MONTANA ROAD TRIP

Having graduated in July 2002, my normal holiday with my dad and brother the following winter had to
be postponed. Flights with tour operators out of Aberdeen disappear quickly and as I was unsure of
my plans I had to let my dad and brother get their trip organised.

By late February 2003 I was still searching for an IT job and although I had a full-time job I made the
decision to head to my favorite ski resort, Big Mountain, Montana for two weeks booking my flights
between Aberdeen and Kalispell. Over the coming month I decided that it would be nice to spend a
few days touring some of the other resorts in Montana and hired a car for the first 5 days followed by
10 days at Whitefish, a town around 8 miles south of the mountain.

On 28th March I headed into Aberdeen to catch my first of 3 flights and after a trip of around 20 hours
I landed in Kalispell at around midnight. The final flight had been delayed slightly and I must admit that
I chuckled as they announced over the tannoy that the reason for the delay was due to bolts securing
the engine to the plane coming loose in the previous flight.

After picking up the rental car I was on my way to the Days Inn in Kalispell which I would use as my
base for the next couple of nights.

I awoke early on the Saturday morning and after a quick breakfast of coffee, fresh orange and
donoughts I was onto Highway 93 and heading south to Blacktail Mountain, a small resort around one
hour from Kalispell and 14 miles from Lakeside.

Realising that I had forgotten batteries for my camera I headed into the local hardware store and
bought myself enough to last the two weeks and eventually I was on my way up the dirt track to
Blacktail Mountain.

Blacktail Mountain is one of the newest resorts in the USA having opened in the late 1990's and is one
of only a handful where you park the car at the top of the mountain and get a full run down for your
first chair of the day. The friendly people in the lodge quickly made me feel welcome and soon I was
set for a day on the slopes.

The vertical at Blacktail is around 1440ft and although not huge the pitch off of the Thunderhead lift is
fairly constant all the way down and with only a handful of other people on the hill I was doing lap after
lap on the dozen or so trails. The turns were nice and the views down to the Flathead Lake were
simply stunning.

After lunch in the lodge I tried a few lines off of the Crystal chair. Although nice I found the runs shorter
and generally less of a challenge than those off the Thunderhead lift. I headed back to that side for a
few runs and before long it was time to head into the nice lodge for a couple of beers. The lodge, like
the slopes were fairly quite for a Saturday and I decided to head back to the hotel for a few beers and
an early night. Collecting a pizza on the way I settled down in front of the TV for a night of ice hockey
and basketball.

Next morning and the car was packed early for a
trip south to Lost Trail on the Montana/Idaho
border. It was a drive of over 200 miles but with
few cars on the road I did it in around 4 hours.

The early part of the day was spent in the chairs
nearest the day lodge. Although fairly short there
were some good turns and after a few hours
lapping I headed in for a spot of lunch.

During the afternoon I headed straight to the
Saddle chair. The runs were longer and on piste
they were fairly intermediate in terrain but the
gladed areas were quite good and would certainly

be magnificent in deep powder conditions. Although the lift was new to the area it was second hand
and throughout all my travels has to be the most uncomfortable lift I have been on! The seat was too
short and there was no padding which for me meant that the best skiing on the mountain was
overshadowed by the slow lift.

After a quick beer I was heading to Drummond and a stop at the Sky Motel which I had stayed at the
previous year. The owners, Bill and Kathy Wiese, made us feel so welcome and I was looking forward
to seeing them both again and having my morning chat over a coffee with Bill. I passed the Big Horn
National Battlefield where the Nez Perce indians battled for two days as they were driven north from
Idaho to the Canadian border. Quite sad that on a lovely day with the sun shining high in the sky that
almost 90 indians were killed here, many as they slept, along with around 30 members of the US Army
in such a lovely place during a two day period during August 1877. Very sad that people have not
learnt the lessons of such a war all these years later.

I arrived in Drummond at shortly after six thirty and as I drove down the main street I passed half a
dozen guys sitting outside the Canyon Bar enjoying a cool beer in the almost summer-like heat. A
quick chat with Bill and a change of clothes and I was heading to bar for a night of small time America.
The bar was completely empty as I arrived other than the owner and after about four beers I was
beginning to think that I was holding him back so offered to head home and leave him to lock up. I was
a bit surprised when he said that he would open til 1am even though it was around 9pm at the time.
With nothing better to do I decided to watch the TV with Mike and slowly but surely the bar got busy!
Most people were passing through on a lovely spring day and everyone was interested in talking to me
and hearing about my travels. Eventually I called it good and headed up to the motel for the night.

Again it was an early start as I headed on the three hour drive down to Big Sky. I always felt that Big
Sky would be a problem to visit on a trip and I wanted to strike it off the wish list. On parking the car
the first thing that hits you is Lone Peak however it is only once up the mountain that you realise the
scale of the mountain. Certainly one of the biggest and best areas in the USA and once away from the
base area the lack of people became apparent.

The heat was incredible and skiing was hard work in sticky conditions. I spent my morning on the
Andesite Mountain area and found the trails off the Lone Moose lift to have some nice snow. A very
enjoyable morning and I headed into one of the many lodges for a huge burger, curly fries and onion
rings. Perfect, and although not to everyones taste definitely a meal that I enjoy out in the USA!

I had wanted to ski the tram but a lack of local knowledge and the closure of a mid mountain lift meant
that I was a little scared to go up and get out of my depth. After a few years practise I will have to go
back.

During the afternoon I worked towards the middle of the mountain and eventually it was time to head
back to Drummond and another night in the Canyon bar.

As I left the bar at 1am the walk back to the motel was a wet one. The weather was turning and by
morning it was absolutely chucking it down. Although raining in Drummond it was clear by the white in
the trees that the snow line was not all that high and I was itching to hit Discovery Basin that I had
visited last year. After saying my good-byes I was on my way up to the resort and with every mile the
snow got thicker and heavier until the final mile or two up the access road which had at least 12" of
fresh snow. Eventually I reached the parking lot and although in I was very much stuck and required
the help of around six lads to push me into my space. We would worry about getting out after a day on
the slopes!

With almost two feet of fresh powder in places
and limited visibility I decided to stick to the front
of the mountain for the majority of the day. The
back bowls have stunning skiing but the pitch is
fearsome and best left for busier days to get away
from the crowds.

The powder on Sluice Box was simply divine and
with only a father and daughter for company I had
fresh tracks all morning. On days like these lunch
breaks are short and sweet and before long I was
ready to head across to Jubilee for a couple of
easy runs with nice views. Again the trails were
deserted but not exactly challenging so I finished
the day with a few blasts down Sluice Box before
heading back to the car.

My only criticism with Discovery is that they dont
have a bar, or if they do it does not open often.
Even on a recent visit on closing day they were not
open. For a thirsty man that was a real shame!

I headed on my way back to Whitefish and as I
had built up a thirst I headed into Dels Bar in
Somers for a couple of beers and to write a few
postcards for those back home.

My motel for the next 10 days was the Cheap Sleep Motel in Whitefish and although basic it was very
comfortable and a twenty minute walk from the centre of town. With the free ski bus stopping outside
and a number of restaurants and takeaways next door it is perfect for me.

My first day on mountain was a great one. I finished mid afternoon and headed into Moguls for a few
pints and the weekly Frabert award when the biggest goof of the week by a staff member is
recognised. Sitting quietly in the bar I met Ross from Missoula who was meeting a friend for a weeks
skiing as a birthday present from his wife. Once I explained that the Frabert awards was well worth
seeing he agreed to stay on for a few beers before heading to town. Part of the Frabert award is the
free beer that is handed out to the crowd. Ross took great delight in telling the ski patrol guys that I
was from Scotland and before long I had two free pints in my hands. Excellent stuff.

We headed into town and had a look into a few bars before settling down for a few games of pool and
beer served in jam jars in the Great Northern Bar. It also happened to be ladies night which means that
women get dirt cheap drink. The technique for men is to offer to buy the girls drinks and then give them
money to buy one for her and one for you at the cheap rates! A great night with some of the friendliest
locals you will find.

After a couple of hard days skiing and playing I decided to take the option of a later bus up to the
mountain on the Saturday. This was to prove a big mistake but very quickly the situation was more
than rectified. Having stood with my gear outside my motel for over 15 minutes waiting, eventually a
car left the motel next door. Driving past and down to the main road the driver reversed back and
asked if I fancied a lift up to the mountain. With the mountain shrouded in white there was only one
answer.

After parking in the Outpost parking lot, Steve grabbed a lift ticket and we were heading up the
Glacier Chaser lift that whisks skiers from the base area to the summit in a matter of minutes. Steve
was a pretty good skier from Helena and as he had not been to Big Mountain before I offered to show
him a few of the best spots before he headed down to town to see his girlfriend in the early afternoon.
We headed straight to the East Rim area and spent a few hours blitzing East Rim, East Rim Face and
North Bowl Face. With a good covering of fresh snow the turns were simply superb and the company
equally as good but before long it was time to head to Moguls for a few beers and a chat.

We agreed that we would meet that evening for a few beers in town but unfortunately after staying in
Moguls for a few hours my quick snooze turned into a five hour sleep. 11pm, there was no point
getting up again!

Big Mountain is a superb mountain for all levels
of skiers and snowboarders. Only two lifts are
required to access the majority of terrain and the
slopes are often blissfully quiet.

The north side of the mountain has shorter runs
but generally better snow come the spring and
I spent much of my final week in Montana
alternating between runs down the front and north
sides.

All too quickly my first holiday abroad on my own
had ended but I had an amazing time, met some
lovely people and visited three new resorts. I was

now completely hooked on skiing resorts in the USA and before long I was planning my next trip.
Visiting resorts in Montana can be very rewarding as the state is sparsely populated and during the
week many resorts are deserted. That said there are vast distances between many of the resorts in the
state and unless you are prepared to drive for hours before or after a day on the hill I would say that
there are better options.

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.