Distinctly Montana Magazine

The uses for yurts are limited only by the imagination. They have become popular in Montana because of their unique qualities which include strength, comfort, and easy installation. They can blend well with the natural environment while inside the round space and central skylight create a sense of peace and relaxation." Alan Bair, Pacific Yurts Inc. The backcountry is the new frontier in the winter sports industry: in the 20092010 ski season, backcountry ski sales increased 57 percent over the previous year. Outfitters from West Yellowstone to Whitefish have begun to offer backcountry ski accommodations ranging from pup tents to upscale cabins. A modern spin on the accommodations the nomadic Mongolian people have been using on the windblown central Asian steppe for more than three thousand years, the design Yurtski uses sits on an elevated platform 20 feet in diameter, its weatherproofed canvas tarpaulin skin stretched over a wooden skeleton. Two sets of bunk beds flank a central dining table. On either side of the door sit a fully kitted kitchen and a makeshift bar of castaway beer and liquor, left by past guests in a kind of indirect communion with future skiers. On the comfort spectrum, the yurt lies about halfway between glamping and a snow cave. 14 Although the two yurts are decidedly less mobile than the Mongolian versions, Yurtski's Forest Service special-use permit requires that they disassemble and remove the yurts every spring. Equal parts guide and gourmet chef, Sievers and his partner Simon offer tailormade trips, from a simple hand-off of the keys to a fully guided and supported weekend. At the small kitchen island, Sievers, who works at a restaurant in the off-season, deftly preps multi-course meals for guests in ski bib and fleece pullover: Asian pork lettuce wraps, pad Thai, flourless chocolate torte. No ski-bum pre-packaged rations here. "We can snowmobile right to the door of the yurts, so we can haul quite a bit of gear for people," says Sievers. "With our huts, you can bring the gourmet dinner, the bottles of wine, the case of beer and have it be more of a fulfilling experience with friends and family than you would if you had to haul in the essentials on your back." distinctly montana • winter 2014

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