Resort posts banner year for snow, skier visits

Smiles, goofy costumes and a few cold beverages ruled the slopes Sunday as Whitefish Mountain Resort capped one of its best ski seasons in the last decade. From snorkle-deep powder days to record-breaking skier visits, the 2013-14 winter will go down as one to remember.

The snow came early and often, and was nearly relentless in March. The season ended with 317 inches of total snowfall and a settled base of 146 inches at the summit — the deepest in Montana.

Praise for the ample snow was easy to come by Sunday as skiers reflected on their season.

“It was pretty epic with lots of powder days,” said lift attendent Fred Haar, who moved to Whitefish from Virginia this winter to ski and work.

“Conditions were super nice early and stayed good all season,” added Whitefish snowboarder Landon Decker as he made his way to Chair 1 wearing a gorilla mask. “It was hard not to have fun every day.”

How did the season stack up to past years?

“It was one of the best since I’ve been here,” said James Dodkin. “Even late in the season, the snow was incredibly fluffy. It was great.”

In fact, the 146-inch settled base was one of the deepest for closing day at the resort in the past decade, only surpassed by the 2010-11 season.

Skier visits were through the roof, as well.

The resort set a record with nearly 345,000 total skier visits, which is a 7 percent increase over last year’s mark of 323,000. It’s the fourth time the resort has topped the 300,000 mark.

The resort recorded its busiest day ever on Dec. 30 when 7,654 skiers hit the slopes.

Season-pass holder visits were up 6 percent over last year, and the resort sold the most pre-season winter passes in its history.

Deep snow years often bring more skier traffic, said resort spokeswoman Riley Polumbus.

“It makes a huge difference,” Polumbis said. “We had such a good opening with virtually 100 percent of terrain open. That sealed the deal for a lot of people planning ski trips.”

She also noted the resort’s committment to “affordable skiing.”

“We offer some really good deals,” she said.

A single day ski ticket was priced at $69 for adults, and pre-season passes were priced at $595.

“We are thankful for the steady growth we’ve experienced these past several years,” said resort president Dan Graves. “We are committed to creating a high quality affordable experience with exceptional, easy-going hospitality that encourages our guests to keep coming back.”