The Throwdown at Showdown

Although it's been an odd winter with El Nino shepparding the snows to the southern states there are still many powdery stashes to be found.  I found a few stashes recently at the Showdown ski hill at King's Hill pass in the Little Belt Mountains. 

It was a great weekend full of sunshine and even some fresh snow falling overnight.  There were a lot of Montana families at Showdown, most of whom were there to compete and watch the Youth Ski League speed events that were taking place.  Imagine 12 year olds (and under) going 55 miles an hour...!!  Yep, a bunch of little ripping skiers shredding the slopes.  But while the kids were having lunch and changing from their racing gear to their freeskiing gear coach Zak (aka The Ginger Kid) found some pretty sweet little zones of fresh snow. 

Big shout out and thanks to the friendly staff at Showdown....thanks for awesome breakfast, good laughs, and epic turns.  See you next year!!

Town Hall Meeting

One of the great things about skiing in Montana is the relationship between the National Forest Service and so many great hills.  Having an open boundary with quick an easy access to backcountry skiing is just so excellent.  The next time you're out schralping some excellent sidecountry turns don't forget to thank the good people at the National Ski Areas Association, National Forest Service, and U.S. Skiing. 

http://www.wildwilderness.org/docs/ski-mou.htm

On the other hand, the occasional inbounds poach can land you in serious hot water.  And while it might seem like the TJ Burke thing to do, it may involve a brush with local authorities.  The last thing you want is to get caught waiting for the judge when it's powder day on Porphyry Peak!
       

Cinching it up in the Little Belt Mountains

Of the 16 ski resorts (I use the term "resort" extremely loosely) in Montana there are few that rival Showdown.  I'm not talking about epic lines, awesome nightlife, or high speed quads...I'm talking old school Montana skiing.  It's the kind of place that makes you feel like time travel is possible.  Pleasantville meets Ski School meets Deadwood.   If I had to sum it up in a word?  Classic. 

The two towns that sit just down the canyon from Showdown are Neihart and Monarch.  These old mining towns still have prospectors holding court at the local watering hole.  I'm not kidding, they still prospect and even pan for gold on occasion.  The ski hill itself has been in operation since the 1930's when some skiing pioneers founded the Great Falls Ski Club.  I can only imagine what the drive was like back then -- it's about an hour and half now. 

There aren't many pretensions at Showdown.  The rental shop is in an old A-frame that looks as old as the mountain itself (see picture above).  The breakfast special is called the Miner, the drink special is coffee (until noon), and everyone is on a first name basis, including the owner.  George has owned and operated Showdown since God bequethed it to him on the sixth day, or so it seems anyway.  Old George is a bit of a  curmudgeony fellow but he runs a tight ship.  He might be bellowing instructions to the staff one minute and then serving you hot coffee with a smile the next.

The skiing at Showdown is also free of pretension and the lack of posers is pretty refreshing.  Porphory peak provides some solid vertical and with an elevation a little over 8,000 ft there's always a fair amount of snow.  Every time I visit it's either a bluebird day or a powder day and on a few occasions it's been both.  I won't spray about awesome pillow drops or perfectly spaced tree lines; I'll leave it to you check out the action yourself.   Oh, and if you're in the area make sure to stop by the Cub's Den or the Lazy Doe for a frosty pint and a few stories, I gaurantee a classic moment will occur.

Mile High Mile Deep

Considering the progression and popularity of winter sports it is surprising that certain epic areas remain totally underappreciated and often totally untracked.  The realization of this phenomena became totally obvious us when we stopped into Walkerville, Montana.  We discovered that Walkerville has a proliferation of urban skiing opportunities unseen on this side of the Atlantic.  The people are friendly and despite it's proximity to a Superfund site we found a bevy of clean unblemished lines.  If you're in the Butte area we definitely recommend a stop into Walkerville... seriously good stuff.