 Picture this: You’re at the top of a wild, Montana peak, snow whirling
around you, your ski partners and the trees that are frozen into icy hoodoos.
The ground drops off into an open field pointing own inches from your ski
tips, and your adrenalin, hot compared to your face, is pumping in your core.
At the bottom, at the end of all this, is a toasty lodge, warmed by the glow
of a roaring fire. If you ski like you’ve been skiing all morning, you’ll
ride the thrills and be there in no time.
Montana is blessed with a great variety of developed ski areas for everyone
from the family skier to the newbie, the adventurous to the seasoned veteran
who just wants to “cut it up” through beautiful terrain. Here you’ll find
places like Lost Trail, a locally owned, family run ski resort with just a
handful of lifts, a small base lodge and the best powder in the region, and
you’ll find places like Big Mountain, an expansive resort with renowned glade
skiing, a terrain park and long groomers overlooking a luxurious resort town.
Lost Trail is south of Hamilton while Big Mountain is at the northern end
of the Flathead Valley, but in between, two other skiing options await. Minutes
from the “big city” of Missoula, Snowbowl Ski Area sits on the edge of the
Rattlesnake Wilderness Area. Served by just two lifts and a rope tow, Snowbowl
holds a deceptively large amount of terrain to delight the beginner and the
expert, though some say the area is definitely more geared for those with
some experience.
The top, backside of the mountain has some of the friendliest cruising
runs around. The bowls, on the other hand, harbor steep chutes, small cliffs
and clusters of trees loaded with powder that can go unskied for days before
someone dares to find it. And, yes, at the bottom, you’ll find one of the
most highly regarded ski bars in the state. The Last Run Inn has earned a
reputation for its stone hearth, wood-fired pizza and mouth-watering Bloody
Mary’s.
About half way between Missoula and Whitefish, home of Big Mountain, sits
one of the state’s newest ski areas, Blacktail Mountain. Blacktail is a long
climb through the woods from Lakeside, a small town on the shores of Flathead
Lake. The “base” lodge is actually at the top of the mountain, and from a
table in the family-oriented restaurant, you can gaze out of the huge, glass
windows and watch the sun move across the lake — one of the largest natural
lakes in the West — along the Mission Range and up toward Glacier National
Park.
While skiing the mostly intermediate runs, there is no more beautiful scenery
in all of Montana ski country. Western Montana’s ski areas offer something
for everyone. They combine the best of exciting terrain with the wildness
of Montana. Don’t be surprised to see a deer or elk pounce through the woods
as you schuss along the trees. And because they tend to be smaller than many
of the larger resorts in Colorado and Utah, they are also more affordable,
without compromising on amenities. And lucky for us, they’re here in our home.
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