Resort sets skier-visit mark
The peaks of Glacier National Park paint the backdrop as a skier descends from the summit of Whitefish Mountain Resort on March 19. The resort closed for the winter season on Sunday. (Matt Baldwin/Daily Inter Lake)
The winter of 2016-17 delivered for Whitefish Mountain Resort.
The 407 inches of snowfall tallied on Big Mountain’s summit this ski season will enter the record books as the second most in the last 20 years — surpassed only by the 426 inches in 2007-08. Big Mountain averages 300 inches of annual snowfall.
Nearly 11 feet of settled snow still covered the summit on closing day Sunday, easily the deepest snowpack in the state.
With all that powder came the crowds. The resort tallied more than 346,000 skier visits during the season, a new record. The total edged out the previous best of 345,000 skier visits set during the 2013-14 season.
“This season surpassed expectations for sure,” resort spokesperson Riley Polumbus commented on Tuesday. “Across the board, from the snow to skier visits, overall it was a great year.”
Polumbus noted that prime conditions over Christmas week set the tone for the remainder of the season. The resort recorded its busiest day ever on Dec. 30 with 8,601 skiers on the mountain.
This season was also the best year ever for season passholder visits, Polumbus added.
According to resort statistics, Big Mountain received 46 inches of new snow in November, 98 inches in December, 37 inches in January, 115 inches in February, 102 inches in March and April squeezed out 9 inches.
AS THE season wrapped up last weekend, the resort revealed plans for $2.6 million in capital improvements for the upcoming ski season. Among the highlights of planned upgrades is a major renovation of the Ed and Mully’s restaurant and bar building in the upper village.
The building’s new exterior design will feature new siding, windows and doors. The atrium will be replaced with a new roof and floor-to-ceiling windows looking out onto the slopes. The ski-in entrance slopeside will be redesigned to improve access. A new entrance from the village will feature a covered stairway, walkway and improved connectivity.
As part of the new village entrance, the lower patio and upper deck that are currently not being utilized will be razed to create room for the stairway, and new parking spaces will be added. Additionally, a new covered bus shelter will be constructed.
Work on the Ed and Mully’s project is slated to start this week.
Another major capital improvement project has already begun.
Announced earlier this year, the resort is planning to relocate Chair 5 from Ptarmigan Bowl to the East Rim area. Several upgrades will be made to the lift including a new electric motor, new drive, new braking system, new hydraulic tension system, a re-build of the gear box and restraining bars for chairs.
The bottom terminal of Chair 5 will be located near the intersection of Russ’s Street and Moe-Mentum ski runs. The top terminal will be located on the “knob” just west of Don’s Descent on the East Rim. Skiers will be able to access East Rim, North Bowl as well as North Side Chairs 7 and 11 and T-Bar 2.
The resort is also planning some new summer season improvements. A new lift-accessed bike trail will be added to the Bad Rock zone, and a new “Strider Park” for children ages 2-6 will go at the Base Lodge.