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WEEKEND OUTLOOK
LOW59oF HI37oF
LAAST CHANCE TO BUY YOUR PASS
WEEKLY ON-MOUNTAIN NEWS
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2016
bright blue Sep- While we can feel very good for shar- tember sky and ing company with other top notch resorts crisp autumn air in the top 10 for Service three years in a
triggers a state of mind that row, we are the only one in that group who
Riley Polumbus
mountain people know well. Summer has faded away, and feeling roused by the change, you grab your favorite hoody and venture
also places in the top 10 for Value. In other words, to get top level service you typically have to pay more. Here, we’ve managed to provide this service without the premium price. Something else we are proud of— keeping skiing a ordable.
Sure, there are lots of pricing schemes out there, lots of ski passes to choose from that allow skiers to visit many places for one price. Upfront it is a good deal, espe- cially if you have the time and the means to travel to all these great places to feed your passion for mountains and skiing. It is one way to spend the winter.
en there’s our way. Sometime in the next few months, that mountain at the north end of the valley will turn white and you will feel a collective aura of enthusi- asm across the Flathead. Eager skiers and snowboarders, young and old, will share that feeling we get every fall, a feeling that bonds our communities together.
We will all count down the days to when we’ll slide up to Chair 1, greet our favorite lefties, ride up to the summit and high ve a patroller. We’ll smile the rst time we walk into the Summit House greeted by smiling cooks and cashiers along with our friends, many of whom are one and the same.
We really have it made don’t we? See you on the mountain December 7th for our 70th season!
into the cool mountain air to breathe in its chill and dream of the akes to come.
ose of us lucky enough to call the mountains home, and more speci cally to have a mountain to call a home hill, cher- ish this time of year. e anticipation for the upcoming winter season is fun, like wondering how many inches we’ll get overnight, it’s the talk of the town. Prepar- ing ourselves by pulling out winter clothes, starting an exercise program and yes, buy- ing a season pass are annual passages we gratefully accept as a means to worthy end.
ose of us who work in the ski indus- try also “gear up” in other ways—shifting into higher gear to prepare our mountain, reaching out to our customers and seek- ing new friends to share our story—and telling them why they want to come here this winter. Other than the rst snow of the season another highly-anticipated milestone is the release of SKI Magazine’s annual Resort Guide. It’s especially fun when your resort receives a high rank and notable ratings in the 18 categories.
is year we landed at #11 overall, a seat we held four years ago. e real excit- ing news is that we received top 10 rank-
Dreaming of bluebird powder days? So are we! 2016/17 Winter Season Passes are on sale NOW—but not for long. Last day to get the lowest pricing is September 30th. PHOTO BY NOAH CLAYTON
ings in seven of the 18 categories—the most we’ve ever received! We also ranked in the top ve for Service (#3) and Value (#5) what are becoming our hallmark cat- egories.
e SKI Magazine ranking is just one more fun ritual that bonds us together in getting pumped for the season to come. We have much to celebrate about this year’s results. Our grooming department should be proud that it received a decent nod from readers who ranked us No. 8 in that category. We came in at No. 10 for our Character, Kid Friendliness, Lodging and Overall Satisfaction.
Looking at the other two categories, Service and Value, we should be extremely proud, and grateful, to all those who work on our mountain, as well as all of you who work in hospitality, for giving our guests a warm welcome and making them feel at home. Ranking No. 3 for Service, right behind Deer Valley and Beaver Creek, and ahead of Sun Valley, Snowbasin, Aspen, Whistler Blackcomb, Steamboat, Tellu- ride and Snowmass speaks volumes of who we are as a community. We thank you, all of you, for your role in receiving this rank- ing.
SEASON PASS SALE DEADLINE SEPT. 30
BUY YOUR PASS NOW.
DISCOUNTED PRICING ONLY LASTS THROUGH SEPTEMBER 30. View in-town event dates and details at skiwhite sh.com/events. Can’t make it to an event? Buy your pass online at estore.skiwhite sh.com, by calling us at 406-862-2900 or in person on the mountain at Base Lodge Tickets & Information. Full details and pricing online.
TIP: Sign up for Programs & Teams now. Spots ll up especially fast for Kids Programs.
Photo © Noah Couser
877-SKI-FISH | SKIWHITEFISH.COM
SEPTEMBER 28, 2016 // FLATHEADBEACON.COM
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