Resort opens with fresh powder

After weekend storms blanketed Big Mountain with fresh powder, Whitefish Mountain Resort will open for the season today.

The resort will open with top to bottom skiing and access to north side terrain, with five lifts and 17 trails open.

Chair 6 will open at 9 a.m., which will provide access to the Lift Plaza and Chair 1 from the Base Lodge and lower parking lots.

Chair 1 will open at 9:30 a.m., providing access to the summit and Russ’s Street, which will be open from top to bottom. Chair 7, Flower Point and the Bigfoot T-Bar will open at 10 a.m., providing access to the north side and additional runs in the Bigfoot T-Bar area. Guests will be permitted to download on Chair 1 with the final chair at 3:45 p.m.

More snow is needed on the lower mountain for additional runs and beginning terrain to open.

“The long-range forecasts for this winter have been very exciting and if this most recent storm is any measure of what’s ahead, it will be a season filled with excellent snow conditions and deep powder memories,” Whitefish Mountain Resort CEO Dan Graves said.

As of last week resort spokeswoman Riley Polumbus was optimistic about conditions, but hoping for more snow with only 26 inches of settled base on the summit, but by Monday that number had grown to 44 inches.

“Things are looking pretty good,” Polumbus said. “The storm has been good to us.”

Polumbus said the mountain had received a total of 60 inches of snow between Nov. 16 and Monday.

To add to that, the National Weather Service is predicting 2 to 5 inches of snow in the valley starting Thursday and continuing into Friday, that storm being the start of a several-day period of active winter weather conditions.

Resort officials are hopeful that the Chipmunk beginner run will open and provide access to services at the Base Lodge and lower mountain parking lots, but if it does not open the resort will provide shuttles between the Base Lodge and Lift Plaza.

Additional terrain and lifts may open during the day and by the weekend as determined by ski patrol. Snowmaking operations will be running on Chipmunk and on other locations around the mountain and will be roped off for safety.

“We’d like to remind everyone to respect all closures and safety signage,” said David Stephens, Whitefish Mountain Resort ski patrol manager. “Please ski and ride with care, within ability levels, and remember that early season conditions exist and unmarked obstacles and other natural terrain features may be encountered at any time. It’s a long season and we want you to enjoy every day, please do not enter closed trails. Season pass holders who enter inbounds closures risk losing their pass privileges and persons leaving the resort boundary are reminded that you are on your own.”

Food and beverage services will be completely open Wednesday, including the newly remodeled food court at the Summit House with food service from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Village Coffee will be open from 8:15 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

The remodeled Summit House, with an enlarged kitchen and food-court, will be a feature of the resort this season. The resort began the $1 million remodel in 2015.

“That looks great,” Polumbus said, “It’s going to give people a little more room when it comes to coming up and getting their food, making that process easier and more efficient.”

The Kids Center and Daycare will also be open, as will intermediate lessons at the Ski and Ride School.

Ticket prices will be reduced to $62 for adults ages 19-64, $58 for teens 13-18 and seniors 65-69 and $35 for ages 7-12. Seniors 70 and older and childern six and under ski free.

For more information, visit www.skiwhitefish.com.