Words and Images: Jordan Grant-Krenz
Most have put ski season in the rear-view mirror. With no nostalgia for winter’s cold kiss, our attentions shift toward the summer. But there are a few places left in North America that keep the lifts going during that strange, indecisive period of the year when the snow lingers and the temperatures skyrocket. One of those places is Beartooth Basin Ski Area, and we just couldn’t resist putting the boots back on.
To be accurate, Beartooth Basin doesn’t just “keep the lifts going” during the summer; they start them for the first time. With snowdrifts reaching up to 25 feet on the pass throughout the winter, the road doesn’t open and the resort doesn’t operate. But as the highway is cleared at the end of each May, thanks to the immense effort of road crews, Beartooth Basin comes alive.
The ski area hasn’t operated for the last few years, with poor snow conditions and warm spring seasons limiting the skiing. But this year, Austin Hart and his team of passionate employees and volunteers were determined to get the Poma lifts running. And that’s exactly what they did.
Beartooth Basin was able to open on May 28 this year, with beautiful weather welcoming the crowd. Only 100 riders are allowed to buy tickets each day, which makes for limited lift lines, lots of elbow room and an incredible atmosphere. We’d been lucky enough to secure some of the last passes available on the website for June 1. You can purchase a ticket (cash only) at the resort, but it’s highly recommended to secure yours online before arriving, as the highway pass has no cell service.
After camping in Forest Service land at the base of the Montana side of the pass, we were greeted by temps around 60°F and managed to find one of the 40 parking spots at the top of the pass near the resort. After a breakfast of bacon, egg and cheese sandwiches hot off the cast iron, we picked up our tickets, signed waivers and walked towards the edge of the foreboding cornice. (Important to note, Beartooth Basin does not offer any beginner terrain).
A surprise link-up made the day extra fortuitous as we bumped into Nordica athlete Brooks Curran and Jackson Hole Mountain Resort filmer Bobby Thomson. The crew exchanged high-fives and proceeded to, in the famous words of Donny Pelletier—point ’em downhill.
We shamelessly bashed bumps and sprayed slush as legs that hadn’t been on skis for three weeks slowly acclimated back into the rhythm. The upper part of the ski area boasts several ways down of varying difficulty, with a few rocks and soft snow making for an interesting and f*cking fun descent, to be blunt.
As if it couldn’t get better, chunks of snow previously blown by the operations crew from the cornice above served as prime mini-golf hits on the lower section. In all, it’s quite possibly the best 200 yards of spring turns you’ll ever find.
By three o’clock, an afternoon thunderstorm had rolled in, and it was time to give the mighty diesel-powered Poma lifts a rest for the day. We didn’t mind, as hours of hot laps and tiring rides back up had left us elated. Seriously, riding the Poma lift up a face that steep is nothing short of a workout.
We retreated to the lot and popped off slush-logged ski boots, soaking in the Twilight Zone-esque parking lot packed with skiers in midsummer. It’s a sight and an atmosphere you have to feel to believe, but while it’s abnormal and unique, it’s as welcoming and enjoyable as anywhere in the wide world of skiing.
The sheer grandeur of Beartooth Pass alone would make the trip worth it, and getting to enjoy this gem of a ski resort is truly the cherry on top. It takes an incredible effort to keep Beartooth Basin alive and well, but to the credit of those in charge, they make it look seamless. And if you don’t think hauling trailers and equipment 5,000 feet up a mountain side is hard, you should give it a go for yourself.
Cheers to the incredible team keeping the fire going high on the border of southeast Montana and northern Wyoming. There’s no doubt that we’ll be back at The Basin before long, and if your schedule permits it, you should make the journey, too. After all, nothing says ski season like June!
