Pow, Ghost Trees and Dive Bars: A Whitefish Weekend

Descending after a long, fun day making turns at Whitefish Mountain Resort, Montana.

Have you ever wondered which bar sells the most PBR in the entire nation? I hadn’t either. Up until this past weekend, that is.

But I found myself in a Montana cowboy dive bar named The Remington, staring up at a plaque on the wall proudly declaring they were the #88 “Top PBR Volume Account in America.” So, naturally I got curious about who made up the top of that list. (Read on and you can find out too….)

This sign is way out of date according to Jason. They’re “definitely in the top 20 now.” Between the innumerable country townies who frequent this bar and their $2 PBR cans, that’s not in the least bit surprising.

Anyway, I find that’s a pretty good example of the sort of weird, but interesting stuff that kinda just becomes topical when you’re in Montana. From skiing to dive bars, or politics to side-country adventures, things are just a bit different up there. And volume PBR sales is just one of many interesting morsels I took away from our weekend getaway at Whitefish Mountain Resort.

Big Sky Country Dreams

I’ve had a pretty major crush on Montana ever since Big Sky Resort was a client of mine a few years ago. It doesn’t take that much time (or that much of a genius) to realize what a special place it is. By the time I had gone for a run through Bozeman, day-tripped to Yellowstone, and skied Big Sky on a week where they got 42 inches of powder, I was fully smitten.

Montana feels like what Colorado ought to be: big mountains, wide open spaces, free living, and the ability to venture into the outdoors without too much in the way of human-induced brain damage. Also, they still have a lot of stuff in the woods that can kill you, which if you ask me, is actually pretty cool.

They know how good they have it too. Nicknames like “the Treasure State”, “Big Sky Country”, “Land of the Shining Mountains”, or “The Last Best Place”, illuminate just how awesome it is up there. Maybe Montana is just Colorado as it used to be….

Whatever the case, Montana just hits different.

Case in point. Views of the Flathead Valley stretched out beneath Whitefish Resort are pretty damn hard to beat.

(Sidenote: The secret is out though. I could hardly go 5 minutes without overhearing a conversation between people complaining / commenting / remarking, and/or otherwise bitching about all the recent growth. Montanans are about as grumpy as a Jim Harbaugh coached offense when it comes to people moving to their fair state. I think being a Californian remote worker who moves there is about as hazardous of an occupation as they come in these parts. There’s a reason why there’s a saying in Montana that, “people only move here when they’ve ruined wherever they came from”). 

Anyway, local issues aside, when my friend Cougar was planning a trip to visit the Flathead Valley this January, I knew it was the perfect chance to tag along and sync up with the Blythes for a long ski weekend. I was very eager to explore a new area of the state and get some good resort + backcountry turns in with some old friends.

Welcome to Whitefish! The Blythes were as gracious and welcoming as anyone could possibly be. I was pumped to get to explore their home mountain via my very own guided tour-de-Whitefish. Suffice it to say, they were the world’s best hosts for that sort of thing.

Day #1 – Tour-de-Whitefish Resort

Our first day was spent in-bounds exploring the resort. At 3,000 acres, Whitefish is surprisingly large. I was all too happy to simply follow along behind Jason and Becky as they took me to one after another of their favorite runs. These were more often than not tree runs. But I soon realized that this was undeniably the best tree skiing I had ever done in my life.

Welcome to “The Last Best Place”

Making some typical in-bounds Whitefish turns.

The skiing was fantastic.

Although they hadn’t received a major dump in a while, the snow hung on amazingly well. Jason explained to me why on our many chair rides. Apparently this is very characteristic of the snow up here. Thanks to the higher moisture count, the snow is a much denser, different type of surface to ride on. Also, Whitefish is known for its cloudy and foggy days (I didn’t see the sun once in four days). The lack of sun-hit means the snow stays fresh way, way longer that we’d expect in Colorado. We were finding deep powder turns days after 3″ of new snow fell, which made for a stellar riding experience.

On the safety side of things, these factors also mean the snow is far more cohesive and bonds well. Deep persistent slabs are much more infrequent than in Colorado, making the snowpack that much safer. You can really feel it in your skis. The ‘grip’ on the snow and the overall stability just seems to radiate upwards from the surface. This combines to form a very resilient snowpack, both in terms of powder and safety.

And that’s not even to mention the relative lack of people. I have no idea of exact numbers, but it felt like we were skiing in about 20% of the people you might find on the same day in CO. And of those 20%, I don’t think we encountered a single a broville with a Bluetooth speaker, hapless Texan lost in the woods, or front range jagoff intent on remining us how we were tracking out HIS powder with each and every turn.

Like I said, Montana just hits different.

A ‘busy’ Saturday at the main base area in Whitefish. Those 30-60 second wait times to get on the mountain really add up…

Much like certain other things in life, how you measure really makes a difference here. What is “only” 3-4 inches of new snow feels like a whole lot more than that. The difference is you’re not hitting an icy/scrapey hardpack just under the pow; it’s soft all the way down. This means the snow skis well for days after the last storm. Don’t get me wrong – there’s still nothing like champagne powder, but the longevity of the new snow was cool to experience.

I also learned about ‘ghost trees’. This is the amazing phenomenon where the snow just accumulates on the needles of the many coniferous trees in an all-encompassing blanket of white. Skiing around these is trippy. I’ve gotten vertigo on powder day in the back bowls of Vail, but never during a tree run. That is, until now.

Jason weaving through the ubiquitous ghosts of Whitefish.

The spooky trees abounded everywhere on the upper portion of the mountain.

By the time we took our final turns around 4:00, my cup was feeling very full from a full day of resort exploring. We’d done trees, steeps, groomers, and skied just about every main area there was to ski. That all set up for some nice backcountry / sidecountry exploring on day #2.

There’s no shortage of fun to be had inbounds at Whitefish.

Day #2 – Canyon Creek Sidecountry + Inspired Family Skiing

After our original plans to get into Glacier National Park were scrapped thanks to some road construction (I guess nowhere is perfect), we settled on a sidecountry adventure near the resort instead. The area known as Canyon Creek is lift-accessed sidecountry which is very popular spot in the area for skiers and snowmobilers alike. With a very favorable avy forecast and an appetite for adventure, we were able to find some excellent turns in this zone to start day #2. It also made me glad I hadn’t schlepped all my backcountry gear across the country for no good reason.

Map of Canyon Creek sidecounty, with our line highlighted. (Click to enlarge)

Same perspective, different map type. (Click to enlarge)

After doing the requisite beacon checks, Jason and I exited via the access gate and enjoyed some A+ powder turns down the long, north-facing gladed slope. The tree skiing continued to be excellent from top to bottom. Jason didn’t know the area too well, but were were able to follow some fresh tracks all the way to the valley floor, sticking to mostly reasonably low angled terrain. There was hardly anywhere to get lost anyway and we were able to stick to good slopes throughout.

Apparently this is a common area for Whitefish folks to recreate. We saw multiple other parties duck in from the resort. And the bottom of the valley is a snow-mobile accessed road which offers plenty of options. I got the impression there are virtually endless opportunities in here for folks who really know and understand the zone. I could also see this area being quite dangerous. But given the forecast and our experience with the snow the day prior, we felt very good about the line and our decision making.

Making turns in the Canyon Creek sidecountry area.

Feeling very not as young as I used to be.

Once we hit the valley floor, we skinned out the distance back to the resort. We only did the one run in Canyon Creek, but we felt that was plenty for the day. Shoutout to the very kind snowmobiler who offered us a tow, but I was feeling far too old and far too fat to accept. Besides, the opportunities to skin in the backcountry with no cell service, few other people, and without a distraction in the world are too few and far between these days. Best to maximize the time.

Our next objective was another mini-sidecountry area Jason knew about. It began near the Big Mountain Radio tower at the very top of the resort. A short walk up to this added just enough vert and changed the aspect enough to provide a series of virgin turns high above Hellroaring Basin.

More ghosts hanging out at the tippy-top of the aptly named Big Mountain. I hear the views are absolutely phenomenal from up here…

After a few well earned laps in this area, we finally hooked back up with Becky and Avery for some excellent groomer family skiing. I definitely don’t think the groomers in Montana can hold a candle to CO corduroy. But what they lack in overall quality, they do make up for in terms of very steep, excellent pitches. And also the views (when you can get ’em).

Blythes on parade!

As we were descending a new run toward the end of the day, I found myself stopping just to take it all in. This long, steep run ran directly down a prominent ridge on the front side of the mountain. Million dollar views into the Flathead Valley, Whitefish Lake, Glacier National Park, the Swan Range, and more abounded. I felt an overwhelming sense of awe and gratitude on the slope as I stopped to admire this place. It might be the most aesthetically pleasing run I’ve ever skied.

When we reached the bottom, I turned to ask Jason what the name of this incredible run was called.

“Inspiration,” He replied.

“Wow. That’s exactly right,” I reflected in return. Inspiration indeed.

Or, “Inspo”, as I hear the locals call it.

Now, About that Dive Bar

A few days of inspired skiing deserves some equally inspired après libations. Thankfully, Whitefish has such watering holes in ready supply.

We enjoyed a very warm Italian dinner in town that evening at the delectable Abruzzo Italian Kitchen. It was a great way to say farewell to the Blythes, who had been such gracious and incredible hosts to us all weekend. Thank you to their whole family for showing us around their little corner of paradise!

Fat and happy after enjoying some well earned mushroom rigatoni and Italian delights after two long days on the slopes.

The last-stop on our tour-de-Whitefish was a visit to some of the local watering holes. Jason was keen to show us all the best that Montana had to offer, hence we found ourselves eventually settling into a great evening at The Remington. Local IPAs and PBRs punctuated fantastic people watching and involuntary donations to the video poker machine.

This is also where we learned about the ongoing PBR price-war amongst the local Whitefish bars. Intent on undermining the competition with ever cheaper and cheaper cans of PBR, these local establishments offer PBR for $2-3 a can. Hence the plaque. Which brings us to our big reveal….

So, care to guess where serves the most PBR in all the land? Take a moment to think about it. The answer may surprise you.

We all assumed it would be somewhere in the Midwest, or in a blue collar working town, or maybe even a major party destination like Miami or something similar. But as it turns out, we were all wildly wrong….

….the #1 total seller of PBR by volume in America is none other than the Sundown Saloon in Boulder Colorado. I should have known better than to underestimate my alma mater. In fact, their title is 100% thanks to their legendary $8 PBR pitchers, of which I myself have enjoyed many a time. So, I feel partly to thank for this momentous achievement. You’re welcome.

Maybe Colorado isn’t so bad after all. 😉

Thanks for reading if you did – enjoy the skiing!