Dear Winter Sports Inc.

How do we start this conversation? Disappointed? Ashamed? Enraged? Bitter.

As we sit down each year to talk about the upcoming ski season, our family goes over all the equipment we need from the ski swap, we upgrade our snow gear and finally buy ski passes.

Each year we save for this big expense. We justify the expense because it is something we enjoy as a family, and we also know that we use it just as much for the summer activities. At least until now.

Now we read from your Web site that winter passes are no longer being used for summer access up and down the chair.

Come on. Really? This is a big issue for a lot of locals, and you need to be aware of how this looks from our perspective. Having access to the chairlift during the summer is one of the major reasons we buy a full pass for our family. Period.

We love to be able to go up Big Mountain at any time of the day, spur of the moment or a planned all-day hiking excursion, knowing that we could either ride up or ride down with our passes. And with three kids, we often took the chair for the adventure itself.

Now you want to charge us. Is this that much of a money-maker? Is this the best your marketing and sales team could come up with? Maybe you should charge for huckleberry picking? Or charge for taking in the view at the summit? At this point, it starts looking like a nickel-and-dime trap. To us, this is not the spirit of the Danny On Trail.

From your Web site, it states: "After 59 years as skiing's best kept secret, Big Mountain has changed it's name to Whitefish Mountain Resort, in honor of the laid-back ski town of Whitefish, Montana."

We sincerely hope you reconsider this erroneous policy and let the winter passes still be used for access during the summer. This would be a good way to honor the laid-back families who live in Whitefish and the Flathead Valley.

Janis Fox Walburn

Whitefish