UNOFFICIAL GUIDE: Whitefish Mountain, MT

[Sibhusky]

SKI Mag has been dribbling out its survey results. We stayed at 3rd.

Whitefish Mountain Resort, Mont.

Find out what readers think of Whitefish Mountain Resort, Mont. in the SKI Magazine 2021 Resort Guide Review.

www.skimag.com

 

[DanoT]

SKI Mag has been dribbling out its survey results. We stayed at 3rd.

Whitefish Mountain Resort, Mont.

Find out what readers think of Whitefish Mountain Resort, Mont. in the SKI Magazine 2021 Resort Guide Review.

www.skimag.com

From the article: "And with arguably the most authentic ski town in sight of lift towers," Huh?

I mean the town is authentic but the lift towers are nowhere in sight. Has the author ever been to Whitefish?

 

[Henry]

If you're there with a group...the Hellroaring Saloon knows how to put out a very good group dinner where everyone gets their meal hot & at the same time. Call ahead to make arrangements. We got a special menu (I think so they'd have the ingredients on hand), three great choices, and it worked out just right for 30 of us.

 

[Sibhusky]

From the article: "And with arguably the most authentic ski town in sight of lift towers," Huh?

I mean the town is authentic but the lift towers are nowhere in sight. Has the author ever been to Whitefish?

Well, you can see the town from the lift. On a clear day. It's not always foggy.



Hill visible from town (not my picture)




You can see the runs from south of town, in fact:


If that picture wasn't taken from a phone in a moving car, maybe you'd see the lifts.

 

[chris_the_wrench]

I can’t believe the lifts stop spinning on Sunday. Crazy season but time still flew by. LOTSA visitors, but 99% of those I met were nice folks.

 

[msutherland]

Visited in early March. Sibhuskys Whitefish Guide was such an amazing tool. I knew where to go , where to go fast to avoid traverses, where to head for the best snow under each condition of the ever changing temps. My group of 8 absolutely loved Whitefish but we were blessed with 6 straight days of sunshine and none of the fog. We stayed on the mountain and particularly enjoyed Hell roaring saloon for lunch and all of the restaurants we visited in town for dinner.

 

[Sibhusky]

New records set.
And a six-pack on the way.

A Banner Year on Big Mountain - Flathead Beacon

As Whitefish Mountain Resort prepares to close the books on its first full winter season since 2019, it has already shattered seasonal visitation records by at least 20%, reporting a banner year despite operating within the constraints of a global pandemic and with considerably less snowfall...

flatheadbeacon.com

It looks like that 6 pack will terminate right where the cat track to get to Inspo finishes, getting you to No Name and Elephant's and the front, without dumping more volume onto the Ant Hill. Good idea in my opinion.

 

[chris_the_wrench]

New records set.
And a six-pack on the way.

I think the chair 8 move is of marginal skier quality improvement for the cost. Im happy not having to ski that lower section of the basin and maybe get in there a few days earlier but i still wont be able to lap the western part of the basin. Also, i see that intersection where the chair will drop folks and people bombing down to big ravine as sketchy!! We’ll see how that works out.

The chair 4 6-pack is GREATLY NEEDED, although i wonder: we wont be able to access the summit house/backside from there correct?? Or else we’ll have people skate skiing head on towards folks heading to inspo?? What about intermediate skiers(i dont usually give them much thought). They still wont be able to access the backside, no name would be the easiest route down to 5?? I love skiing that part of the mtn and look forward to less time on russ street. Im excited about that lift!

 

[DanoT]

I think the chair 8 move is of marginal skier quality improvement for the cost. Im happy not having to ski that lower section of the basin and maybe get in there a few days earlier but i still wont be able to lap the western part of the basin. Also, i see that intersection where the chair will drop folks and people bombing down to big ravine as sketchy!! We’ll see how that works out.

Why wouldn't they have the new Chair 8 off load near the Summit House so that it would provide access laps to the entire Hellroaring Basin from one chair ride? So, like you say @chris_the_wrench as it stands the new Chair 8 will only be a marginal improvement.

 

[Sibhusky]

Well, I'm assuming old 4 will become "12" up to Hellroaring Peak. You won't be able to lap Connie's (probably a good thing, look what 5 did to East Rim -- destroyed it.), but you'll lap Hellroaring Peak and alternate from one side of the Basin to another.

Intermediates will have to use 1 to get to the back, but with Inspo and Hogans they won't be stranded. I'm more than happy with less pressure on the back. My daughter is severely unhappy with Area 51 being trashed, but truth be told, almost no one was skiing those acres.

 

[chris_the_wrench]

Why wouldn't they have the new Chair 8 off load near the Summit House so that it would provide access laps to the entire Hellroaring Basin from one chair ride? So, like you say @chris_the_wrench as it stands the new Chair 8 will only be a marginal improvement.

Chair lift chatter says there isn't enough real estate up top for 8 to unload. I would of booted the snowmobile parking out and dropped the lift there, but i dont know all the aspects.

 

[Sibhusky]

Chair lift chatter says there isn't enough real estate up top for 8 to unload. I would of booted the snowmobile parking out and dropped the lift there, but i dont know all the aspects.

Why not take it to the old chair 5 terminal then?

The current plan is a really odd location, I agree.

 

[chris_the_wrench]

Well, I'm assuming old 4 will become "12" up to Hellroaring Peak. You won't be able to lap Connie's (probably a good thing, look what 5 did to East Rim -- destroyed it.), but you'll lap Hellroaring Peak and alternate from one side of the Basin to another.

Yikes, 4 was barely chugging along this year. Probably ran 20 hours all year and I know it was broken down several saturdays while they chased gremilns. It maybe time to recycle that lift, and its my favorite!

 

[Sibhusky]

Yikes, 4 was barely chugging along this year. Probably ran 20 hours all year and I know it was broken down several saturdays while they chased gremilns. It maybe time to recycle that lift, and its my favorite!

I hate the thing. There's a couple chairs that tilt forwards, there's no bar and it's a triple. So, if you're a single and try to sit in the center it is TERRIFYING, especially in that one really high section. I hope when they move it they put a bar on it. I get the heebyjeebs bad enough on Chair 5 with its crazy bar. Last two times it was jerking over the cliffs and I got panicky and had to close my eyes.

 

[DanoT]

I don't like chairs without safety bars either. Fortunately in Canada all chairlifts by law must have safety bars. Unfortunately foot rests are optional.

 

[chris_the_wrench]

So, if you're a single and try to sit in the center it is TERRIFYING, especially in that one really high section.

I know that exact spot your talking about! I always have my arm over the back or around the bar. 5 on a windy day, and over the cliff...oh yeah!

 

[chris_the_wrench]

@Sibhusky We had no official pond skim this year but did you see the un-official and more natural skimming folks were doing skiers left on big ravine almost at the bottom? I heard the cheers from the chair lift and skied down to investigate. I saw one kid slightly bobble before the water, but he pulled it together and skimmed it cleanly.

 

[Sibhusky]

@Sibhusky We had no official pond skim this year but did you see the un-official and more natural skimming folks were doing skiers left on big ravine almost at the bottom? I heard the cheers from the chair lift and skied down to investigate. I saw one kid slightly bobble before the water, but he pulled it together and skimmed it cleanly.

Did not see. I actually hadn't been over that way in we weeks..

 

[Moose32]

Expansion at FCA is just asking Vail Resorts to take over WMR. That would change this place forever. https://flatheadbeacon.com/2021/07/...al-airport-welcomes-inaugural-jetblue-flight/

 

[chris_the_wrench]

Expansion at FCA is just asking Vail Resorts to take over WMR. That would change this place forever. https://flatheadbeacon.com/2021/07/...al-airport-welcomes-inaugural-jetblue-flight/

Ugh. Based on the F'ing zoo it's been around here this summer and last winter, who knows.

My new mantra for this coming winter is to pray for snow but more importantly PRAY FOR FOGGY DAYS!!!

-Chris