Resort Profile

Lost Trail Mountain: Not Catering to Hollywood Skiers, Still Having a Great Season

By Gina Knudson, 3-07-11

	Finding powder, even among a few more seekers, is still possible at Lost Trail. Contributed photo.

Ski resort owners are a lot like farmers – hopelessly dependent upon the weather to make a living. And Lost Trail Powder Mountain owner Bill Grasser, in his insulated overalls, looks like he’d be happier to ride a John Deere tractor than a Burton snowboard.

But this season, Grasser’s snow crop has been bumper. Lost Trail, which straddles the Idaho/Montana border about 90 miles south of Missoula, still boasts more than 110 inches at the base. To put that into perspective, the mountain’s media director Will Moss points out that this year Lost Trail’s base depth has put it among the top five ski areas on the continent.

“We’ve been in there with places like Mammoth and Whistler,” he said. Moss said the pre-season buzz about La Nina weather patterns “has come to fruition.”

And Lost Trail is well-positioned to make the most of it. In the early part of the decade, Grasser got the go-ahead from the Bitterroot National Forest to develop the Montana side of the ski area, bringing the mountain’s assets up to more than 50 trails and a respectable 1,800 vertical drop.

Skiers and boarders coexist here more peacefully than on most hills, and Lost Trail’s addition of two terrain parks, Frontcountry and Powder Park, certainly helps. Ski snobbery seems mostly absent, no doubt attributed to Lost Trail’s working-class regulars. Moss says the area primarily draws skiers from Montana’s Bitterroot Valley and Salmon, Idaho.

“We’re not focused on Hollywood skiers,” Moss said.

Other than the view of what appears to be the majority of the Continental Divide, Moss is right – nothing about Lost Trail smacks of Hollywood. The lodge is comfortable, but not an architectural wonder – probably the reason it can offer affordable food and downright cheap microbrews.

The morning crowds in front of the ski school speak to Lost Trail’s approach to enticing customers. Killer discounts for schools and other groups include a lesson for all ability levels. Veterans with 40 years of skiing under their belts continue to work on techniques through the ski area’s Men’s and Ladies’ programs. “We’re creating a foundation for everyone to enjoy a lifelong sport,” Moss explained.

Of course, he acknowledged, that’s not bad for business, either.

The ski school may serve as the mountain’s bread-and-butter, but a step up in marketing events like the recent Ski Patrol Steak Fry is adding some gravy to Lost Trail’s bottom line. Moss said the event, complete with live music from Portland’s Keegan Smith and the Fam, brought lift ticket sales to 1,700 – a record high for Lost Trail.

He acknowledged that days like that, while “a marathon of fun,” also cause some logistical bottlenecks for the down-home ski area. Most people cheered the success, but Moss admitted some regulars used to plowing virgin snow and no lift lines weren’t super-excited about the crowds. “Some people were like, ‘Hey, I’m seeing tracks in spots that I haven’t seen tracks before.’”

Even though March snow conditions are likely to remain fantastic, Moss said skier visits naturally start to drop off, so solitude lovers shouldn’t fret.

With the notable exception of Saturday, March 26, when Lost Trail becomes home to Skiesta. The end of season (although not likely to be the mountain’s last day) bash includes a BBQ, Big Air competition, Retro Costume contest, DJ’s throughout the day, live music at night and a giant bonfire.

Moss said employees work hard to make events like Skiesta happen, “But once it’s started, we have more fun than anyone else. There is just a great vibe on the mountain.”

For more information about Skiesta or Lost Trail Powder Mountain, visit the ski area’s web site.

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