Wild About Winter Recreation Is A Year-Round Business In Western Montana
While waiting to be issued a snowsuit and helmet, I happen to glance at an enlarged snapshot on the outfitter’s wall.
The photo shows a high-powered snowmobile 10 feet off the ground and climbing straight up, its detached rider seeming to flap his arms.
“Oh, that’s P.J., one of our guides,” explains owner Russ Kipp when asked about the picture. “He does that stuff all the time.”
Perhaps … but don’t try this aboard one of Kipp’s high-performance trail machines. If you do, your rental agreement may suddenly turn into a purchase plan.
I visited Kipp’s Montana High Country Tours resort last March while sampling western Montana’s winter recreation options.
On Day One, I roamed the forests near Butte behind a team of sled dogs.
The next day, I straddled a snowmobile for the first time and shot from 0 to 50 mph with the squeeze of the thumb.
Day Three was devoted to cross-country skiing (and hot-spring soaking).
That was followed the next day by telemark skiing and snowbiking.
I wrapped up my five-day, six-event winter Olympics with an exhilarating spin aboard a homemade iceboat.
And I still hadn’t exhausted the list of possibilities: ice-fishing, snow-shoeing … sharing a rink with genuine Olympic athletes at Butte’s high-altitude speed-skating track.
Montana makes winter travel easy, thanks to a free state guidebook loaded with maps and descriptions of resorts and outfitters. Call (800) 847-4868 or go to visitmt.com on the Web.
And if you opt for less-prestigious ski hills that cater to locals, as I did, you’ll save on lift tickets, meals and accommodations. For instance, Showdown Ski Area near White Sulphur Springs offers a three-day lift-and-lodging package starting at $95 per person.
Here are some highlights from my trip:
Friends and I spent the first night near Butte at Fairmont Hot Springs, a nicely maintained year-round resort with four mineral pools and a 350-foot-long waterslide. Guests have access to the indoor and outdoor pools 24 hours a day, so you can stargaze in steamy comfort and solitude. Price: about $95 to $115 for a family of four.
A chorus of yelping huskies greeted our arrival at nearby Pintler Sled Adventures the following morning.
Outfitter Bob Davis, clad in trapper boots and a howling-wolf sweatshirt, patiently explained the basics of mushing.
Rule No. 1: Hang on to your sled at all times.
Don’t say “Mush!” Say “Hike” or a casual “Let’s go now.”
“A happy voice is all it takes,” insisted Davis.
“Gee” means turn right, “haw” means left and “whoa” means stop.
After demonstrating how harnesses slip over the dogs’ heads and around their front legs, Davis invited us to help bring individual huskies from their dog-house neighborhood to waiting sleds. The technique involves grabbing the 70-pounders by the collar, unhooking their leash, lifting their front legs off the ground and coaxing the dogs to hop about 20 yards. (If their front legs were allowed on the ground, the dogs could easily pull over an adult.) While the maneuver sounded intimidating, the dogs knew the drill and cooperated.
Once on the trail, the dogs ceased barking and quickly settled into a routine. The only sound was their breathing and the subtle rub of sled runners on packed snow.
After a break for lunch in a remote cabin, we continued exploring the mostly level countryside, allowing the dogs to set a comfortable pace through familiar terrain. When we reached base camp, the guests breathed a collective sigh of relief that we hadn’t embarrassed ourselves in front of our impressive canine companions.
Cost: Half-day excursions $130 per couple; family rates available.
Later that afternoon we traveled south 110 miles to Polaris, the site of Maverick Mountain ski resort and Montana High Country Tours.
Russ Kipp, who used to run Maverick’s ski school, now leads snowmobile trips into the Beaverhead National Forest. His contemporary lodge is decorated with numerous big-game trophies, a reminder that he also guides hunters.
Sated by a generous, family-style breakfast the next morning, we donned helmets, gloves and one-piece snowmobile outfits, and were introduced to our machines: new Polaris RMK 550 high-performance trail sleds.
Ten minutes into our ride, one of the women guests complained about sore wrists. Five minutes later, she cheerfully talked about whiskey and 9 mm handguns. Snowmobiles have that effect.
During our three-hour, 60-mile outing, we encountered a mother moose and her bewildered calf, paid our respects at a homesteader’s cemetery and poked around a ghost town.
Cost: Approximately $160 per person for a room, three meals and one day of snowmobiling.
After a brief stop at Dillon’s intriguing Inn at Pioneer Mountain Farm, a combination B&B and cashmere goat farm, we headed north 150 miles to White Sulphur Springs, a ranching community short on restaurants but long on winter recreation options.
Our first outing was to Silver Crest, a pleasant 10-mile crosscountry trail system with dependable snow, thanks to its 7,000-foot elevation. The mildly challenging trails are groomed for track-and skate-skiing each Friday. We arrived on a Thursday after several inches of fresh snow, and had the entire system to ourselves.
Cost: free.
Later, we popped into White Sulphur Spring’s Spa Hot Springs Motel for a soak.
Don’t be put off by the tacky exterior or the sulfuric odor. The two natural hot mineral pools are drained, cleaned and refilled daily, and the interior ambiance is inviting. There’s even a haiku posted each day for soakers to ponder.
Cost: $4.50 for adults; discounts for children; double rooms start at $50, including spa access.
The following day, we checked out Showdown Ski Area, an uncrowded Carhartt-and-jeans “community hill” that boasts destination-quality amenities, such as a cafe at the 8,200-foot summit.
Since there’s not much of a local community to draw from, Showdown caters to high-school physical education classes on weekdays. Students travel as far as 400 miles roundtrip. But thanks to teens’ natural herding instincts, most of the runs remain unclogged.
We spent Friday morning carving lazy turns on several partially groomed runs, then switched to snowbikes - lightweight contraptions with handlebars, “saddles” and a pair of skis where wheels would be on a conventional bicycle.
By the end of the first run down a mild cruiser, we’d gained enough confidence to head for the powdery intermediate slopes. As we weaved back and forth below a chairlift, skiers overhead shouted, “Is that fun?” Our response was an unqualified “Yes!”
Cost: $25 for basic lift ticket; $35 extra for initial snowbike rental and lesson.
Our adventure concluded on Day Five at Canyon Ferry Lake near Helena, where a ragtag fleet of iceboats catches the steady basin winds and multiplies them four-fold, achieving speeds approaching 100 mph.
Despite a lack of amenities, the lake’s reputation as a premier iceboating venue has spread around the world.
On this Saturday, ice sailors began arriving at noon and quickly assembled their homemade boats. The single-mast iceboats glide across the glassy surface on a trio of foot-long metal blades, then tilt onto two blades as they gain speed.
A sailer with a wooden two-seater offered free rides to spectators, criss-crossing the lake at a modest 40 mph. The boats made a sound resembling a bowling ball rolling toward pins. Occasionally the front blade threw up chards of ice.
A bald eagle glided by on its way to a gut pile left by ice fishermen. In the distance, the Big Belt Mountains created a formidable backdrop. The only sound was the breeze sloughing off an iceboat sail a half-mile away. At that moment, winter and western Montana seemed ideally suited for each other.
This sidebar appeared with the story: IF YOU GO Montana
Butte is an easy six-hour drive east of Spokane on Interstate 90.
Here are phone numbers and Web sites for Montana resorts and outfitters mentioned in the story:
Fairmont Hot Springs Resort, Anaconda; (800) 332-3272; fairmontmontana.com on the Web; e-mail fairmontmt@aol.com.
Pintler Sled Adventures in Anaconda has ceased operations. Spirit of the North Sled Dog Adventures offers rides near Ennis, Mont.; (406) 995-3424; huskypower.com; sleddog@3rivers.net.
Montana High Country Tours, Dillon; (406) 683-4920 or (406) 834-3469; mhct.com; montana@mhct.com.
Inn at Pioneer Mountain Farm, Dillon; (888) 683-5445; innatpioneermtn.com/; tom@innatpioneermtn.com.
Silver Crest cross-country ski trail, White Sulphur Springs; (406) 547-3361 or (406) 236-5511.
Spa Hot Springs Motel, White Sulphur Springs; (406) 547-3366.
Montana Mountain Lodge, White Sulphur Springs; (406) 547-3773; montanamountainlodge.com; mtlodge@ttc-cmc.net.
Showdown Ski Area, Neihart; (800) 433-0022; showdownmontana.com; info@showdownmontana.com
Map of Montana