WOOT WOOT! Nukin' in Missoula

**stuckathuntermtn** · 01-05-2015, 05:23 PM

Yeah, heard it slid big and I believe it. Still skied well. Interesting day, for sure.

**Mantana1** · 01-05-2015, 08:54 PM

Originally Posted by Smokey2012

That access in all owned by TNC (The Nature Conservancy) now...formally PCTC (Plum creek). All form PCTC rules apply. As any good Montanan should know, always know and respect private property, which is super easy to figure out.

http://svc.mt.gov/msl/mtcadastral/

No excuse for trespassing these days.

Cheers

Thanks for the info. Was my first time up there and was simply following what appeared to be the standard access (not saying simply following others is the best approach, it simply made sense at the time given the circumstances).

**0oMtnRidero0** · 01-06-2015, 10:15 AM

Originally Posted by Mantana1

Thanks for the info. Was my first time up there and was simply following what appeared to be the standard access (not saying simply following others is the best approach, it simply made sense at the time given the circumstances).

No problem...if you were following sled tracks, you were spot on. Just wanted to post some of this stuff as the land ownership has changed up there, local private landowners have been bitchy in the past, and it's great access we don't want to loose.

Hope you had a great day up there!

**brutah** · 01-06-2015, 10:42 AM

I thought creaky fossil had a seasons pass..... what a cry baby

**sparkletarte.** · 01-06-2015, 06:53 PM

hi Montana! I'm coming down Jan 22-26ish. Tentative hits are Turner, Whitefish, and possibly Montana Snowbowl. We'll be checking the snow and picking from there. Any tips for places to stay, eat, drink, and ski in those places would be awesome. Open to lift access sidecountry but no full touring- we are with a friend from back east who I don't think has all the gear (we do have spare avy gear just not the skis). He wants to hit up some small mtns. I have to go home on the 25 or 26, my friends might stay longer, and maybe hit up Lost Trail. Probably won't have time to go much farther south unless it gets way more snow.

**senior researcher** · 01-06-2015, 08:02 PM

slopeside.

**senior researcher** · 01-06-2015, 08:03 PM

your a chick ,rite?

**cloud cult** · 01-07-2015, 09:53 AM

Originally Posted by sparkletarte.

hi Montana! I'm coming down Jan 22-26ish. Tentative hits are Turner, Whitefish, and possibly Montana Snowbowl. We'll be checking the snow and picking from there. Any tips for places to stay, eat, drink, and ski in those places would be awesome. Open to lift access sidecountry but no full touring- we are with a friend from back east who I don't think has all the gear (we do have spare avy gear just not the skis). He wants to hit up some small mtns. I have to go home on the 25 or 26, my friends might stay longer, and maybe hit up Lost Trail. Probably won't have time to go much farther south unless it gets way more snow.

Turner is weekends only (and Friday?), and LT is Thursday-Sunday. If you go from Whitefish to Missoula you'll also be driving past Blacktail.

**sparkletarte.** · 01-07-2015, 10:39 AM

yep turner is fri-sun. tentative plan is turner fri, then whitefish and/or snowbowl. If we have to pick btw whitefish and snowbowl... ? and what about blacktail vs snowbowl? Oops I meant Lookout, not Lost Trail.

yes senior researcher. I can see you've earned your name. hehe.

**Buster Highmen** · 01-07-2015, 10:52 AM

Originally Posted by sparkletarte.

yep turner is fri-sun. tentative plan is turner fri, then whitefish and/or snowbowl. If we have to pick btw whitefish and snowbowl... ? and what about blacktail vs snowbowl? Oops I meant Lookout, not Lost Trail.

yes senior researcher. I can see you've earned your name. hehe.

skip Blacktail, but consider Discovery Basin if you have time.
I have an irrational preference for Snowbowl dating from the days of Marshall, but I have to admit that Whitefish is realistically better.

**stuckathuntermtn** · 01-07-2015, 11:49 AM

I didn't even realize Turner existed till just now, lol. Hit Whitefish and Snowbowl. Aim for the trees. If time/snow works out, hit up Disco or Lost Trail. Stay in Whitefish/Kalispell and Missoula. Losttrail Powder Thursdays are great. Shit, if it snows a lot, you could probably just stay up in Whitefish. There's a lot to ski up there.

**skuff** · 01-07-2015, 12:41 PM

Originally Posted by sparkletarte.

hi Montana! I'm coming down Jan 22-26ish. Tentative hits are Turner, Whitefish, and possibly Montana Snowbowl. We'll be checking the snow and picking from there. Any tips for places to stay, eat, drink, and ski in those places would be awesome. Open to lift access sidecountry but no full touring- we are with a friend from back east who I don't think has all the gear (we do have spare avy gear just not the skis). He wants to hit up some small mtns. I have to go home on the 25 or 26, my friends might stay longer, and maybe hit up Lost Trail. Probably won't have time to go much farther south unless it gets way more snow.

Don't know those areas well enough to give any advice about skiing, but The Shack Cafe is excellent if you're looking for breakfast in Missoula. The pancakes there are fantastic.

**Rasputin** · 01-07-2015, 01:25 PM

Originally Posted by sparkletarte.

hi Montana! I'm coming down Jan 22-26ish. Tentative hits are Turner, Whitefish, and possibly Montana Snowbowl. We'll be checking the snow and picking from there. Any tips for places to stay, eat, drink, and ski in those places would be awesome. Open to lift access sidecountry but no full touring- we are with a friend from back east who I don't think has all the gear (we do have spare avy gear just not the skis). He wants to hit up some small mtns. I have to go home on the 25 or 26, my friends might stay longer, and maybe hit up Lost Trail. Probably won't have time to go much farther south unless it gets way more snow.

I researched Montana ski areas for another website, a few years ago, Some of your answers can be found here.

**cloud cult** · 01-07-2015, 01:38 PM

Turner's access road makes Snowbowl's look like a super highway.

**stuckathuntermtn** · 01-07-2015, 07:36 PM

The Shack is excellent for $12 omelettes.

**yeahman** · 01-07-2015, 07:50 PM

Snowbowl over Whitefish any day for skiing. Unless it's clear and you can see Glacier from Whitefish, then ski Whitefish. Have a great trip.

**406** · 01-08-2015, 12:35 PM

Originally Posted by yeahman

Snowbowl over Whitefish any day for skiing. Unless it's clear and you can see Glacier from Whitefish, then ski Whitefish. Have a great trip.

I would suggest the same. I don't eat out much in Missoula, but think snowbowl bar has best pizza in town. If you like beer, stop in at Big Sky Brewing for free samples. Kettle house north side also has a nice tasting room and Cold Smoke is yummy. For dinner I would suggest the Dino Cafe in the back of Charlie B's or James bar if you want something nicer.

Lookout can be fun, not very big or steep, but non weekend powder days you could potentially be one of about 20 people skiing...so lots of good turns. I think it gets busy on weekends these days.

Take and post some photos from Turner.

**creaky fossil** · 01-08-2015, 12:39 PM

Originally Posted by stuckathuntermtn

The Shack is excellent for $12 omelettes.

served cold by an apathetic person who'd rather be elsewhere. them trustafarian Griz U students who come from Modern Urbanity, they still hate Missoula's everything even though it's about 250% more yuppified now than even 5 years back.

**jamal** · 01-09-2015, 10:53 PM

Lost trail was pretty crusty today but if you went way over from chair 4 it was out of the wind enough to still be pretty ok. How is snowbowl?

Originally Posted by creaky fossil

served cold by an apathetic person who'd rather be elsewhere. them trustafarian Griz U students who come from Modern Urbanity, they still hate Missoula's everything even though it's about 250% more yuppified now than even 5 years back.

Isn't that everywhere?

**creaky fossil** · 01-10-2015, 12:00 PM

Originally Posted by jamal

Isn't that everywhere?

didn't used to be the vibe at Old Town Cafe. fuck the passage of time, it kills everything good! even Taco Gringo (del Sol) used to be friendly people. now it's all hipsters showing their barista disdain for the "rednecks" they imagine to populate their ersastz Mountain Valhalla. "but I thought it would be just like Portlandia in Missoula!"

I can't speak to Bowl conditions today, maybe tomorrow PM I can tell you.

**sparkletarte.** · 01-10-2015, 12:08 PM

Thanks everyone! Is Snowbowl less prone to being socked in than Whitefish? Two of us are from the Koots so we love our trees, but I'm not sure about our eastern friend.

How are your bases out there? We are still on the low side up here, lots of hazards in the trees, but we don't have a lot of summer grooming.

Hopefully it starts snowing.

**stuckathuntermtn** · 01-10-2015, 12:56 PM

Bases are fine. You won't need your rock skis, but you may not want to venture off trail when you get near the base. <-only applies to Snowbowl. Not sure about the visibility 1 vs the other. Snowbowl can be quite foggy, but yesterday was a classic inversion day where it was cold and damp and grey in the valley, a little warmer at Snowbowl's parking lot, and nice and sunny up top.

**RootSkier** · 01-10-2015, 08:12 PM

Originally Posted by creaky fossil

didn't used to be the vibe at Old Town Cafe. fuck the passage of time, it kills everything good! even Taco Gringo (del Sol) used to be friendly people. now it's all hipsters showing their barista disdain for the "rednecks" they imagine to populate their ersastz Mountain Valhalla. "but I thought it would be just like Portlandia in Missoula!"

I can't speak to Bowl conditions today, maybe tomorrow PM I can tell you.

Taco del Sol has always been awful. Unless you like dry beans and hard rice and no fucks given. Can't believe that is your example.