Unveiling Montana & Idaho's Hidden Ski Gems

Big Sky Resort, Montana

What makes Big Sky different than Vail or Park City? “The ski resort came first, then the town,” says Victorio Gonzalez, general manager of Montage Big Sky (montage.com). “It reminds me of Deer Valley in 2010, exclusive, private, untouched and rugged. Montana is deliberately unrefined, and people love it for that reason.” And the balance between this ruggedness and modern amenities is what’s driving luxury development in the area. Before Montage opened in December 2021, Ranch at Rock Creek was the only luxury hotel property. “Of course there are private clubs like Yellowstone and Spanish Peaks,” says Gonzalez, “but Montage was the pioneer, the first five-star resort. Now we have One&Only being built on the Moonlight Basin side, so there will be another hotel.” (One&Only’s Big Sky resort will be the brand’s first in the United States and its first winter destination.)

The 139 rooms and suites of Montage are located within the 3,530-acre Spanish Peaks enclave, and are about a 20-minute drive from the Big Sky Resort base area and main town. Outside its on-site activity center is “ski beach” where guests leave their equipment for ski-in/ski-out sessions near beginner-friendly terrain, wide-open groomers, and easy gladed runs. In addition to downhill, book a guided snowshoe trek with a naturalist who will point out animal tracks and flora and fauna you would hardly notice otherwise. Big Sky is one of the very few mountains where you can ski among mountain goats; last count showed a herd of 40!

Big Sky Resort has introduced a new chairlift nearly every year since 2016 when it unveiled its capital improvement plan for 2025. Its impressive chairlift infrastructure ensures short lift lines and features super luxurious, state-of-the-art bubble lifts with heated cushion seats and electric bars. The new Lone Peak Tram to the summit drops guests at 11,166 feet for views of Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, and Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks. Expert skiers can choose from single, double, or triple black diamond runs to get down. The resort’s unpretentious, chill vibe is for those who have skied all the other mountains in the West and are ready for something different.

Schweitzer, Sandpoint, Idaho,

With Canada less than 20 miles away and a name that means “Swiss man” in German, Schweitzer’s European feel is very fitting. The resort’s 2,900 acres of terrain in the Selkirk Mountains of northern Idaho make it the largest in the state and part of the Powder Triangle with Whitewater and Red Mountain in British Columbia just over the border. A two-hour drive from the Spokane International Airport and six hours from the Seattle Metropolitan area, Schweitzer offers practically no lift lines and a laidback attitude that translates to later starts. Do that yoga in the morning and have a relaxed breakfast, you don’t need to be at the lift right when it opens. Snowcat skiing here is mellow and at an intermediate level with little avalanche threat. The backcountry is an open-gate policy beyond the boundaries where you can ski to the Canadian border less than 20 miles away on a ridge hop.

The quaint village square has a clock tower with a bell that’s rung to start the day; it’s a popular meeting point before hitting the slopes. On weekends, there’s twilight skiing from 4 to 7 p.m. The 31-room Humbird hotel, which opened in 2022, plays to the new definition of luxury, which is all about time, wellness, and experiences rather than turndown service and a refresh of towels twice a day. Its aesthetic can be described as modern lumberjack crossed with Scandinavian minimalism. To the south and east, the hotel overlooks the lakeside town of Sandpoint and Lake Pend Oreille, the largest lake in Idaho. Its rooftop deck and hot tub overlook the mountain and lake, and on the floor below it is the Glass Room, a unique glass-enclosed living room space featuring a cozy fireplace, large-screen TV, and games. Located just off the lobby, Crow’s Bench serves upscale Bavarian cuisine. Named for a turn-of-the-century spot frequented by locals during Sandpoint’s early logging days, it’s the ideal place for après ski cocktails sipped in front of a massive dual-sided fireplace. For focused recovery, the hotel’s Cambium Spa across the way, offers infrared sauna sessions and the latest tech tools to soothe sore muscles.

The boho chic town of Sandpoint is a quick 15-minute car ride down to the basin where you can find farmer’s markets, coffee roasters, and music venues alongside some innovative dining outlets, wine bars, and coffee shops. The town was founded as a timber community and is considered by locals to be more of a lake town with a mountain than a mountain town with a lake. Its architecture in the grainery district is converted, repurposed mills as its timber heritage prevails throughout. In all, Schweitzer has built a secret gem that’s about good skiing on your own private hill in a part of the country that offers a rare winter escape. (schweitzer.com)



Photo credits: Courtesy Montage Big Sky; Schweitzer and Humbird