Utah Skier Online

Big Sky Resort Announces 2010/2011 Season Pass with Payment Plan

BIG SKY, Mont. - Big Sky Resort announced today a new Gold Unlimited Season Pass pricing structure for the 2010-2011 winter season that includes the Gold Unlimited Pass for $799 and the College/Junior Pass for $699.

This discounted rate will be valid until April 30 and to make things even easier Big Sky Resort is offering payment plans. Passes can be secured with only $249 down by April 30, with the remaining balances due in June and August.

Big Sky Resort, located in southwest Montana, 17 miles north of Yellowstone National Park offers 3,812 acres of skiing on three mountains with 21 lifts, including the Lone Peak Tram. Big Sky Resort is consistently ranked as a top 10 North American resort with high marks for terrain, scenery, wide open slopes and short lift lines.

As part of Boyne Resorts, passholders receive reciprocal benefits at any of the other nine Boyne Resorts from free lift tickets to discounts based on the level of pass. Boyne Resorts include Summit at Snoqualmie, Crystal Mountain, Washington, Cypress, British Columbia, Brighton, Utah, Boyne Mountain and Boyne Highlands, Michigan, Loon, New Hampshire and Sunday River, Sugarloaf, Maine.

For more information, visit www.bigskyresort.com/winterpasses.

Whitefish Resort to Include Formal Comment Period in Uphill Traffic Policy

WHITEFISH, Mont. - Whitefish Mountain Resort announced Monday that it will be asking for written comments and suggestions pertaining to its new winter uphill traffic policy through April 4, the last day of ski season.

After announcing the policy last week, the resort received a high volume of feedback from members of the public, as did the US Forest Service.  Much of the input received has centered around finding a way to allow safe uphill traffic in the early evening hours, as well as ways to allow the public an opportunity to comment on the new policy.

"We've all been talking to a lot of people, on the phone, on web sites like Facebook, through email, and in person, and have come across some good ideas. We feel that it will be beneficial to formalize that communication process," said Whitefish Mountain Resort Public Relations Manager Donnie Clapp.

The resort has put the current policy, available at skiwhitefish.com/uphill, into effect. If a safety hazard is identified within the resort's permit boundary, the resort has an obligation to respond, as specified in its special use permit with the Flathead National Forest. However, resort officials hope to receive ideas through this new process that will lead to a policy that is more amenable to all three parties involved: the resort, the USFS, and users who enjoy participating in uphill traffic.

Whitefish Resort and US Forest Service Agree on Winter Uphill Traffic Policy

WHITEFISH, Mont. - Whitefish Mountain Resort and the US Forest Service announced a new policy pertaining to uphill traffic at the Montana ski resort today, in an attempt to decrease unsafe behavior associated with the increasingly popular activity.

"I'm not a fan of restrictions under most circumstances, but in this case I think it is necessary," said Becky Smith-Powell, a Snow Ranger with the US Forest Service's Tally Lake Ranger District.

Hiking uphill in the snow for sport, once reserved for only the most dedicated winter outdoor recreation enthusiasts, has seen a surge of popularity in recent years due to better equipment and coverage in mainstream media. Some participants attach synthetic "skins" to their skis, which enable them to climb slippery slopes. Others use snowshoes for the uphill portion of their journey and switch to skis or snowboards to ride downhill.

Resort officials pointed to an exponential increase in uphill traffic over the last few years as the primary reason this issue has come to a point of action now.

"It used to be that you'd see one or two people hiking the mountain on an average evening," said Chester Powell, Director of Operations and Risk Management for the resort. "Now, our grooming operators will tell you they see 30 or 40 people on an average night, and many more if it is exceptionally clear or a full moon."

The resort and the US Forest Service made clear that this is an issue of safety, not revenue. Resort managers estimate that as many as 90% of uphill travelers are current winter season pass holders.

Big Sky Resort Hosts 6th Annual Dummy Jump Feb. 6

BIG SKY, Mont. - The sixth annual Big Sky Resort Dummy Jump is Saturday, Feb. 6.  Get ready for a day of crashes and laughs as local and regional teams design and decorate the best crash test dummies. 

The competition begins with creativity judging in the plaza followed by a quick lift up the mountain at 2:30 pm where the dummies are launched off a kicker on the Ambush headwall. The mannequins will then be judged on style, distance and explosion upon landing.  

For information, visit www.bigskyresort.com. 

Montana's Whitefish Mountain Ski Resort Opens Saturday

WHITEFISH, MT - Whitefish Mountain Resort will open for skiing and snowboarding on Saturday, including terrain on the north and south aspects of Big Mountain.

The resort is reporting 31" of settled snow at the summit, 18" at the bottom of its north-facing terrain, and about 6" in the village area.

"We've gotten a lot of early season snow," said Donnie Clapp, spokesperson for the resort. "But the snow line has been high and the lower reaches of the front side of the mountain have gotten less than the summit and the back side. Conditions vary quite a bit from top to bottom."

The resort will open groomed runs on the north side of the mountain serviced by Chair 7, as well three runs serviced by the Bigfoot T-bar. Russ's Street will also open, providing top-to-bottom skiing from the summit to the Village area. Those who do not wish to ski Russ's Street will be invited to download Chair 1.

Montana Ski Resort Makes List of Top 10 Values for Skiers and Riders

WHITEFISH, MT - Whitefish Mountain Resort has announced a new Ski and Stay package and a new 2-day, $69 learn-to-ski/ride program to strengthen its hand after this year's inclusion in SKI Magazine's Reader Survey as one of the top 10 values in the ski and snowboarding industry.

Whitefish was voted #7 in value, #6 in scenery, and #19 overall in the annual survey, which asks readers of SKI Magazine to rank ski resorts in several categories.

"When this year's SKI Magazine Reader's Survey rankings came out, we were excited to be recognized as a top 20 resort, and especially as a great value," said Public Relations Manager Donnie Clapp. "But 7th best just isn't good enough for us, so we've decided to do some things about it."

Whitefish Mountain Resort Unveils New and Improved Ski & Snowboard School Programs

New Junior Race Team, Freestyle Team Weekend Program, Development Program Highlight 2009-2010 Lineup

WHITEFISH, MT - Whitefish Mountain Resort has announced changes to their seasonal Ski & Snowboard School programs to improve their offering to young skiers and boarders looking to hone their skills.

Notable changes include a new Junior Race Team, a new Freestyle Team weekend program, and the combining of two former programs (Rough Riders and Development Team) into one. In addition, Buckaroos, a popular program started last season, will return.

The new Junior Race Team is designed for skiers from 8-12 years old who would like to work toward getting into competitive ski racing but who have limited race experience. The program will parallel the Whitefish Mountain Resort Race Team while requiring a less substantial commitment from racers and their families. Program coaches will blend all-mountain skiing, gate training, drills, and other options in a curriculum designed to develop a strong skiing foundation. Participants will be encouraged to participate in the Tommy Moe Competition Series ski races throughout the winter.

Whitefish Mountain Resort to Open Zip Line Tour, Alpine Slide This Summer

WHITEFISH, MT. -- Montana's Whitefish Mountain Resort plans to open its new two-hour zip line tour and its new alpine slide for local thrill-seekers on June 13, with mountain-wide operations commencing on June 27.

Crews of resort employees and third party contractors are working to meet those deadlines. Resort officials say they are hopeful that the first local guests will be able to zip and slide on June 13, but that those who are interested should watch the website at skiwhitefish.com for news and updates as the date approaches.

Both new attractions will be offered at a steep discount - less than half price for the zip line - until June 26 to give those that live in the Flathead Valley a chance to try the rides before the summer tourism season gets into full swing.

"We're hoping that this early season pricing makes it very easy for everyone who is interested to come up, try these new attractions, and tell us what they think," said resort president Dan Graves.

Montana: Whitefish Resort sends six to USASA Nationals April 5-10

WHITEFISH, MONT - Six members of the Whitefish Mountain Resort Freestyle Ski and Snowboard Team have qualified for the United States of America Snowboard Association National Championships at Copper Mountain Resort in Colorado.

Lauren Baumgardiner, Marley Rodwick, Chazz Roberts and Baylon Connolly, of Kalispell, qualified along with Meredeth Reed and Danner Pickering, of Whitefish. Each of them will travel to Colorado to represent Whitefish and the Inland Northwest division of USASA. The group includes both skiers and snowboarders.