Blacktail ski season starts today

The Daily Inter Lake

Blacktail Mountain Ski Area opens today for the 2006 season.

With a settled midmountain base of 38 inches of snow, 100 percent of the mountain is ready for skiers and snowboarders to hit the slopes.

Blacktail has a triple chair lift, two double chairlifts and a handle tow. The mountain has a 1,440 vertical drop with a top elevation of 6,676 feet.

Seventy percent of the terrain is designated for intermediate level skiing, 15 percent is beginner and 15 percent expert. Runs currently are machine groomed with some powder.

Blacktail Mountain Ski Area is 14 miles west of Lakeside on Blacktail Mountain Road off U.S. 93. Turn just west of Blacktail Grocery in Lakeside and take the road to the top of the mountain.

The mountain will be open from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Wednesdays through Sundays.

For information: www.blacktailmountain.com