By Jack Reaney SENIOR EDITOR
Although Lookout Pass Ski Area clings to the Idaho side of the border, Montana skiers took note when the hill, about 100 miles west of Missoula, announced an early opening last week.
The mountain opened on Friday, Nov. 8—more than a month earlier than last year’s Dec. 12 opening—with five groomed trails in addition to some off-piste powder, according to marketing director Matt Sawyer.
“We had fresh snow, we had enough of it, but more importantly, we had done a lot of work in the fall to allow us to open with less [snow] than what we typically would need in the past,” Sawyer told EBS in a phone call Monday.
In addition to roughly a three-foot base on the summit, the mountain staff used a device that functions like a heavy-duty lawnmower for the outdoors to help cut down brush ahead of the winter season, Sawyer explained. The method allows Lookout Pass to comfortably open with a base depth in the range of 14 to 18 inches, which helped on the lower mountain.
“Boy, there was a really good vibe,” Sawyer said. “People were excited just to get out… It was just an opportunity to see old friends, gather around a place they have a fondness for, and get some early season turns.”
Despite plans to stay open through the weekend, the recent warmth prevailed. Bare spots emerged on Friday and Saturday, and Lookout Pass closed on Sunday, Nov. 10.
The mountain plans to reopen on Friday, Nov. 15 and operate through the weekend, weather permitting—Lookout Pass likely needs to receive the higher end of snow forecasted through this week, and the decision will be announced by Thursday night or Friday morning.
Sawyer hopes the mountain will be open seven days a week by early December. But if the snow keeps coming, that may shift to Thanksgiving week.
‘Pretty darn proud’ of 90-year anniversary
Lookout Pass will celebrate its 90th anniversary this season, with a history dating back to the 1930s when the Idaho Ski Club was born.
“A few ardent ski pioneers built a rope tow powered by the engine from an abandoned car they found on the old Yellowstone Highway, which is now I-90. They used a highway maintenance shed on Lookout Pass as a warming hut,” the Lookout Pass website states.
The ski area survived without a chairlift until 1980, when “Chair One” was financed with contributions from local mining companies to provide winter recreation for employees, and the ski area has continued to expand.
“Not too many areas in the country can claim 90 years in operation, so we’re pretty darn proud of that,” Sawyer said. He added that it’s a testament to the unique weather pattern on the pass, which dumps an annual average of 450 inches on the summit despite an elevation of just 6,150 feet—roughly 200 feet lower than Big Sky Town Center.
“We have no snowmaking, we’ve never had any snowmaking,” Sawyer said. “Pride ourselves in all our snow is heavenly sent, and it’s worked out for 90 years, and it’s still working.”
