Small MT ski areas

[powpowpowderwheels]

I'm writing an article in the MSU student newspaper about ski areas around Montana, but I haven't been to all of them. I was hoping that you guys could fill me in on the ones I haven't visited, or only been to a couple times.

I was hoping to find out what the vibe/ atmosphere was at each of these places was, along with who average skier at each area is. Also, what are some of the things that make each ski area individual (e.g. the ridge at bridger or the Beirstube at Red Lodge).

Any stories/anecdotes would be sweet too, pretty much anything you can tell me about the following places.

The List:

Turner Mountain
Lookout Pass
Blacktail Mountain
Snowbowl
Lost Trail
Discovery Basin
Maverick Mountain
Great Divide
Showdown
Teton Pass
Bear Paw
Red Lodge
Whitefish

[AsheanMT]

Search function. Montana mags just did a 5 page thread on Montana resorts a couple of weeks ago.

Fuck it. here ya go http://www.tetongravity.com/forums/s...ad.php?t=98304

[Mike Pow]

First off, if you don't want to come across as a complete idiot cross the resort formerly known as Big Mountain off your list. Hardly a small MT ski area.

[mtskier]

#3 lookout pass - small resort, mellow terrain, great prices, deep snow, $5 one-ride lift ticket to access bc. big idaho crowd. has its own I-90 exit, open thursday-monday, feels like the 90s (few fat skis, etc.), 100 miles from missoula, parking lot full of slednecks for nearby trails, nice tree skiing (thinned out glades), uncrowded, skied knee deep open-to-close the day after thanksgiving last year

#1 lost trail - very deep snow, one-ride lift ticket for ob, very rustic, growing park scene, young crowd (popular for students), fun parking lot scene, good terrain (some above tree line on saddle mtn.), has a rope tow lift, great drive through the bitterroot range, open thursday-sunday, 90 miles from missoula, morning half day ticket (very rare), uncrowded, find fresh snow days after a storm

#2 discovery basin - great terrain, lots of steep runs, okay snow, has big storms though, very rustic, nice small town (phillipsburg), 90 miles from missoula, killer college rates, uncrowded, good prices, skiers of all ages and abilities

#10+ snowbowl - terrible snow, mostly smelly tele skiers (not worth reviewing). only has 2 slow double chairs. no park, no grooming, no snowmaking (i only say that because they need it). it is not mad rive glen VT! people seem to like the backcountry access. but don't believe the hype though. its not steep, no college discounts, and there is no snow! 15 miles from missoula but lots of people have given up on snowbowl in favor of lost trail and disco.

none of these resorts have villages, condos, or crazy growth, which is nice.

i'll try to get back to you with some stories. hope this helps.

[acostiga]

blacktail is pretty close to kalispell, up here in the flathead. there's a pretty long, winding access road to blacktail from the little town of lakeside, mt. from what i've heard, it's a top-down area- the amenities are at the top of the hill instead of at the base.

few of my students have passes there- and i'll ask them for some input tomorrow. i've never been, even though i won a free ticket through a radio trivia contest. i'm usually up at big mountain or up in b.c. instead.

cheers.

[skibuminwyo]

i learned to ski at maverick. one double chairlift, one rope tow, amazing backcountry potential. first place i ever got drunk, first place i ever did a torchlight run... first place for alot of things

[fiddler]

Don't forget Marshall!

[Rasputin]

Don't forget Marshall!

Why not? It's been closed for years now.

[Sirshredalot]

Whitefish = Big Mountain = not small, by any measure

[Gripen]

Why all the Snowbowl hating around here as of late??? I love that place.

Anyway, I went to HS in the small town near Turner, Libby, but havent been there since the addition of the new lift and lodge. Used to have a super long old T-bar, the kind wiith the huge external springs. When it got cold sometimes the springs would stick, making the t bar an impromptu chairlift if you were light enough. The T bar was run with an old Cat diesel engine, and the local ski tech also cooked your burger in the small lodge. No grooming but awesome snow if you hit it right. There is another mag on here that can speak a bit more about it I am sure. I havent skiied there in almost 9 years, but going to try to make it back this winter,
Marshall has been closed for a long time now, got my first ski related job as an instructor for the local after-school ski programs. I taught three little girls to ski when they were four-five and the coached them ski racing at Snowbowl a couple years later for another three years. Great stuff.

And Whitefish should certainly be off your list...

[montanaskier]

Red Lodge pass holder for several years. A nice local hill. The town has a good ski vibe, very laid back, life just seems slower. Snow is inconsistent to say the least but catch an epic spring dump and it can be a great place to ski. Cole Creek along with the drainage are the best areas on the mountain and never skied out. Lifts are slow at best except for the Cole Creek quad. There is another quad but the terrain sucks and it hasn't been turned on in two seasons. Lodge is quaint, Bierstube is the place to see bands, have a beer, sit on deck. A nice local hill. Interesting to see what the new owners do to the place.

[hialtitude]

Lets face the facts, the small MT resorts are small cus there are lots of problems. That being said there are some really fun places due to the atmosphere/party environment.

Since your article will be for the student paper, don't underestimate the power of a good on-slope bar. Big Mountain and Snowbowl excell there (in my opinion) where as a place such as Discovery has great terrain but possibly the worst bar scene I have ever encountered.

If you look through this thread, Countryfunk does a good job summarizing his opinion.

[danimal's dead]

Blacktail would be a good one to profile. Like Acostiga said it is a drive to the top ski resort, sometimes there is more pow on the road than on the hill.
They have a few decent glades, and some surprisingly twisty and steep groomers. My biggest complaint is the slow lifts, but with no crowds ever, there is no hurry to get to the top. One positive is that the place is completely North facing so the snow quality is excellent, you can get some killer Spring corn in April if they stay open. There is no develpment whatsoever, 1 lodge and that is it. You also get incredible views if and when the sun ever comes out, you can see down the Swan up the Whitefish range down to flathead lake and into glacier.

[danimal's dead]

Oh yeah, Blacktail's top elevation is nearly 6,800 feet, and since it is all North facing the snow quality is usually excellent. And all 5th graders get a free season pass, that makes it really popular with kids.

[danimal's dead]

Turner is a powder skiers little wet dream. They now have a lift instead of a rope tow. You can rent the mountain out for your own private party on most weekdays other than Friday. You can camp in the lot, start a giant roaring bonfire and party like you're at a dead show all night long. It's fairly steep with great continuous pitch, the glades are very nice, and you can usually lap the same lines over and over without anyone tracking anything out. Bring a chainsaw and a rifle you may need them both. Seriusly if you feel like poaching a deer or dropping a tree, just go for it, you're in the Yaak.

[SuperChief]

Teton Pass was renamed Rocky Mountain High, now appears to be Teton Pass again. It's located on the east side of the Bob. First mountain I ever skied. Area schools run several ski busses on the weekends. The lift doesn't go to the top of the mountain but the hike up is about 20min and the patrol aren't concerned with avy gear. There is a ton of snowmobile trails, cliffs and fun stuff to hit the area with snowmobile access.

Overall it's a good family mountain that gets mediocre snow and West Dakota wind. but it's cheap and was close to home.

Image below is from: WinterMT



Showdown is a good area, like Lookout, Disco, Turner and other small hills they accumate snow all week while closed, open up friday and you get to go Kill it. My absolute deepest snorkel day was at Showdown on a Thursday, they seem to get some pretty good snowfall there. It has a good lodge and I think the race program is good there too.

Great Divide is good for night skiing, Taught my Wife to snowboard there.

[powpowpowderwheels]

Wow guys, this is great.

Yeah, I know Whitefish aka Big Mtn aka whatever is a pretty big area but I put it on the list because I haven't been there and don't know people who have. So enough flaming.

thanks a ton, keep it coming.

[The word Gaper is overused]

SearchTooth Resort is kick ass so it

www.skibrokeback.com

[Urclueless]

www.skibrokeback.com

Hey dumbass, did you forget your home hill is in wyoming

[montanagirl]

Showdown is very low key or use dto be. Good race program, used to be run by Skip Brelsford, Dan (MSU Ski Team). Not sure if he is still there. Lots of Great Falls people and ranchers. We used to snowmobile over Kings Mountain and the mines from the backside of our ranch when we were kids to go skiing. Otherwise it was like an hour drive to go around. Funny how things change, I don't let my kids leave the house without a cell phone now and we used to be gone for a day and no one worried in probably not the most safe conditions.

[schwerty]

Don't forget Marshall!

Drunken tele racing, (at night), at Marshall was about about as good as it gets.

[montanagirl]

Might have to start a WY list also. I remember days at Antelope Butte and if we agreed to come down and race there, the owners allowed us to stay overnight in the lodge. Not too many places have trust like that anymore.

[Gripen]

Drunken tele racing, (at night), at Marshall was about about as good as it gets.

I remember setting the courses for that drinking pitchers on the chairlift on the way up. Good times.

[schueb82414]

Might have to start a WY list also. I remember days at Antelope Butte and if we agreed to come down and race there, the owners allowed us to stay overnight in the lodge. Not too many places have trust like that anymore.

A-Butte was fun when there was snow, the lifts havent spun for a couple years though, loads of bc in the big horn mtn region though

[truth]

Don't forget Marshall!

I 'll never forget Marshall. Closest I've ever come to dying on skis was there. Musta been 1992...had been up all night tripping my nards off in Missoula (great night, 18" of fresh snow gave way to cloudless skies and a full moon) and headed out to Marshall to ski. I was not quite right in the head and didn't realize until it was too late that my boots were not buckled. Flying down under the lift on 210 GS boards I was maching through a minefield of bumps, the world blurring by as I str8lined for the bottom. With my brain on full tilt overload all I knew was that the parking lot was coming up way too fast. Somehow I managed to get to the ground in a slide for life. In a yard sale to end all yard sales I blasted right through the fence netting and ended up beneath the bumper of an F-250. Kind folks rushed to my aide but I was fine, well I wasn't injured anyway. I sat in the snow for about an hour and then drove back to Missoula swearing never to ski again before sleeping off an acid trip.