BIG MOUNTAIN 2000

We had spent a week at Fernie Alpine Resort in British Columbia, Canada before a taxi picked
myself, my father George and brother Matthew up at around 9am on April 1st 2000 from the Super 8
in Fernie. We were heading 100 miles south from Fernie to Whitefish and the resort of Big Mountain,
Montana. As new resorts to the British market Inghams had an extremely cheap 14 day, two resort
trip.

The scenery on the drive south was a little bland and it was nice to finally arrive at the Hibernation
House at the base of the ski area. We were met by our rep Mike Richards, a Welshman who was
quickly able to tell us everything we needed to know about the area as well as some of the football and
rugby scores from back home. Walking into the room with his ski boots still on suggested that for once
we actually had a rep that wanted to ski! He also mentioned that the Bierstube or the Stube as it is
known locally was the place to be and to feel free to join him for a beer at around 5pm. No hard sells,
just skiing and beer. Excellent!

After settling into our two rooms we agreed that we would have a day off the snow and would have a
look around the resort, buy our tickets and have a burger in the old day lodge. Anyone who has visited
Big Mountain recently may not know the old day lodge as it was demolished to make way for the new
Morning Eagle building. Lift tickets during April No Foolin Days were $10 each or a shade over £100
for 6 day passes for the three of us. Our first impression of the mountain from the base area was that
everything started from a fairly compact base and that there was a decent mixture of restaurants and
bars to keep us entertained for a week. A small convenience store had the snacks, beer and wine to
keep us going and the people seemed friendly.

The Hibernation House is an older, wooden clad building with rooms that are similar to dormitory
rooms in style with queen beds and bunks. Included in the nightly rate is a complimentary breakfast that
included cereals, juices, coffee as well as a daily cooked breakfast. This changed each day and ranged
from pancakes to scrambled eggs. A pretty good start to the day on Big Mountain. As a light sleeper
my only complaint after a week in the hotel was that the walls are paper thin. Plenty of beer in the
evening to knock me out was the best way to go!

We headed down to the Stube at around 5pm and met up with our rep for a chat and a few beers
before heading for a bite to eat. The Stube is an old style bar with wooden floor and dates back to
1963 when the original building burnt down. It's a superb place with cheap beer, great value burgers,
an outdoor deck and some of the friendliest people you are ever likely to meet. From the lower
parking lot below the back door it certainly looks as though the whole building is ready to slide
downhill!

After a good nights sleep we were ready for a
day on the mountain. The Glacier Chaser whisks
skiers from the base area to the summit in a
matter of minutes. From this point it is possible to
ski most of the area either returning to the base or
dropping down into the north side of the mountain
which is served by another high-speed quad lift.
The only area not accessible is the Hellroaring
area which closes at the end of March each year
to pacify the forestry commission due to the
hibernating bears in that area. With 3000 acres
and 2500 feet of vertical and an abundance of
tree skiing and hiking opportunities there is
certainly enough to keep most skiers and
boarders happy for much longer than a week.

The trails on the north side are short but have some pretty damn good snow whereas the longer runs
back to the base can become quite granular due to their exposure and the key in early April is to hit
them just as the overnight freeze begins to thaw. The Summit House sits at the summit of Big Mountain
and offers the normal burgers, fries and drinks. The views on a clear day are simply superb as you look
out towards Whitefish and Flathead Lake to the south and Glacier National Park to the east. It is also
possible to spot the trails at Blacktail Mountain.

After a long day on the slopes we generally like to have a few beers before getting changed for a bite
to eat. Again we met Mike and we shared stories of where we had skied that day and our thoughts of
the mountain. That night we headed to the Alpenglow Inn for our dinner. A nice slope side hotel with a
restaurant that has large glass walls overlooking the local scenery. The twinkling lights on the valley
floor and the moonlit sky was a stunning view in a stunning location. The menu and selection of beer on
tap by this time of the season tends to be limited but George and I both settled on the Manchester Rib
Eye. A mammoth 16oz steak with all the trimmings cooked to your liking was simply superb and
washed down with a few of the waitresses recommended beers. I was really beginning to like this
place.

By Wednesday we had explored a lot of the mountain and found the sort of terrain that we were all
happy to ski. The long pisted runs from the summit to the base were superb cruising terrain and
blissfully quiet. Mike had recommended that we be in the Stube by 4.30pm as it was the weekly
Frabert award where the Big Mountain staff member making the biggest goof that week is celebrated.
As well as being given Frabert, a stuffed monkey, to hold the winner also has to down a large goblet of
beer as the host reads out the Frabert rights. After that it is free beer until the keg runs dry and as
visitors the ski patrol that organise the event tend to see you all right for a decent pint or two.

Thursday saw another great day on the mountain and we decided to head to Moguls to see local
legend John Dunnigan in action. John has appeared with many stars such as Bruce Springsteen, Kris
Kristofferson and Donovan and is a talented songwriter in his own right. You name it and he will play it
and one of his specialities is Johnny Cash. Simply superb entertainment and if there is a big crowd
putting money into his bottle and buying him the odd tequila he will play beyond his 7pm finishing time.

The receptionist clearly noticed that George and I were in need of a change of clothes and something
to eat by the time we stotted back in our ski gear to the Hibernation House from Moguls via the Stube.
A quick change and it was up to the Alpenglow for another steak.

During the week we saw more people carried off the mountain with broken bones and assorted other
injuries than ever before. At one point some runs on the back side of the mountain were completely
closed as a skier was airlifted from the slopes with a heart attack. Sadly he did not make it and the only
consolation looking back is that he died on a beautiful day amid stunning scenery and doing something
that he loved. Very sad indeed.

All too quickly our week in Montana came to an end and at 4am on Saturday morning we were met by
Mike and the taxi to take us back to Fernie where we would join the Fernie guests on the bus back to
Calgary. As we drove down to Whitefish I was sad to be leaving and disappointed that we had not
taken the bus down to town at some point. I have since visited Big Mountain five times and thoroughly
enjoyed visiting the town of Whitefish but that's a story for another day.

On our approach to Calgary we were hit with the news that we would not be leaving Canada today. A
problem with the plane meant that we could not fly. After a night in Calgary we were finally airborne.
The captain announced that the problem had been caused by a Greek baggage handler trying to drive
under the original plane and hitting the underside. That brought a chuckle from myself but our chances
of getting home to Aberdeen were slim as I knew that all the airline are interested in is getting you out
of the airport. Matthew and I had the two seats right at the back of the DC-10 and for once I sat at the
window. The views in the night sky as we flew over Greenland were simply superb.

It was almost midnight before we got to the hotel at Gatwick and even then we had no flights for the
following day to Aberdeen. All we could do was turn up and they would make efforts to get us seats.
Suffice to say we were in real need of a beer and caught last orders in the bar.

The following day and almost two days late we arrived back home in Aberdeen. A great trip and
despite the problems getting home it was certainly one that I would recommend to others.

This article was written by Quintin Chalmers, a 30-year-old skier from Aberdeen in the north of
Scotland. Quintin has skied at over 50 North American resorts and is in the process of setting up
www.offthebeatenpath.co.uk designed to help like minded people find the best turns in some of the
more unusual resorts in western USA. He has over 20 years skiing experience and enjoys nothing
more than seeing new places that many people write off as being not worth the hassle.