Distinctly Montana Magazine

d i s t i n c t ly m o n ta n a • w i n t e r 2 0 1 5 46 M o n ta n a i n 3 what wIll your SKI arEa looK lIKE? CIChE PItChEr at SKI dISCovEry SayS: To be honest, we try to plan in five year increments only. The idea of pre- dicting 30 years out seems daunt- ing. That being said, I suspect we will be similar in some ways with a handful of significant changes. The areas most ripe for change are grooming (more steep trails beings groomed); guest interaction (better use of GPS in phones to provide infor- mation for the ski area and the guest); and more man-made terrain (specifically, the use of man-made terrain features to aid in teach- ing but also the progression of terrain parks). BEnJaMIn haugan of Showdown SayS: Our goal is to manage a safe recreational opportunity for Central Montana. We may institute a vegetation management plan that will spread skier flow throughout the entire ski area. A master development plan could bring small lodging opportunities and/or employee housing. In the year 2044, we will look forward to being Montana's oldest ski area with a family friendly atmosphere. arE you PlannIng to ExPand SnowMaKIng? to EMPhaSIzE non-Snow aCtIvItIES MorE, and If So what MIght thEy BE? BIg SKy'S ShEIla ChaPMan SayS: It's hard to predict. Showdown: We have never made snow here at the ski area and will continue to rely on Mother Nature for our most important resource, snow. We cannot imagine offering better activities than skiing and snowboarding. dISCovEry: We are looking to continue our invest- ment in downhill mountain biking. With regard to low snowpack, we plan to offset poor years through summer trail management (removing small trees and providing smoother trails). rIlEy PoloMBuS of whItEfISh MountaIn rESort SayS: We are fortunate that our mountain is less rocky and therefore is able to get a decent base depth quickly, and our weather produces consistent snowfall. Our snowmaking fills in the gaps. It's all about adapting to the changing condi- tions whether it's day-to-day or year-to-year. We'll con- tinue to invest in our snow maintenance capabilities. whICh SuMMEr aCtIvItIES do you alrEady offEr? wIll thoSE BE ExPandEd? whItEfISh: In the summer we offer scenic chairlift rides, lift-served mountain biking, zipline tours, hik- ing trails, an alpine slide, an Aerial Adventure Park, Walk in the Treetops Tours, as well as our food and beverage services. We are pleased with the growth in visitors we are seeing in the summer. Of course, with Glacier National Park in our backyard it makes sense that we will continue to see visitor numbers grow, especially if the summer season gets longer. BIg SKy: We offer the Lone Peak Expedition, zipline tours, high ropes course, mountain biking, scenic lift ride, skeet shooting, giant swing, bungee trampoline, climbing wall, archery, gemstone mining, disk golf, hiking, 18-hole Arnold Palmer-designed golf course, paintball, Lake Levinsky Marina, and horseback riding, and we're always looking at new adventures to offer to our guests. what futurE do you forESEE for Montana'S SnowPaCK In thE yEar 2044 gIvEn thE ProSPECt of ClIMatE ChangE? how wIll your SKI MountaIn BE affECtEd? whItEfISh: We've always had good snow years and bad, and as "snow farmers" we do the best we can with what we get. This year's new Flower Point lift will pro- vide access to 200 more acres of terrain on the north side of the mountain, where the snow is like mid-win- ter all season long. That's one way to adapt. Also I believe we are in a good position with regard to some of the future snowpack models out there due to our latitude. As the "snowline" moves north, we'll start to gain skiers from resorts located in Utah and Colorado. dISCovEry: It may be naïve, but I don't see our over snowpack changing that much in 30 years. What we have seen is more volatility within a season. I would expect this trend to continue. Showdown: We tend to think positively. We had mul- tiple days of 30 below zero in the 2013-2014 season. We will tackle slope maintenance projects that will allow us to open with a 15-20 inch natural snow base. what IS your PoSItIon on dronES and goPro tyPE CaMEraS. how do you SEE thIS tEChnology affECtIng vISItatIon? BIg SKy: Our guests already submit great footage from their GoPros. As for drones, our video depart- ment uses this type of technology. I'm sure it will continue to grow. dISCovEry: Drones are a little scary in that they can be used by people who either have bad intentions or poor skills and put our guests' safety at risk. We are going to disallow them until we see how the trend develops. I love what you can do with them and the imagery someone can get using a drone. I just don't know how we will manage it. SkI mouNtaINS yea rs I aSkED four rEprESENtatIVES from moNtaNa'S fINESt SkI arEaS — SkI DISCoVEry, ShoWDoWN, bIg Sky aND WhItEfISh mouNtaIN — to gazE INto a SNoW gLobE aND SEE What thEy ExpECt IN 2044. by phIL kNIght

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