From the Hill Report: Cold but crowded at Bear Paw Ski Bowl

Byron Ophus

A good crowd braved the cold temperatures Saturday. They enjoyed the best snow conditions of the year on this fourth weekend of the season. More than a foot of new powder had fallen since the prior weekend. It wasn’t champagne powder that floats up in a cloud with each passing skier. Rather, the snow had more substance, and was very skiable. As the day went on, the snow became a wonderful, packed powder that added to the bullet-proof base of 14 to 24 inches.

Temperatures hovered in the single digits below zero. Thankfully the wind, so often the hill’s nemesis, stayed calm. The trees, covered with snow and hoar frost, combined with a light fog and gave the hill an eerie splendor. The Yellowsnow Club Lodge was a popular place as patrons gathered around the archaic wood stove to shake the cold from fingers and toes. Many enjoyed world famous Hermie burgers and Aagie dogs prepared by CloseUp, a Havre High School group raising money for a trip to Washington, D.C.

Ski Patrol members arrived early to prepare for toboggan training. Patrollers honed existing skills and learned new skills under the tutelage of Ed, Eagle Creek’s outdoor emergency transportation instructor. Ed was joined by two patrollers from the Great Falls Ski Patrol. The patrollers all said it was a valuable learning experience for a skill they hope to never use.

The cold weather finally had its way Sunday as hill management made the difficult decision to close for the day. The absolute temperatures were projected to remain in the single digits below zero but the windchills were expected to reach nearly minus 30 degrees. Minor injuries and equipment problems become serious issues when temperatures fall to such depths.

Though little or no snow is in the forecast, skiers and shredders should enjoy warmer weather next weekend on packed powder and machine groomed powder covering a base of 18 to 30 inches. Raccoon the eyes, rack up the boards, rack up some runs, rack up some fun and ski knee deep cheap at the steep and deep.