Bear Paw Ski Bowl

[cts]

Bear Paw Ski Bowl south of Havre to open this weekend

Feb 5, 2008

Enough snow finally has fallen in the Bear Paw Mountains south of Havre that Bear Paw Ski Bowl can open Saturday.

“We don’t have much for snow, we are sketchy,” said ski area manager Dave Martens of Rudyard. “We have eight to 12 inches for a base and in some places less than that but we have to get open or we won’t have a ski season.”



Martens said the ski area received hardly any snow until two weeks ago.

“I suppose we have gotten 24 inches of snow but it packed down because there wasn’t much moisture in it. We probably have 65 percent of the mountain open.”

Bear Paw will be open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Lift tickets cost $18 for adults and $15 for those 8 to 18 years. Skiers under 8 and over 80 ski free.

“And women in bikinis ski free. Last year we had to limit it to the first 30,” Martens joked. “It was hurting us, especially when it got nice."

The earliest opening for Bear Paw is early December.

“But the last four years we haven’t gotten any snow. If anybody’s got global warming, we do,” Martens said. “I guess I would just ask people to think snow.”


Bear Paw Ski Bowl is located 29 miles south of Havre on the Chippewa Cree Recreation Area. It is nestled in the shadow of mystic Baldy mountain, the highest mountain in the Bear Paw Mountains.

Call 406-265-8404 for more information.




Wow not opening till Feb. 3rd- Thats insane. Has anybody ever been to the Bear Paw Bowl?

I'd like to give it a try, for shits and giggles if nothing else!

[Angela]

that's funny, i'd go, in a bikini too if it wasn't so far away...

[Kevin]

Wow that's gotta be a record for any resort in the world to open this late I thought it was like 30 below there for the last 2 weeks... maybe they just didn't get any precip.

[Ult]

At the risk of sounding obvious...I don't think it snows in that area much. That said...Bear Paw is still on my list of MT hills to ride...I want to ride them all at some point and I've yet to get there....maybe some day.

[Snow Duck]

I live due west of Havre in the Sweet Grass Hills, and it's actually pretty snowy, all things considered (we don't get nearly as much as the Rockies even on a good year). Has anyone actually been to Bear Paw lately? I read about it in a semi-local newspaper and was intrigued. Even if it is rinky-dink, at least it has a lift of some kind...around here I have to hike hike hike, but it's just me, some cows and horses, and all day to play.

[Kevin]

Still haven't been there... How are the hills up there? How do you get up there? bootpack, splitboard, snowshoe,..?

[Snow Duck]

Ah, all of the above Actually, it depends on the approach. There's usually so much wind here that one side of the hills are practically bare. I haven't been up to the top of any of the mountains with snow on them, but the foothills are pretty easy to get to. My place is in a coulee with snowdrifts, so I just have to hike a short way.

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[Kevin]

nice... kinda looks like a natural half pipe

[Snow Duck]

It is! The channel isn't very steep, but you can drop in on one side and up the other for a mini-pipe...when it's icy and/or packed, it's much better. Often the wind takes all the snow and piles it to one side, but the last few storms got both I need to work on carving out the walls some more, but so far it's been fun to mess around in. What I really need to do is make some rails for the top of the lips...It's great to have a private park. I just hope we don't get a chinook too soon