From the Hill - Bear Paw Ski Bowl report

From Byron Ophus

Skiers and shredders were undeterred by the cold weather. Usually temperatures at the higher elevations are warmer than here in town, but on Saturday that was not the case. Temperatures at the hill struggled to get above zero, similar to or maybe even colder than in town. A steady breeze made the temperatures feel like double digits below zero. The breeze was especially chilling above the tree line. The crowd wasn't as large as the Sunday prior but vastly exceeded expectations. About 150 people road the chair and/or the Little Bear rope tow.

What enticed the skiers and shredders to brave the conditions? Ideal snow. The warm weather and wind in the week prior had formed a crust on the upper face. Normally that wouldn't be a good thing, but upon that crust lay a 6 inch blanket of new snow. Skiing the face was like floating on a cloud. Further down the hill the snow was even better. There was new powder on top of old powder in the Bowls and upper Screaming Eagle. This was the knee deep powder promised in the slogan, "ski knee deep cheap at the steep and deep." Below midway the groomed snow felt like silk beneath the boards.

Unfortunately, temperatures continued to drop overnight. The hill manager reported that early on Sunday the thermometer at the hill read minus 23 degrees. That kind of cold really compounds problems that might occur with equipment or injured skiers and shredders. Bear Paw usually has a relatively short season and with ideal snow conditions a decision to close is not made lightly, but keeping patrons and volunteers safe required that the hill stay closed on Sunday. Conditions and the weather forecast are favorable for awesome skiing in the coming weekend.