Glacier National Park Chat

Here are some photos from Whitefish Mountain Resort on New Year's Eve 2018-19, taken on my ancient HTC mobile phone:


Top of Flower Point lift, looking east / northeast towards Glacier.


From the summit, looking northeast towards Glacier.


From North Bowl Face, looking towards the town of Whitefish.


From North Bowl Face, looking up towards the summit.

When I was young, I skied various places in Mt, Co, Wy, NM, MI, and of course MN. I didn't realize Whitefish had good (gravity assisted) skiing.

Jay

Yes, Whitefish is actually a pretty big ski area -- 3000 acress, 10 lifts. For comparison, better-known areas like Steamboat and Winter Park in Colorado have almost exactly the same amount of terrain. And more people. (Whitefish is actually slightly bigger than Steamboat in terms of skiable acres.) It's been there for 70 years. Used to be called "Big Mountain". https://skiwhitefish.com/

Jay, the Whitefish "elite" want Whitefish to be the "Vail" of the NW. That's why the name change to Whitefish Mountain. "Big Mountain" wasn't cool enough for the local Ee-lite and PO-lite.
Whitefish is steadily becoming "gentrified" as a result. My apartment building recently going up for sale is an example of that. Can't have us "ordinary working class rednecks" living downtown next to City Hall don't ya know.
The geezer is too old to give a rat's patootie anymore. I'll go find a run down trailer in Hungry Horse. Closer to the park.


pete

PS
I only crashed once yesterday. Tried a new run, one labeled "more clallenging" due to a higher hill to climb and hence come down.
Got hauling ass and couldn't quite make the last turn 50 yards from the end. Fun though!!!
I'll get it next time out

Hi Pete, sorry, I had no idea that any of that was going on. We've skied at Whitefish the last couple of years to get away from the crowds and cost of skiing in Colorado, and for reliable early-season snow since we're planning our trips so far in advance. I guess I'm part of the problem, and didn't even know about it.

Fairbanks142 wrote:Hi Pete, sorry, I had no idea that any of that was going on. We've skied at Whitefish the last couple of years to get away from the crowds and cost of skiing in Colorado, and for reliable early-season snow since we're planning our trips so far in advance. I guess I'm part of the problem, and didn't even know about it.

Hey!! No need to apologize!
Visitors coming to ski at Big Mt and hike in the park are the lifeblood of the economy here.
We welcome you.

I'm not a native having moved here in 2002.
There is, as always, two sides of the story.

Change is inevitable.
This area is growing just like many across the country.
Just in the short time I've been here, I've seen enormous change.
Virtually ALL of the development north of Kalispell has happened since I moved here in '02.

And people don't necessarily like all that comes with the change.
I was talking about the "local politics" involved.
My little apartment looks up at Big Mountain. I'll miss that view if I have to move.
But that's life, and I'll just have to deal with it...if and when the time comes.

So not to worry, you are NOT a problem.
So keep on coming and posting here.
Your photos and input to this forum are what makes this site a better resource for all of us.

pete

Big Mountain may be getting more "gentrified" on a Whitefish scale of gentrification, but it is still much more of a small town laid back locals hill.. I doubt that Big Mountain will ever be gentrified to the point that Big Sky, Steamboat, Vail, or any of the other fancy "resorts" like SunValley, Park City, etc

I'm still in denial on the name change!!

mattB wrote:Big Mountain may be getting more "gentrified" on a Whitefish scale of gentrification, but it is still much more of a small town laid back locals hill.. I doubt that Big Mountain will ever be gentrified to the point that Big Sky, Steamboat, Vail, or any of the other fancy "resorts" like SunValley, Park City, etc

I'm still in denial on the name change!!

I'm with you on the name change; especially if you lived there. We have a mountain like that down here in Phx that a lot of us have been resisting the name change but we're slowly coming to accept it.

by Fairbanks142 » Sat Jan 19, 2019 8:59 am Here are some photos from Whitefish Mountain Resort on New Year's Eve 2018-19, taken on my ancient HTC mobile phone:

I must have missed your photos. Thx for sharing. Nice to see them and pretty good for cell phone photos.

mattB wrote:Big Mountain may be getting more "gentrified" on a Whitefish scale of gentrification, but it is still much more of a small town laid back locals hill.. I doubt that Big Mountain will ever be gentrified to the point that Big Sky, Steamboat, Vail, or any of the other fancy "resorts" like SunValley, Park City, etc

I'm still in denial on the name change!!

You might want to take a closer look at what's going on here in the area next time you visit.
There's nothing "small town or laid back" about WF these days.
The Whitefish Mountain "Resort" is going just as hard as it can to put Whitefish "on the map" so to speak.
They will tell you that themselves. They make no bones about it.
Check out the real estate development and home prices in places like Iron Horse.
Take a driving tour through Iron Horse...not exactly Section 8 housing

When I moved here in 2002, there wasn't much going on in the summer season up on "Big Mountain" as it was billed then.
They have recently built a nice Zip Line facility as well as world class mountain bike trails.
Make no mistake. The new(ish) owners of Whitefish Mountain Resorts have big plans for the mountain.

And the city of Whitefish is following suit. New motels and hotels springing up on US 93 and they are not the "Motel 6" variety.
Nelson's ACE Hardware, heretofore your typical small town hardware store on Central Ave, is moving out to US 93 in a BIG new building across from the WF Mall.
There's a big new boat dealership on US93...and they ain't selling "john boats" for the locals. Look like high end ski boats for the big money folks on Whitefish Lake.
The new art gallery they built right behind my apartment building has paintings that begin "around $5000"--in the owners own words to me.

My rent was $400/month for my 2BR apt. when I moved here in 2002.
Apartment rents are rapidly rising.
Virtually nothing under a $1000/month in Whitefish....which is why I worry about my rent which is considerably under that...for now.

So as I said, here's nothing "small town or laid back" about WF these days.
It may never be like Vail, but it won't be for lack of effort on the part of the powers that be in Whitefish.

pete

PS

As for the name change...
I'd like to see it go back to "Hell Roaring Mountain"
I heard the "Temperance Ladies" in Whitefish made them change it to Big Mountain around 1913 as part of an effort to clean up "Stumptown" circa 1913.

Pete, I guess you've never been to Sun Valley, Vail, Steamboat, Alta, Snowbird, Park City, Big Sky, Whistler-Blackcomb, or Heavenly?
Big Mountain maybe be trying hard to market themselves, but its still one of the most laid back hills that I've been to recently, and still has a small town ski hill feel, rather than a giant corporate resort..