Those prepared to rough out the fog and bitter cold of winter in Whitefish, Montana, can expect to find some of the finest backcountry skiing and boarding in the “last best place on Earth”. Whitefish permeates a rough sort of charm—you don’t go there for five-star luxury ski resorts, you go there for the cheap lodging, the great pancakes, and the miles upon miles of ungroomed powder. However, the Montana backcountry can be treacherous, and the threat of an avalanche always looms over those who choose to trade the resort for the wilderness. And if things go south, you should be ready. Take an AIARE Level 1 Course in Whitefish and master the fundamentals of avalanche safety while blazing your own trail down some crazy slopes.
Improve your skillset on 3,000 skiable acres of quality light dry powder
Amazing views of Flathead Lake make learning avalanche safety a treat
Enjoy some breathtaking descents in Whitefish’s winter wonderland
57hours is committed to providing safe outdoor adventure experiences. We require all guides using our platform to have a COVID-19 safety plan and to make the details of that plan accessible to travelers. In most cases, group sizes will be reduced, guides will avoid overcrowded locations, and other safety measures will be met depending on the location and activity.
We also expect clients to respect local regulations and take measures to protect themselves, guides, and the communities they’re traveling to. For more information on COVID-19 measures in Whitefish, Montana, please refer to the Montana Governor’s Coronavirus Task Force website.
Please contact us if you have any questions or require further information. We are happy to provide you with the most up-to-date information!
What you get in this adventure:
What’s not included:
In order to get the most of this adventure, you need to have a moderate level of fitness. You will be on your feet for a full day. You will need to manage controlled descents in variable conditions. All participants should feel comfortable on challenging blue or black level resort runs and be able to carry a loaded daypack while skinning up variable degrees of terrain.
Prerequisites:
You don’t need to be an advanced skier or boarder, but you do need to be able to ascend moderate slopes using skins. All participants should be comfortable traveling in snow while carrying touring gear. There are no other prerequisites.
For technical backcountry ski touring gear, you will need to bring:
For personal items, we recommend bringing:
All mandatory gear can be rented if you don’t have your own. You can rent:
Ski rental locations are in Whitefish and should be picked up the night prior to your outing. If you need to rent gear, let us know and we can help make arrangements.
Group sizes and prices:
Avalanche safety courses in Whitefish can be arranged for larger groups. Contact us to make arrangements.
Min. age requirements:
To get to these tours in the Whitefish area, most people fly into Glacier Park International Airport 15 minutes away from Whitefish, MT. From there, you should rent a car, or take a taxi or shuttle to Whitefish.
For the Resort-Based Tour, you should then rent a car or take a taxi to Lakeside, MT. You will meet your guides at the Blacktail Mountain Resort 14 miles (22 km) west of Lakeside at noon of day 1. The following days’ classes will be held there as well, from 9am – 5pm.
For the Yurt-Based Tour, you will meet your guides at the Great Northern Powder Guides base area 23 miles (37 km) north from Whitefish at 8 am of day 1. From there, your guides will arrange snowcat transportation to your yurt.
