Second straight year of record skier numbers

Whitefish Mountain Resort set new skier records for the second straight year this season with nearly 345,000 total skier visits. The ski season ended on April 6.

That’s seven percent above last year and marks the fourth time the number exceeded the 300,000 mark. The ski resort on Big Mountain also set a new record for skier visits in a single day with 7,654 on Dec. 30.

“We are thankful for the steady growth we’ve experienced these past several years,” resort president Dan Graves said. “We are committed to creating a high quality affordable experience with exceptional, easy-going hospitality that encourages our guests to keep coming back.”

Local residents make up about half of the skier visits at the resort and also helped with setting records this season. Season pass visits were up six percent over the last season, and this season marked the most pre-season winter pass sales in the history of the resort.

A banner year for snowfall might have helped the numbers. Although a few brutally cold days might have kept people off the slopes, the resort recorded 146 inches of snow on the summit of Big Mountain on the last weekend lifts were running.

The resort’s Ski & Ride School also experienced growth across the board, with junior daily lessons and seasonal programs increasing 31 percent and 16 percent respectively.

Lodging at resort properties was up seven percent over last year, with the majority of its visitors arriving from Montana, Alberta, Washington, Saskatchewan and Minnesota.

Future projects at the resort could attract even more skiers. A new chairlift to Flower Point will open up a lot of terrain on the back side of Big Mountain known for tree skiing and holding powder.

Some flagging is in place for a new lift line into Hellroaring Basin, from Grand Junction, where the Hellfire and Glory Hole runs intersect, directly to the summit, and for some additional glading in the area. The ski run from Grand Junction to the base of the current Chair 8 sometimes lacks sufficient snow in early season and can be dangerous.

But the resort also wants to expand the Summit House by about 5,000 square feet, with more restrooms, a larger and more efficient food court, and 250-300 more seats. The Summit House was built in 1985 and needs updating, Graves told the Columbia Falls Area Chamber of Commerce on March 11.

The Summit House expansion could take priority over the new Hellroaring lift line. Also, a proposed chairlift from the MoeMentum Run to the top of the East Rim was put on hold so the Flower Point chairlift could be completed, Graves said.

“The Flower Point lift is a great insurance policy for Christmas skiers in seasons with low snowfall,” he said.