Resort will use Chair 2 for scenic Big Mtn. lift ride
With the closure of Chair 1 due to a leaning tower, Whitefish Mountain Resort is running Chair 2 for its Scenic Lift Ride attraction.
"At this time we do not know when or if Chair 1 and lift access to the summit will be available this summer," resort president Dan Graves said.
Prior to opening Chair 2 for summer service, resortcrews built ramps for pedestrians to load and unload and bike racks for the chair.
Prices for round-trip Scenic Lift Rides will be $8 for adults and $5 for juniors 7-12 and seniors 65-69. The Scenic Lift is free for children 6-and-under, adults over-70 and 2010/11 winter season pass holders. One way tickets are $4. The lift will start at 10 a.m. with the last ride up at 5:30 p.m.
Mountain bikers will be able to access the Big Mountain Summit Trail from the top of Chair 2. Hiking is not allowed on this trail. Tickets are required for both the rider and bike.
Bike tickets only for adults 13-64 are $13 for one ride, $18 for two rides and $23 all day, and for juniors 7-12 and seniors 65-69 are $9 for one ride, $12 for two rides and $15 for all day.
Other summer activities are open on schedule, including the Alpine Slide, Zip Line Tours and Walk In The Treetops. The lower elevations are mostly free of snow, and the lower elevation mountain-bike trails are available for riding.
Two type of tours are available on the zip lines - a two-hour tour with four zip lines and a three-hour tour with six zip lines. About 125 feet recently were added to the No. 5 zip line, so the three-hour tour now features 6,825 feet of riding. The No. 6 zip line is 1,800 feet long and suspended 300 feet above the ground.
The resort's Base Lodge is open, with a new bar, while in the village the Hellroaring Saloon, Bierstube and Aunt Bee's are all open.
Summer activities have been offered on Big Mountain since 1950, but they took off in recent years with the addition of the Alpine Slide and Zip Line Tours. Nearly 50,000 visitors rode the gondolas on Chair 1 last summer.
For more information, call Whitefish Mountain Resort at 862-1900 or visit online at www.skiwhitefish.com.