Blacktail Mountain Ski Area will remain open at least one more weekend this ski season, running its lifts April 13-15 and potentially through additional weekends depending on snow coverage.
“The snow is just too deep to stop,” Arin Lever, Blacktail’s marketing director, said.
Last year, Blacktail ended its season with a 96-inch base at the summit, compared to this year’s 128-inch base, providing the added momentum to capitalize on this never-ending winter.
“The most notable difference between the two seasons is that we have continued to gain snow pack through March and April and last season spring arrived much earlier,” Lever said.
Blacktail selects its closing day based upon weather and participation.
“Because spring has not yet come to the valley, we are not competing with other outdoor recreational activities,” Lever said. “When the golf courses start opening and the gardens beg to be planted, even the most dedicated skiers start changing gears and we lose participation up on the mountain.”
The La Nina weather patterns have been particularly generous to Northwest Montana ski areas this winter, however, and if the storm cycles continue to deliver the goods, Lever said Blacktail would look to extend the season even further.
Whitefish Mountain Resort celebrated its closing day April 8 with a 164-inch base and a record number of skier visits.
In announcing Blacktail’s extended season, Lever encouraged skiers and riders to take advantage of the bonus winter ski days and check out the newly added gladed terrain, including Little Salmon Run off of Emmons Ridge and Luna Bowl, between Radar and Snowslip.
The two areas have opened up an additional 40 percent of tree skiing to Blacktail’s expert terrain.
All current season pass holders at any Montana ski area receive the half-day rate when they ski at Blacktail Mountain Ski Area.
For more information visit blacktailmountain.com