Page 63 - Flathead Beacon // 9.23.15

WEEKEND OUTLOOK
Riley Polumbus
location and its atmospheric tendencies. There are days when we look up and cannot see the mountain and hope it is dumping fresh powder
our case, a really good, yet inexpensive, pint of beer.
It feels good to be spoken of so highly and proud that all the hard work and investments we’ve put in over the last few years have been noticed. At the same time, we’ve been around long enough (longer than most of the other nine resorts on this list); to know that we can- not lose sight of who we are in spite of these accolades.
While making SKI Magazine’s Top 10 list is good for PR, and that means there may be a few new skiers coming to check us out who’ve never been here before, we are very proud of the fact that more than half of those who come to our mountain are pass holders. Montana winters make for good skiers from the very young sliding downhill between a parent’s legs with a pacifier in their mouth to those who have been skiing this mountain for half a century.
It’s nearly impossible to get through the line at Chair 1 without hearing someone call out your name, and even more of a challenge to reach the summit and not see someone you know. The mountain is where we gather with friends, where we share good times, where we grow up and grow old. The mountain is synonymous with winter and with fun, and clouds and snow.
There will be clouds, and there will be snow and good times will follow. The season pass sale ends September 30th and after that we’ll count the days to the start of another season in paradise.
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WWe’re on Cloud 9
WEEKLY ON-MOUNTAIN NEWS
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2015
© Noah Clayton
e like clouds. We #9 Resort in the West which included high embrace them! rankings in categories such as #6 in Value and We pretty much #9 in Service. We also knew that being on this
have to with our geographic list should be taken with a grain of salt, or, in
on the slopes. Then there are inversion days when we stand in the sunshine looking down upon clouds covering the valley below. Going into this season we feel the way we do on an inversion day, like we are on Cloud Nine.
The first time you ride up Chair 1 this sea- son you also may feel like you’re on Cloud Nine. As you cast your eyes toward the Sum- mit House you’re going to feel an additional sense of pride and excitement. Its exterior “extreme makeover” is exciting to see, easy on the eyes and is just the tip of the iceberg. Walk through the new enlarged entrance and you’ll immediately notice the new restrooms, both men’s and women’s, located for easy in and out access. Once inside you’ll want to make your way upstairs, yes, upstairs where the new mezzanine level provides about 135 more seats and new views to the northwest enabling us to see in all directions from in- side the Summit House.
As you prepare to unload Chair 1 you will be taken aback at another sight. In the same spot you’ve been accustomed to seeing that modest yet friendly log cabin stands an attractive edifice four times its size. Our pa- trollers will also be on Cloud Nine with their new digs for many reasons not the least of which is plumbing which will allow them to treat injuries on the premises. The extra space
will allow our patrol to spend more time dur- ing their shifts at the summit where they can more easily be dispatched to guests in need.
All these changes at the summit are a part of a “to do” list we’ve been working on, a list of improvements that are meant to make our mountain more amicable and functional so that everyone who spends their winters, whether they are working or playing, will have a better on-mountain experience than before. The sense of accomplishment com- pleting these projects feels pretty darn good, and we love how they’ve turned out.
Apparently our guests approve of what we are doing because we’ve been popular lately.
More of you than ever bought a season pass last year, and while we did not see record “skier visits” it was one of our better seasons ever. Oh yeah, then there’s this little thing that happens this time every year called the SKI Magazine Resort Guide.
For several decades the magazine has pub- lished a list of the top resorts in North Amer- ica. For years we’d be pleased to be part of the top 30 hovering around 20, a few years ago we were shocked to be placed at the 11th spot, and last year we gushed at being “Lucky #13.”
We are beside ourselves in amazement that SKI Magazine readers have spoken and added our resort to the Top 10 resorts as the
SUMMER ACTIVITIES ARE AVAILABLE FRIDAY- SUNDAY ONLY THROUGH SEPTEMBER 27.
Photo © GlacierWorld.com
SUMMER PERKS FOR PASSHOLDERS
If you had a Winter 2014/15 Season Pass you have Summer 2015 Zip Line Tour, Alpine Slide, Bike, Walk in the Treetops and Aerial Adventure Park perks still available: skiwhitefish.com/perks
SEASON PASS SALE! DEADLINE SEPT. 30
PASS SALE EVENTS ARE HAPPENING NOW! Check the website for in-town pass sale locations or avoid lines and buy online at estore.skiwhitefish.com. Register for Programs & Teams
as soon as possible! Spots fill up especially fast for Kids Programs.
877-SKI-FISH | SKIWHITEFISH.COM
SEPTEMBER 23, 2015 // FLATHEADBEACON.COM
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