The rugged, humble nature of Cooke City’s mountains, as well as its excellent powder, make it a true backcountry mecca. Located next to the northeast entrance of Yellowstone Park, this area gets the most snow out of any region in Southwest Montana. Also, the combination of storms that frequently sweep through the nearby Snake River Basin and the cold, high peaks means abundant, low-density snow and phenomenal ski quality! Cooke City’s slopes aren’t lacking in the diversity department either – areas like Republic and Sheep Creek provide an array of options for beginners, while the more advanced backcountry skiers will find their place in the higher alpine tours in the Beartooth mountains. If you’re looking for a place to spice up your AIARE education, Cooke City’s snowy slopes are a no-brainer!
Head to the Cooke City area for a thrilling and memorable learning experience
Easy access due to Cooke City’s location right under the mountain
Abundance of treeline and high alpine tours for anyone’s taste and skill level
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, their guides, and the communities they’re traveling to. For more information on COVID-19 measures in Cooke City, 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:
If you rent ski touring equipment in Big Sky, MT, it should be picked up the night prior to your outing. If you need to rent gear, let us know during the booking process and we can help make arrangements.
Group sizes and pricing:
Min. age requirements:
If your group has skiers under the age of 18, contact us prior to booking to make arrangements.
To get to Cooke City, most people fly into Billings Logan International Airport or Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport. From there, you can rent a car and take a 3-hour drive to Cooke City. Alternatively, you can take a bus to either Cody or Livingston, and then rent a car to Cooke City. Both trips will take you about 4 hours.
For parts of fall, spring and all of winter, roads to the east of Cooke City are closed. During that time, you have to enter Yellowstone at its North Entrance by Gardiner or bring a snowmobile in from the east.
Once you and your guide agree on the details of your itinerary, your guide will suggest the best place to meet, whether that’s at the guide shop in Cooke City or a predetermined location. From there, you’ll head to your tour. The guide will choose the appropriate terrain dependent on conditions and the ski ability of the group.
