LAKESIDE — Blacktail Mountain is gearing up for an epic winter of family fun and is set to open for the season on Friday, December 13.
“Blacktail is a community, and we're really honored to be part of this community. And I miss my people,” said Blacktail Mountain Ski Area Manager Jessi Wood.
And that community can hit the slopes again in just two days.
“I'm thrilled to get back into winter, get all of the kids out there skiing and all of the families up on the mountain,” said Wood.
Starting its 28th year, Blacktail Mountain Ski Area is opening a month earlier than last year, which was the latest opening in the mountain's history.
“We're thrilled to get started on time this year and even a little bit early. We are thrilled. We are happy we've got an excellent staff this season, and we're looking forward to a great year,” said Wood.
Crews have been hard at work throughout the summer and early winter months getting the slopes ready. There are some changes at the mountain this year including a new food and beverage director and some new terrain.
“We got quite a bit of work done out on the slopes this summer, so you're gonna see some improved trails. We opened up Lower Little Salmon. That's gonna be a huge improvement, or huge new thing at Blacktail,” said Wood.
Not all lifts and terrain will be open the first weekend as more snow is needed to completely open the mountain. The Olympic Chairlift and Thunderhead to Midway Station will be the only lifts to spin this weekend.
“Which is plenty of skiing to get us started here. Our operations team is out grooming the slopes right now. We're getting the restaurant ready to go, and we're just excited,” said Wood.
