Whitefish

Question, Big Mountain, have you heard of it? Answer no? Well other than those in the area and those from surrounding states, not many people have, and those in the know who have discovered this gem, may want to keep this place a secret. But it could be said that to not tell others about this rider’s heaven could be criminal. Located in the far north of Montana, Big Mountain has attracted a lot of attention recently and is steadily growing in popularity due to it not only having great riding available, but also because of the resort’s super laid back attitude and no nonsense approach. This place isn’t one of those horrible glitzy haunts visited by fur clad skiers out to pose as is so often the case in many of Colorado’s resorts. No, this is a purist’s resort, a place where you come to ride and take it easy without gimmicks.

Big Mountain, which is closely linked to the nearby town of Whitefish, attracts visitors from places such as Seattle and up in neighbouring Canada. However, it doesn’t attract too many of them so it never becomes overpopulated here. Some riders combine a trip to Big Mountain with a trip to Fernie, Canada which is only 2 hours away. Excellent transport links exist making this an easy place to get to either by plane or by train. Amtrax runs a daily service to Whitefish, called the Empire Builder Passenger service to and from major cities like Seattle and even Chicago. Overall this is a place that keeps things simple and affordable, both on the mountain and around town. The slopes operate a good lift system and provide heaps of annual snow. They don’t bother with snowmaking here as they simply don’t need it. The real stuff covers a mountain that offers a mixture of wide open bowls, wooded glades and great cruising runs.