said resort spokesperson Riley Polumbus.
The resort also recently completed a remodel at Ed and Mully’s in the village. The restaurant now has a modern exterior and redesigned entrances. The beloved Bierstube is also reopening with a renovated exterior and a new deck that is partially covered to keep patrons out of the elements. Lastly, additional parking has been created at the mountain, and a new S.N.O.W. Bus shelter has been constructed at the village.
“(These upgrades) are helping us to continue improving our visitor experience,” Polumbus said.
The resort will also be marking its 70th anniversary with a celebration on Dec. 14. Donuts and coffee will be available to the public.
Blacktail Mountain Ski Area
Opening Day: TBA
Twenty years ago, Steve Spencer was starting to worry that skiing was starting to get too expensive. So he came up with a solution: He opened his own ski area.
Next year marks the 20th anniversary of Blacktail Mountain Ski Area, and Spencer, who is still general manager, said this upcoming season will be one of the best yet. The big attractions for Blacktail veterans and newbies alike will be the addition of gladded terrain between the Snowslip and Radar runs. Spencer said a U.S. Forest Service timber sale resulted in a number of trees being cut and a 40 percent increase in gladded terrain on the mountain.
Spencer said Blacktail never sets an opening date, but that as of last week he was optimistic that the mountain would be open in December.
“If we can get enough snow, we’ll go for it,” he said.