Montana spring skiing
Montana spring skiing.
As spring unfolds before our eyes, get outside and enjoy Montana spring skiing at its finest. The birds are chirping, the sun is shining as the slopes soften and transition into a corn and slush-fest. For any decent Montanan, the days on piste are equal to the days hiking, biking, or fishing this great state. If your life is not in a place to attend all these great events, live vicariously through others, and always apply plenty of sunscreen!
You can begin your spring debauchery tour with a classic take on spring skiing in Montana. Wander down the Bitterroot Valley enjoying the mountainous views, and arrive at Lost Trail Powder Mountain for the Skiesta End of the Season Event. As you pull into the parking lot March 31st, the music is already pumping as the parking attendants, with wigs on and colorful clothes on direct you to a sweet parking spot right up front. Hey, was one of those parking attendants Scott Grasser, the owner? The lift line already swelling in anticipation, bending around the full icy pond, you join the masses for a day of fun, snow, and sun in the Montana spring! Check out losttrail.com for more information and see you there! On to the next adventure…
March has come and gone, some resorts have closed down their doors due to Forest Service land grants and others have simply run out of snow, or motivation. But a shining gem remains whirring away in the Montana spring, one located in Madison County within the Spanish Peaks. Big Sky Resort is the second largest resort by acreage in America, stays open well into April and always caps off the season with a “Wet and Wild Pondskim!” The water, crystal blue and inviting beckons novice and advanced skiers alike to test their skill and prowess, to the crowd’s delight and criticism. Snowball fights, plenty of crashes, and a global crowd makes Big Sky Pond Skim a great way to put the exclamation point on an amazing season of skiing, and a great way to enjoy spring skiing in Montana! Who else is open? Check out BigSky for more information!
Finally, as everyone transitions from ski gear to Chaco’s, shorts and fly rods, a few bastions of ski-dom still exist. Let’s go explore the Beartooth Highway and the seasonal Spring/Summer resort Beartooth Basin. In the 1960’s this area was a ski racing training ground, one of the oldest in North America. Since then it has changed hands and rebranded, most recently Beartooth Basin. With snow lasting deep into July, this is your opportunity to squeeze every last drop out of the season, and enjoy Montana spring skiing! Check out http://www.beartoothbasin.com/ for more information and access to another amazing adventure in Montana.
As I finish this blog I realize that great minds think alike, as I stumbled upon this article in the Missoulian about Montana spring skiing. Check it out here, missoulian.com and continue to check back to funmt.com for more Montana adventures as the seasons change. Funmt.com for you and me!
If you cannot get enough, just like I was years ago, head west my friend, head west! A mere 532 miles west(ish) lies Mt. Hood, and Timberline Lodge. The only year-round ski resort (closed in September for maintenance) Timberline rests upon the Palmer Glacier Snowfield on the slopes of Mt. Hood in north-central Oregon. It was built in the 1920’s as a CCC project, and to this day gathers crowds for the scenery, construction techniques, skiing and connection to history! Summer ski/ride camps merge with freestyle skateboard and bicycle camps, gymnastics and Olympic training to create the unique mix that is Timberline’s visitors. Check out https://www.timberlinelodge.com/ for more information and chase that endless winter!
