Skiing still fine at Big Mountain
Big Mountain has snow and the skiing is fine.
That's the message Big Mountain officials want spread far and wide as unseasonable warm weather continues to close down ski resorts in other areas.
"Big Mountain is in a lucky position," spokesman Brian Schott said. "We have had 136 inches of snow fall so far this winter and we have a 60-inch settled base at the summit. It's the deepest base in Montana."
The snow level in the village area is about 15 inches.
"Our consolidated base is also exceptional this year so as soon as we get more snow we'll be right back to the normal ski conditions for midwinter," Schott said. "I personally skied today [Friday] and conditions are fantastic on the groomed runs. While I'd rather be skiing deep powder, this is like late March skiing due to the temperatures.
"We're basically skiing corn and sugar snow at the summit, which is very carveable and fun."
At the lower elevations, conditions are slushy. The snowmaking Big Mountain was able to do earlier in the winter is serving the resort well on the south face at the bottom of the mountain where thinner cover is emerging because of above-average temperatures. The north side of the mountain, which has been covered in snow since October, is in great shape, Schott said.
Hellroaring Basin (the west bowl) remains closed, since the bottom of Chair 11 is the lowest elevation on the mountain and the coverage on Hellfire ski run was getting too thin.
Big Mountain is 90 percent open.
Blacktail Mountain Ski Area at Lakeside is also holding its own, with 13 runs open and a base of 31 inches at the summit and 9 inches at the base.
Turner Mountain at Libby is closed, as are Silver Mountain near Kellogg, Idaho, and Mount Spokane in Washington. Schweitzer Mountain at Sandpoint is open with limited operations.
Ski conditions are the most dismal in Washington, where the OnTheSnow Web site reported 10 ski resorts closed because of warm weather. Idaho resorts are faring somewhat better.
Big Mountain Snowpack History
Summit Total Snow Summit Depth
1/28/1998 128 69
1/28/1999 229 103
1/28/2000 172 82
1/28/2001 85 34
1/28/2002 209 93
1/28/2003 96 63
1/28/2004 194 86
1/28/2005 136 60
Average 156 74