‘Tis the ski-son: Big Mountain slopes set to open Thursday

Whitefish Mountain Resort employees were busy “braaaping” around the slopes on snowmobiles last week as they scurried to manage snow-making machines and wrap up final preparations before opening day Thursday, Dec. 7.

Hope lied in a weekend snowstorm that walloped Big Mountain on Saturday, upping the summit base depth to 34 inches. The lower slopes remained a work in progress, with tall grass poking out where snow groomers had not yet compacted fresh snowfall.

“The backside is shaping up more quickly than the front,” said resort spokesperson Chad Sokol. “It’s a mixed bag, but we’re looking at opening on time.”

Snow-making opportunities were limited in November by mild temperatures, but crews were able to target some high-traffic areas as conditions allowed.

Sokol anticipated a limited opening Thursday, which typically means backside terrain only with the possibility of downloading off the summit. The resort planned to reveal opening-day plans later in the week.

“We hope everyone comes up and gets some good turns, but keep an eye on fellow guests and keep safety in mind with the early season snowpack,” Sokol advised.

Predictions of a dry and warm El Nino winter didn’t deter season pass sales. Final numbers weren’t in yet, but Sokol said the tally will likely come in a couple hundred up from last season, in the 15,000 to 16,000 range. Conversely, frequent skier card sales were slightly down.

Nonetheless, Sokol said the resort was planning for a typical busy season. Last year, the resort broke its visitation record with more than 500,000 skiers and snowboarders. The 2021-22 season saw around 464,000 visits.

Hiring has gone smoothly, Sokol said, with international workers on J-1 exchange visas set to fill a number of mountain operation roles. The resort usually hits peak staffing levels during Christmas week.

Senior management positions remain the same as last year, with Nick Polumbus entering his second season as president and CEO. Bill Cubbage returns as mountain operations director, and Keagan Zoellner will be the ski patrol manager again.

Resort upgrades over the summer were limited in scope compared to last year when the mountain debuted the Snow Ghost Express six-person lift.

Among the more noticeable additions on the ski slopes is a new surface conveyor on an expanded beginner slope above the Base Lodge. The new conveyor manufactured by Sunkid begins near the top of the existing carpet and continues up the slope.

“You can hop off the top of the first carpet or take the second,” Sokol explained. “It basically doubles the beginning terrain.”

Both of the conveyors feature an overhead cover to keep snow off the surface.

Sokol said maintenance crews tended to the Chair 4 Snow Ghost Express and Chair 2 lifts over the summer, which were both plagued by mechanical issues last winter. A braking malfunction on Chair 4 led to the evacuation of roughly 150 skiers in February, while Chair 2 was temporarily shut down last year, as well. 

In a letter to pass-holders last season, Polumbus chalked up the ongoing malfunctions on the brand-new Snow Ghost Express to difficulties created by a labor shortage and supply chain issues, and noted that Chair 2 was in need of a “comprehensive mechanical upgrade” that was planned to take place over the summer.

“Chair 4 is good to go as far as we know,” Sokol said of the Leitner-Poma lift. “I think we worked out all the kinks.”

Off the slopes, Whitefish Mountain Resort’s Base Lodge saw minor upgrades in the bar area, while the Fir and Willow parking lots were expanded. On busy days, an express ticket pickup trailer will be stationed in the Base Lodge parking lot.

The season event lineup follows past years. Torchlight parades are planned for Christmas Eve, New Year’s Eve and Presidents Day weekend. The Whitefish Whiteout ski mountaineering race is Feb. 10, with the 25th annual Nate Chute snowboard races set for March 16-17. The pond skim is April 6 and closing day is April 7.

The resort offers 11 chair lifts and 111 named runs across 3,000 acres. An adult lift ticket rings up at $97. A night skiing pass is $30. Kids 6 and under ski free.

For the latest information visit skiwhitefish.com.

IN FAR Northwest Montana, Turner Mountain is calling on volunteers to help operate the nonprofit ski area north of Libby. The mountain has five paid employees in maintenance, with all other workers volunteering their time.

“We’re always looking for more [volunteers], said Bruce Zwang, president of Kootenai Mountain Sports.

Turner Mountain’s opening day is planned for Dec. 22, depending on conditions. As of last week, the summit had about 6 inches of snow, but a potent storm was set to arrive over the weekend.

“Hopefully we’ll pick up some more, but that’s pretty normal for this time of year,” said Zwang.

Over the summer, crews cleared a fair amount of brush to improve gladed areas on the north and south faces of the mountain.

“We went in and thinned things out to make it easier for tree skiing,” Zwang said.

The mountain offers one double chair, 22 named runs and 2,110 vertical feet of terrain, with 60% marked as black diamond. There is also a base lodge with a full-service snack bar.

One new addition this winter is an online webcam.

The mountain bucked inflation trends and didn’t raise ticket prices for the upcoming season. An adult day pass is $45 or a season pass is $570. A family season pass is $1,545, and kids 6 and under ski free.

Zwang is expecting normal visitation numbers, which typically averages about 6,000 skier visits a winter.

“The last couple of winters have been bigger since Covid,” Zwang said. “We’ll see what this year brings.”

Visit skiturner.com for the latest information.

ABOVE LAKESIDE, Blacktail Mountain Ski Area is targeting a Friday, Dec. 8 opening day. 

The ski area offers 1,000 acres and 1,440 vertical feet of north-facing terrain overlooking Flathead Lake, serviced by three lifts and a rope tow.

Skiers access the “upside down” mountain from the summit, with a lodge and parking located at the top of the mountain. An adult lift ticket this season ranges from $35-70, depending on the day of week.

Ski area officials were not available to comment for this story. Visit blacktailmountain.com for the latest information.