Resort to require pass for uphill travel
Skiers glide down Whitetail on the north side of Big Mountain. (Daniel McKay/Whitefish Pilot file)
People climbing up the slopes at Whitefish Mountain Resort this winter will be required to have an uphill ski pass. The resort announced the new policy Monday, stating that the change is an effort to “ensure public safety.”
The uphill pass will be free for anyone who purchases a winter season pass to ride the lifts, and can be added at the time of purchase. Those who aren’t passholders can pay either $12 per day for an uphill day ticket or $100 for the uphill-only season pass.
The pass will be required for anyone hiking the designated uphill routes, and applies to skiers and snowboarders or people who want to hike up and back down.
Previously, there was no charge to hike on the resort’s slopes. However, the number of uphill skiers has increased dramatically in recent years, the resort noted in a media release.
“We know this is a popular activity for a select group of avid skiers,” Whitefish Mountain Resort CEO Dan Graves stated. “We feel good about our policy which allows this activity but every year we find ourselves needing to educate or remind people of the policy itself as well as the safety concerns surrounding this activity and this seemed like a positive step in that direction. We also believe whatever fees will be collected are nominal given the upkeep that goes into roads, parking lots and trail grooming, all of which make this an easy place to engage in uphill travel.”
The policy change was made in partnership with the Forest Service, the resort noted. Whitefish Mountain Resort owns the land at the base of the ski area, and holds a special-use permit that allows the resort to operate on the public Forest Service land on Big Mountain. According to the permit “the lands within the special-use permit boundary shall remain open to the public for all lawful purposes; except for any restrictions the resort and Forest Service agree to be necessary.”
Uphill hikers will be asked to display their ticket or pass on their pack or another easily visible location. The passes will be 4 inches wide by 6 inches tall and printed on a waterproof card. The tickets and passes will have the resort’s uphill policy printed directly on them, and will only be required during the Whitefish Mountain Resort operating season. Skiers who have already purchased a season pass can add their uphill pass online by going to https://shop.skiwhitefish.com/uphill-access
The uphill policy is online at skiwhitefish.com under the safety tab.