Montana, where the mountains are big, bold, and in your face. Lewis and Clark country. I skied Bridger on Tues and Wed. Tues. was a powder day with 8" new and to my great distress there must have been 1000 cars in the lots. I came to MT to get away from the powder locusts of UT. I shouldn't have worried. The mountain somehow swallowed them up. I found lots of untracked snow and no lift lines. There is plenty of groomed green and blue terrain on the lower mountain. But as you ride up on the admittedly long slow chairs it astonishes as it opens up and steepens. At the top of this huge fan shaped bowl is "the Ridge". You must enter through a control gate with an avalanche beacon, probe, shovel, and partner and convince a ski patroller that you have a big S on your chest. I used to have a small S but it has faded; and I promised my wife (and myself) that I'd no longer do the hairball stuff after turning 70. I found great deep wind deposited powder pockets in the trees on the side of the alpine lift. Alta fans will recognize the name, the three bears. It was just as good yesterday and almost nobody was there.

In a Bozeman brewpub, a guy came up and introduced himself who I would have run from in DC. He looked like Jeremiah Johnson, from the movie, might have looked at 75. Rail thin, tall, buckskin clothes, a big cowboy hat and a stringy gray beard about 2 feet long. I'd earlier seen him at my motel. It turns out he is a dealer in western antiques and an auctioneer. He had noticed that i was alone and he didn't want me to feel alone. He wished me the best of luck in my life and in my quest, whatever it was. Tonight I'm in Missoula, which to my surprise is much like Boulder, lots of liberal bumper stickers on beat up subarus and lots of back to nature types on bicycles. Tomorrow I'll ski Lost Trail. People keep telling me about other western MT ski areas that I never heard of, like, Great Divide, Showdown, Blacktail...

I am intensely jealous that you are out in Montana chasing snow.

I should have trademarked that phrase.

Very nice. You are 3 weeks ahead of the rest of us. We'll be hitting Bridger Bowl for two days, Big Sky for 3-4 and Moonlight Basin for 1. Hope to make at least one day out to Disco Mtn (Discovery Ski Area.) Apparently that is where the ski area workers often head on their day out.

Others relatively close to Bozemann that we won't have time for: Great Divide, Maverick, and Montana Snow Bowl. Lot's of land out there. Not to mention the northern areas in MT and ID. Oh well, something to look forward to in my retirement.

Good summary of Bridger Denis! Sorry we couldn't catch up

Denis...what the h. I posted below you on the question of renting telemark gear that you could rent it in Bridger. I had no idea you were there. Lets split a lottery ticket.

Try Teton pass.
1100 vertical, super slow lift will take you to the top. Once there, grab your skins and climb another 1700 feet. HEAVEN!

Location: Northwest MT.
Happy Skiing!!!

Did I mention that my 70+ pass cost $22, full fare is $49. A 70+ ticket at Big Sky is $79. Today's pass at lost trail cost me $14. Report to follow.

Denis, we need you to connect with that guy from firsttracks so we can see some photos!
Have a good trip. I'm heading up to MRG to catch some powpow you left behind.