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Winter Wonderland at Whitefish, Montana

by Toni Dabbs

The Big Mountain -- located about a 20-minute drive northeast of Whitefish, Montana, which in turn is located about a 20-minute drive northeast of Glacier Park International Airport -- offers big value for people who like to play in the snow.

A few hearty locals had been skiing on The Big Mountain since the 1930s, when it was referred to as the Hell-Roaring Ski Course. But it became an official resort in 1947, when a couple of entrepreneurs pooled their resources to buy several acres on the south side of the mountain (at $1 per acre), a rope tow and a T-bar.

Today, more than 60 runs fan out from the attractive village, which is big enough to provide the necessary amenities but small enough to be negotiable on foot. In between are stands of snow laden Engelmann spruce and Douglas fir, part of the Flathead National Forest. Trees at higher elevations are bent from their burdens and completely encased to form snowghosts.

With an average annual snowfall of 300 inches, The Big Mountain boasts a season that usually spans from late November to mid-April. Downhill skiing remains the most popular activity, with snowboarding quickly gaining ground. Riders have free rein on the mountain's 3,000 skiable acres, including a snowboard park with quarter-pipes, wave boxes, side walls, hits, jumps and rolls.

But there is much more to do.

Guided snowcat skiing gives strong intermediate and advanced participants access to pristine wilderness terrain -- considered some of the best powder in the Rockies.

For cross-country enthusiasts, The Big Mountain Nordic Center has six miles of well-maintained trails with both diagonal stride and skate skiing lanes. The trails, which follow the natural contour of the land, are suitable for all skiing abilities.

Snow tubing gives even non-skiers an opportunity for a downhill fling. A dedicated slope and a special tubing lift make it safe and easy. The lift tows both tube and passenger to the top of the chute, ready for the ride down.

Visitors can explore the north side of the mountain on snowmobiles. Guided half-day tours are conducted by Adventure MotorSports. One popular route loops through the unspoiled scenery of adjacent Stillwater State Forest.

For people who prefer a quieter ride, a 12-mile trip with Dog Sled Adventures can be arranged. Passengers snugly wrapped in elk hides get to relax and enjoy the view, as eight to 12 eager dogs and an experienced musher do all the work. At times the sleds reach speeds of 15 miles per hour, traveling through snow blanketed glades and winding along narrow trails with icy branches arching overhead.

With the base village and the nearby town of Whitefish from which to choose, visitors to The Big Mountain have a good selection of meals and accommodations.

The Hellroaring Saloon located in the slopeside Chalet, originally a lodge but now the mountain's administrative center, is a favorite spot to grab a bite between runs. It specializes in soups, burgers and dynamite nachos. Cafe Kandahar at the mountain's Kandahar Lodge and Logan's Grill at Grouse Mountain Lodge in town both offer fine dining in tasteful surroundings.

Other lodges, such as the Alpinglow Inn on the mountain, provide pleasant rooms at reasonable rates. Visitors who want something different, though, might check into Good Medicine Lodge in Whitefish or the Anapurna Properties on The Big Mountain.

Named one of America's "10 Top Romantic Inns" by Travel America magazine, Good Medicine Lodge operates as a bed-and-breakfast, where guests are made to feel right at home. The cedar timber structure has nine individually furnished guest rooms, each with a private bath, plus an outdoor hot tub, a ski room and a guest laundry.

Anapurna Properties comprise 64 condominiums located around the mountain village. Each has a fully equipped kitchen, fireplace, television and laundry facilities -- as well as access to an indoor swimming pool and indoor/outdoor hot tubs. A guest can supply a shopping list in advance, and management will stock the kitchen prior to arrival.

Visitors who would rather let someone else drive the steep switchbacks between The Big Mountain and Whitefish can take the Shuttle Network of Whitefish, affectionately known as SNOW. The bus makes five trips up and down daily, with stops at various lodges in Whitefish and in the town's central business district.

Downtown Whitefish is essentially three blocks of Central Avenue with covered sidewalks fronting an assortment of wood and brick buildings dating from the turn of the century.

At one end is the Whitefish Depot, built by the now defunct Great Northern Railway and still used by Burlington Northern Railroad and Amtrak. The depot serves two passenger trains each day and as many as 40 freight trains. It also houses a museum filled with photographs and artifacts from the early days of Whitefish, its skiing history and the railroad.

At the other end of downtown are the First Presbyterian Church built in 1921, a beige brick structure with pretty stained glass windows, and the Frank Lloyd Wright building, one of the few buildings in Montana designed by the architect and possibly one of his last.

In between are other heritage buildings and more recent structures housing standard shops and services along with some fine boutiques and galleries, making Whitefish well worth a browse.

Contact
The Big Mountain, PO Box 1400, Whitefish MT 59937, phone 406-862-1900, fax 406-862-2955.
http://www.bigmtn.com

Glacier Country Tourism Commission, PO Box 1035, Bigfork MT 59911, phone 800-338-5072 / 406-756-7128. 

Photos by Toni Dabbs

-Updated 10-29-98-

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