Soggy start to summer at Big Mountain

Regardless of the continuous drizzle, Mike Jiannino and his friends hiked up the muddy path to the first zip line at Whitefish Mountain Resort.

Saturday’s dreary weather turned most customers away from opening day at the mountain, but some insistent adventure-seekers pushed through.

“We traveled all the way up here,” said Jiannino, of northern California. “Of course we’re still going to come out.”

Jiannino and his 10 friends looked wary as they donned rain slickers, hats, and jeans in an attempt to stay dry during their tour. However, once they started sliding down the first line, they began to smile, laugh and cheer.

“It was incredibly fun,” said Ashely Camerer, another member of the group. “I wouldn’t have missed it.”

The cold day was not an ideal opening for the resort, but the zip line still saw 100 guests, and the Aerial Adventure Park and Walk in the Tree Tops were mildly busy. The Alpine Slide and Spider Monkey Mountain did not open due to rain.

Twenty-six mountain bikers braved the wet ride up Chair 1 to the summit, but bike trails had to be diverted to avoid excessive mud and lingering snow. All bike trails are currently only accessible through a service road at the summit. Bikers must ride or walk down to a point where the road meets the trails. Several trails, including Freebird, are still closed due to snow. All trails from Chair 2 down are completely open.

The Danny On is the only hiking trail open, and must be accessed from the village as the top two miles are still snow-covered. The bottom two miles are mostly clear, but with trees down on some parts.

The resort is open daily through Labor Day, and on Fridays and Saturdays through Sept. 28.