Ski and Soak Vacation 2023 – Upper Left Adventure

This year we decided a mid-winter “ski and soak” vacation was in order. So we set out in early February to Montana!

Day 1: Lookout Pass Ski Area

All smiles on the empty lifts at Lookout Pass

I first skied Lookout Pass in 2000 when it consisted of a single lift and I could barely ski! This year we got to ski Lift FIVE for the first time, which reaches outback onto adjacent Eagle Mountain, reaching terrain only accessible by backcountry users until 2023(?). Unfortunately for us, the total vert to time ratio wasn’t the best due to the old fixed-grip technology and it’s traversing nature. Conditions were minimal visbility for us at the time so it was a factor in our enjoyment. Nonetheless, we love Lookout and it was a fantastic Day 1!

The snow was great considering the visibility was meh. Katt got a great ski lesson!

3:30 on Tuesday with powder shots still lurking at empty Lookout Pass

Lookout Pass circa 2000 with one fixed-grip double chair and a rope tow for beginners.

Lookout Pass today with the Eagle Peak expansion

This place hasn’t changed much in ~30 years!

If you don’t know Charlie B’s, you don’t know Missoula. So many have come before us

Day 2: Lost Trail Powder Mountain and Jackson Hot Springs

Our first trip back to our favorite ski area (and where I learned to ski!) in many years, except this time we get to meet our friends Caitlin and Brian from Bozeman! I started caving with Brian in 2007, but this is the first time we’ve ever been skiing together! Best yet, it was the infamous POWDER THURSDAY at Lost Trail!! (they’re closed M-W most weeks). And the powder shots lasted all day!!

Chair 1 at Powder Mountain! That’s B&C on the chair behind us!

Not many photos as we were busy shredding zee pow!

Lost Trail Powder Mountain as it looked when I took my first ever ski lesson on 5 January 2000; the Saddle Mountain expansion area was just a dream in the making. My brother Mike and I hiked out of bounds into the area for some runs in the early 2000s.

Lost Trail Powder Mountain Ski Area as of 2023! Note the significant expansion area to Saddle Mountain, as well as the detail on the **Experts Only** “The White House” cliffs area. I love Lost Trail!!

Après-ski: Soak #1!

After shredding pow all day, we headed over to Jackson, MT and our first soaking destination of the trip: Jackson Hot Springs! This commercial hot springs is part of a hotel/restaurant combo in this tiny town. B&C stayed at the historic hotel/hostel across the street, and we stayed in one of the cabins replete with living area and bathroom. We had dinner at the restaurant, a nice long soak in the single large hot pool, and B&C made us bomb-diggity burritos in our room the next morning. They headed back toward Bozone, and we headed to our next soaking destination.

Sunset from Jackson Hot Springs. Note the steam rising from the creek!

Brian and Caitlin stayed at the historic hotel in Jackson across the street. The stories that place could tell!

Day 3: Elkhorn Hot Springs – Soak #2!

Elkhorn Hot Springs is another commercial hot springs lodge/restaurant combo located near Polaris, MT and nearby Maverick Mountain Ski Area. We weren’t able to get a room at the lodge so we opted for a day soak before we departed toward the next ski area later that evening. This was a first time visit for both Katt and I, and we’ll definitely be back – after all, the hot springs sits at the base of a network of cross-country ski trails and access to the backcountry is right out of the lot! Much to our surprise, and consistent with the “old west” of Montana, there was no attendant on duty – a local told us “just pay at the lodge on the way out!” Love it!

Nearby Maverick Mountain Ski Area, another local’s hill and outside the reach of corporate overlords – for now.

Rustic Elkhorn Hot Springs, Polaris, Montana

The lodge/bar/restaurant at Elkhorn Hot Springs is very old. There’s some old photos showing what life was like in this space decades ago.

Day 4: Discovery Ski Area

Due to our late departure and limited offerings in Anaconda, we headed into Butte for dinner at the fantastic dinner at the Homestake Pub. Then we headed to the hotel for an “early” start to Discovery the next day. The issue with bringing a dog to a bluebird day at a ski area is finding adequate shade for the car. And then when we got there, we found all the lots completely full and folks were parking down the approach road. Always the optimist, I drove around all the lots and found a unique place to park that provided shade all day!

The view of the Anaconda Range from Discovery is amazing. (It’s not called “The Pintlers” despite that being what every calls it)

Despite me having skied Discovery many times, we both got to experience the backside lift that is now accessible from Philipsburg! That’s been talked about for over 20 years!

Backside of Discovery, the Bitterroot Mountains are visible in the distance.

Coverage was a *little* light on the lower lift 😉

Here’s Discovery’s backside runs in 2000. Note Winning Ridge at looker’s right, now compare to the one below:

The lift at the bottom right can now be accessed from Philipsburg!! There were rumors about this back in 2000!

Here’s what the frontside of Discovery Ski Area looked like when I first went in winter 1999/2000. Only one, slow open Riblet chair going to Rumsey mountain, and where it crossed the ravine under Silver Bow, you were over 40 feet in the air with only the center pole to hang on to! Scary!!

The frontside at Discovery Ski Area today – note the second lift to Rumsey, which, although not a high-speed lift, is a quad and can transport more skiers per hour and isn’t near as scary.

Day 4 Bonus: Wraith Hill Ski Area

Wraith Hill was a ski area back in the day, and is described in the book Downhill Montana. Best, you can still park at the base of Wraith (just east of Discovery) and skin up the old runs. Note the old lift tower and bullwheel are still in place! We didn’t have enough time to do this on this trip, but its on the bucketlist!!

Wraith Hill Ski Area bullwheel and lift towers as they appear in February 2023, frozen in time

Old ski runs at Wraith Hill Ski Area, Montana in February 2023.

The old judges’ platform for “yumping” (ski jumping) at Wraith Hill Ski Area, Montana as of February 2023

One last look at Georgetown Lake and the Anaconda Range

Technically this was our second “Ski and Soak” vacation if you count our honeymoon to Iceland. We’re not sure why it took us this long to figure out this is something we want to do every year, but we’re excited for next year! So many options!!