Resort sets record for skier visits

Whitefish Mountain Resort broke its record for skier visits in a single season on Sunday, nearly two weeks before the season ends.

Resort officials estimate skier visits so far this year will eclipse 350,000 before this weekend. The previous record of 346,859 total skier visits was set last season.

Resort spokeswoman Riley Polumbus said these records are usually set in the waning moments of the season. To surpass the previous high with so much time left is unusual, she said. The last day the lifts are open this year is April 8.

“In recent history, we haven’t surpassed a record like this,” Polumbus said. “It usually comes down to the last week or the last couple of days.”

She also noted many area schools are taking spring break this week, which should provide a spike in visitation.

Polumbus said changes made last summer helped the mountain handle the increased number of visitors without feeling too crowded. She said adding Chair 5 on the East Rim area helped spread out visitors and reduced traffic on chairs 1, 2 and 7, which serve as the main transportation corridors of the mountain.

The visitation numbers were bolstered by a record number of season-pass holders this winter and a superb snow season that kept skiers coming back. The mountain had received 376 inches of snow so far this season as of Monday, and the settled base was 151 inches at the summit.

Other resorts in the Rocky Mountain West have had a much more docile year, which could have pushed visitors toward the Flathead. Polumbus said they also saw strong numbers from out-of-town visitors who bought lift tickets.

In many cases, out-of-town visitation numbers are driven by a good snow year the previous season, which bodes well for the 2018-19 winter visitation numbers.

Polumbus said as the resort continues to see more traffic, officials are committed to curating the identity that made it popular in the first place. Maintaining excellent facilities and a laid back atmosphere were paramount, and Polumbus said patrons shouldn’t expect that to change.

“As we’ve been growing, we’ve been putting money back into the resort and doing things on an ongoing basis,” Polumbus said. “With continued success, we’ll continue to reinvest in the mountain, both summer and winter activities.”

Polumbus said the 2017 summer season was also one of the strongest in recent memory, though data was less reliable because fewer patrons rely on the lifts to recreate on the mountain.

A few annual events are slated for the next two weekends as Whitefish Mountain Resort gets set to wrap up the ski season.

On Saturday, March 31 unmanned dummies on skis careen down a slope and over a jump at the annual Dummy Derby. A top prize of $400 goes to the best flying creation. The derby begins at 4 p.m.

Also on Saturday, the resort hosts Brewfest beginning at 1 p.m. in the Upper Village area. Brewfest is a benefit for the free S.N.O.W. Bus.

The resort celebrates the final weekend of skiing with a splash Saturday, April 7 at the annual pond skim contest. Skiers and snowboarders attempt to cross a manmade pond for a chance at a $1,050 cash purse. This event always fills up for competitors and costumes are required. The contest starts at 2:30 p.m. at the bottom of the Middle Fork slope near Chair 1.

Visit www.skiwhitefish.com/event for more details.

Reporter Peregrine Frissell can be reached at (406) 758-4438 or pfrissell@dailyinterlake.com.