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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