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Revision as of 05:15, 22 March 2010 by Calamitybrook (talk | contribs) (→Going-Private Transaction)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)| Whitefish Mountain Resort | |
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 established 1947 | |
| Location | The Big Mountain Flathead Nat. Forest Flathead County, Montana  United States |
| Nearest major city | Whitefish Kalispell Missoula |
| Vertical | 2353 ft - (717 m) |
| Top elevation | 6817 ft - (2078 m) |
| Base elevation | 4464 ft - (1361 m) |
| Skiable area | 3,020 acres (12.2 km) |
| Trails | 93 - 15% beginner - 35% intermediate - 40% advanced - 10% expert |
| Longest run | 3.3 miles - (5.3 km) Hellfire |
| Lift system | 9 chairs - 3 high-speed quad - 2 quad - 4 triple 3 surface tows |
| Terrain parks | 1 |
| Snowfall | 300 in. - (762 cm) |
| Snowmaking | none |
| Night skiing | Fri & Sat lower lifts |
| Website | skiwhitefish.com |
Whitefish Mountain Resort is a ski resort located at The Big Mountain in northwestern Montana, located west of Glacier National Park in the Flathead National Forest. It is 4 miles (6 km) from the town of Whitefish and 21 miles (34 km) north of the city of Kalispell. The mountain is the second largest ski area in Montana, after Big Sky Resort.
The area currently has 9 chairlifts: 3 high-speed detachable quads and 6 fixed grip (2 quads and 4 triples). There are also three surface lifts: two T-bars and a magic carpet. Of these, 9 lifts operate regularly, including one T-bar which is normally only open on weekends.
The mountain is separated into three faces. The front side is primarily serviced by the Chair One high speed quad and has the most skiable terrain. Chair 2, which also runs on the front side was replaced with a high speed quad in 2007. The front side has 7 of the mountain's 9 chairlifts. The back side of the mountain is serviced by Chair 7, also a high speed quad. The back side has more tree skiing terrain, and additional terrain can be accessed by T-Bar 2 on weekends and during select holiday periods. The western aspect of the mountain contains the Hell Roaring basin. Serviced by Chair 11, a fixed grip triple chair, Hell Roaring basin is the most advanced skiing on the mountain with cliffs, vertical chutes, and tight tree skiing. The intermediate Hellfire trail is the longest on the mountain; it runs 3.3 miles (5.3 km) from the summit to the base of Chair 11.
The vertical drop of the ski area is 2353 feet (717 m), with a summit elevation of 6817 ft. (2078 m) and a base of 4464 ft. (1361 m). The average annual snowfall is 300 inches (762 cm).
The ski area is about 19 miles (30 km) north of Glacier Park International Airport and 35 miles (56 km) south of the Canadian border.
History
Winter Sports, Inc. (WSI) formed in 1947 as a public company of community shareholders, opened The Big Mountain on December 14, 1947, and hosted the 1949 U.S. Alpine Championships. The mountain originally had a single T-bar, which was replaced by chairlifts installed in 1960 and 1968. In June 2007, the resort was renamed "Whitefish Mountain Resort." By then the mountain had expanded to include 10 chairlifts.
Olympic champion Tommy Moe learned to ski and race at the mountain, where his father was on the ski patrol. Moe won the gold medal in the Downhill and silver in the Super-G at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway.
The mountain again hosted the U.S. Alpine Championships in 2001. That event is remembered for the failed comeback attempt, and life-altering crash, of 1984 Olympic Downhill champion Bill Johnson.
An avalanche occurred in the Flathead National Forest, within hiking distance of the back side of The Big Mountain and killed two skiers on January 13, 2008.
Whitefish Mountainclass=notpageimage| location of Whitefish Mountain Resort, near Whitefish
Going-Private Transaction
In December 2006, WSI conducted a 150-for-one reverse stock split. Its stated purpose was to lower expense by reducing the number of shareholders to below the threshold that imposes public reporting requirements. At the time the transaction was proposed, 664 shareholders, or 72% of investors in the company, each separately held less than 150 shares. In total, these investors held a 2.5% equity (and voting) stake. Following approval of the reverse split, holders of resulting fractional shares received cash for their investment. The board expressed concern that the transaction might be viewed as coercive, but after review and outside consultation decided the transaction was fair to the affected shareholders. WSI's handling of the reverse split was nonetheless criticized by at least a few former shareholders within the local community.
Managers Criticized
Separately from the stock transaction, new operators of Whitefish Mountain Resort received criticism in the winter of 2007-08 when several lower lifts were closed each afternoon at 4:00 pm, 30 minutes earlier than indicated by a printing mistake on their trail map. They also closed the backside of the mountain 30 minutes earlier than in previous years.
In 2008, the resort discontinued summer lift access for winter season pass holders, granting several free lift tickets instead. In September of that same year, the resort reversed the decision and announced that 2008-09 winter season passes would again convey unlimited foot-passenger lift access for summer 2009.
References
- "Whitefish Mountain Resort Hours and Dates". Whitefish Mountain Resort. Retrieved 2008-10-01.
- "Whitefish Mountain Resort Statistics". Whitefish Mountain Resort. Retrieved 2008-09-05.
- ^ "About Whitefish Mountain Resort". Whitefish Mountain Resort. Retrieved 2008-09-05.
- Quigley, Michelle. "It's Time for Moe". MountainZone.com. Retrieved 2008-09-05.
- "OL: Downhill Men Sunday (Official List), The 1994 Winter Olympics". Oslonett. Retrieved 2008-09-05.
- "OL-Alpine: Super-G Men (Official list), The 1994 Winter Olympics". Oslonett. Retrieved 2008-09-05.
- "Trail at fatal Flathead avalanche site to reopen". Montana Television Network. 2008-01-27. Retrieved 2008-09-05.
- Hintze, Lynette. "Small investors in resort get some wiggle room". Daily Interlake. Retrieved 2009-02-28.
- Winter Sports, Inc. (2004-02-27). "Background, Purpose, Structure and Effect of the Reverse Split". Schedule 14A. U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
- Jamison, Michael. "Locals dismayed at Big Mountain ski area stock plan". Missoulian. Retrieved 2008-09-05.
- Testa, Dan (2008-04-16). "Resort Changes Draw Praise, Resistance". flatheadbeacon.com. Retrieved 2008-09-05.
- Lomax, Becky (2008-05-28). "Whitefish Mountain Resort Changes Summer Lift Policies". flatheadbeacon.com. Retrieved 2008-09-05.
- "Lift policy change notification letter". Whitefish Mountain Resort. 2008-06-13. Retrieved 2008-09-05.
- "Follow-up notification letter". Whitefish Mountain Resort. 2008-06-17. Retrieved 2008-09-05.
- Clapp, Donnie (2008-09-25). "Whitefish Mountain Resort Newsletter: Winter Passes will Include Summer Lift Rides, Donnie is Sore, and Just What are Ski School Programs?". Whitefish Mountain Resort. Retrieved 2008-10-01.
External links
- Ski Whitefish.com - official site
- Big Mtn.info - unofficial site