Distinctly Montana Magazine

w w w. d i s t i n c t ly m o n ta n a . c o m 25 I n southern Montana, the ski sea- son never has to end. While some Montanans pack up their skis and toss them into dark attics, others just change from snow pants to shorts. Anyone needing to calm their ski addiction can be satiated during the summer months by visiting the peaks surrounding Bozeman or the Beartooth Mountains in Red Lodge. Between the Bridger Range and the Spanish Peaks, Bozeman has a plethora of locations that lend themselves to skiing throughout the year. Two famous locations, The Blaze and The Great One, stand out for their long, steep, and steady runs. Blaze Mountain, nestled in the Lee Metcalf wilderness of the Spanish Peaks, stands out, not for its immense stature, but its long, thin snowfield. The 10,300 foot mountain with its brilliant, 1,500 vertical foot strip of snow catches the eye more than a white-tailed doe in a dark forest. This linear strip stays white all year, its talus slope collecting and protecting the snow from the harsh UV rays of the Montana's unrelenting summer sun. Local Bozemanites affectionately refer to this summer gem as The Blaze. How this received its name eludes us, not for lack of options, but for having to choose amongst them. The Blaze may resemble slashes cut into trees that mark trails, called blazes. It may look like the white blaze that runs down a horse's long nose. Or sometimes on late-summer nights, the red sunset turns every last crevice of snow into an orange blaze that stands out like a river of lava flowing down a fiery volcano. Maybe The Blaze simply harkens to that feeling of blaz- ing down a mountain in the summer and the blaze of emotions such an experience can bring any outdoor enthusiast. No matter the story, backcountry skiers first flocked to The Blaze in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and the never-ending season became legend for the adventurous. Over the next 30 years, as the skis evolved from pointed to parabolic, and from telemark to touring, The Blaze has seen its visitors increase yearly. The Blaze's 1,500 ft snowfield is an ideal line for intermediate and advanced ski- ers. But, like most summer skiing, a 1,500 hundred-foot line downhill requires equal or more uphill. The seven-mile approach to its base from the Spanish Creek Trailhead usually takes four to 10 hours. Oftentimes, skiers will split the approach and ascent into multiple days. By doing this, they can summit the mountain by the late morning to hit ideal snow conditions and squeeze out every remaining flake from the summer season. Just across the valley, lies a famous Boze- man couloir—The Great One. A few miles past the winter ski haven Bridger Bowl, The Great One only needs a two to three mile hike to reach. The reward is well worth the penance in this case, as The Great One may be one of the best summer lines around, especially into late August. Resting on the Naya-Nuki Peak, this run can be accessed from the Fairy Lake Trailhead. The black rocks define the landscape of upper Naya- Nuki. Deep fissures juxtaposed along craggy stones cut into the big Montana sky. The Great One is the biggest and deepest of these fissures, holding snow in its deep belly year round. The Great One is steep and should only be attempted by advanced and expert skiers. Starting in a thin chute and finishing with some long, steady turns, the breathtaking line worms itself down the mountain. Skiers will feel exposed, look- ing across the Bridger Canyon, yet pro- tected, as they ski within the strange white cylinder. Skiers may find it difficult not to imagine them- selves in a deep canyon river, being pushed down by a vast white wave of snow. by SEaN McSPaDDEN

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