If you like spring/summer skiing then one of the best places on the planet for easy car access skiing is the Beartooth Pass in Red Lodge, Montana. Call MDOT at 800-226-7623 to make sure it’s open as snow even falls in June up here. This is some of the best car accessible ski terrain anywhere on the planet.
Ten miles south of Red Lodge is where the Beartooth Pass begins its climb to the sky. It offers 4,000 vertical feet of big mountain lines when it first opens (check out the photos). If you can’t ski all of the steepest stuff that the big names resorts offer then this probably isn’t the best place for you. There is a little run off the shoulder of Gardiner headwall that is fairly intermediate but that is about it.
The night before we crashed at a friend’s in this really cool, new real estate development called The Spires at Red Lodge and watched the sun set against the 12,000 foot peaks to the west. We couldn’t believe that in a ski town where they bordered an 18 hole golf course that they were selling complete cottages for under $200,000 - in this day and age who has heard of anything that affordable in a Rocky Mountain ski town.
We all stayed at this really cool new development called The Spires at Red Lodge the night before and went for a big walk on their trail system marveling at the views of the high peaks to the west. We were amazed by just how affordable Red Lodge Montana real estate is as they were selling complete cottages for under $200,000. We didn’t think there was a ski town anywhere where anything left that was this affordable.
Our pick-up taken care of we headed off in to the heavens and the jaw dropping scenery that is the Pass. Just the car ride alone makes this whole trip worth it and the skiing is a bonus.
As we near the top of the west summit we see the head wall we are about to ski. Gardiner head wall is very steep, anywhere from 35 degrees up to 45 degrees, so we are glad that it is 55 degrees outside because the snow should be soft as it faces east in to the early morning light. There is evidence of several small wet slides on either side of the face so we know we need to keep alert.
The corn snow has us giggling half way down it is so good. It is a short 500 vertical foot hike out which takes about 20 minutes and we decide to have lunch at the rocks along the top by the highway. This had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that there were five 20-somethings in bikini tops sunbathing. From there we headed to Reefer Ridge where there are many lines to get you back to your morning vehicle drop. These are all 3,500 vertical foot big mountain lines and some of them cliff out so choose your lines carefully or you’ll be doing some hiking.
We found a beautiful 40 degree Couloir that allowed us to ski virtually to our car and, thanks to the main Rock Creek still being frozen we skied right over it (not wet boots). Get somebody to skier cut everything you ski at the top just to be safe as we kicked off a wet one that ran for 2,500 feet which got our attention. Check out this line for a car accessible ski it is pretty radical.
We then drove back up the Pass to get the other car and on the way back down dropped in to ski the Rock Creek headwall which is another 2,000 vertical feet of expert fun. Cold beers were awaiting in the car and on the way back in to town we all marveled at our good fortune getting to live in such a special place that has virtually no competition for the wide open spaces.
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