Page 23 - Flathead Beacon // 4.15.15

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MOUNTAIN EXPOSURE
FOSTER TALLIES MOST VERTICAL AT WHITEFISH MOUNTAIN RESORT
Another ski season is in the books, and what a winter it was for Jay Foster.
A day after turning 52, Foster fin- ished the season on April 12 with 4,444,123 vertical feet skied at White- fish Mountain Resort, the most of any pass holder this winter. In perspective, Foster skied just over 841 miles since December.
His total narrowly edged out Fred Frost, who tallied 4.21 million vertical feet and was last year’s vert king. Foster, a retired U.S. Army Lieutenant Colonel and perennial vert king contender, was second a year ago.
The resort established the vert pro- gram as a fun opportunity for friends and family to tally their ski mileage each season. Each morning throughout the season the standings are updated on the mountain’s website. The best recorded season came in the program’s first year — 2003-04 — when local Chris Chap- man totaled 5,306,096 feet.
Katherine Yobst finished third this winter with 3.16 million feet. Stephen Calger was fourth, 3.12 million feet and Tony Cooper was fifth, 3.07 million feet.
SKIERS REMINDED OF POSTSEASON RESTRICTIONS AT WHITEFISH MOUNTAIN RESORT
Skiers, snowshoers and hikers are re- minded that uphill restrictions remain in effect at Whitefish Mountain Resort for 14 days after the season ended April 12.
The U.S. Forest Service sent out a reminder that recreationists should continue traveling along the designated East Route on Big Mountain from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily for both uphill and down- hill travel. The restrictions are in effect from April 13 through April 26.
These restrictions are in place for public safety as the resort conducts lift and slope maintenance activities with heavy equipment, including plows and groomers operating on service roads and ski runs. After 4 p.m. and before 8 a.m., these restrictions are not in effect.
The East Route begins at the Base Lodge, crosses the bridge toward the Ski and Ride School and Clinic building and ascends lower Inspiration, Express- way, Moe-Mentum, and Fill Hill to the Summit. It is marked by red diamonds with an arrow and the word “UPHILL” printed on them. Maps showing the ap- proved travel route are posted at the Base Lodge, Village, Lift Plaza, and on- line at skiwhitefish.com.
MAIN STREET WIRE
FLATHEAD FOOD BANK HOSTS SOUP SUPPER FUNDRAISER
The 20th annual Flathead Food Bank Soup Supper and Auction will be held Friday, April 17 at Canvas Church in Kalispell. The event starts at 5:30 p.m.
This year’s event features soup bowls designed and presented by potters from around the Flathead Valley and wonder- ful soups from the Flathead’s finest eat- ing establishments.
In addition there will be numerous coveted items on the silent auction to bid on and packages made up especially for a live auction. The grand prize of the night will be a designer Artisan Quilt given away to one lucky participant.
Tickets are $30 each and may be pur- chased at the Flathead Food Bank, 1203 U.S. Highway 2 W. Suite 2, or by contact- ing the Flathead Food Bank at 752-3663.
WHITEFISH CHAMBER HANDS OUT ANNUAL COMMUNITY AWARDS
The Whitefish Chamber of Com- merce handed out its annual awards at its community banquet last week.
Lin Akey was given the Great White- fish Award for a lifetime of service to the Whitefish community. Akey has served on a variety of community boards, in- cluding the Whitefish Legacy Partners and Whitefish Community Foundation. A longtime branch president of Glacier Bank in Whitefish, Akey also helped or- ganize the Whitefish Winter Carnival and was named King Ullr LVI.
Greg Shaffer and the Lions Club of Whitefish was given the Citizen of the Year Award for their development of the Farms-to-Schools Project and commu- nity garden.
Sportsman & Ski Haus was named the Business of the Year for its commu- nity involvement and reinvestment into the site in Whitefish.
The Whitefish Winter Carnival was named the Tourism Business of the Year. Jim and Karen Morrell were named the Volunteers of the Year for their years of dedicated service to the Whitefish Chamber and other local nonprofit orga- nizations. The Morrells were part of the original Oktoberfest Organizing Com- mittee, and have organized, supervised and staffed the event’s Souvenir Sales operation for the last six years, working nearly every hour of every day during
the two-weekend event.
Kathy Juno was named the Ambas-
sador of the Year for more than 20 years of volunteerism to the Whitefish Cham- ber of Commerce. Juno is one of the orig- inal Chamber Ambassadors, and was se- lected as this year’s award-winner by a vote of her fellow ambassadors.
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